5. a. A supplier, permissive supplier, importer, exporter, blender, distributor, liquefied petroleum gas dealer, or aviation fuel dealer shall keep a record of all fuel received, sold or used which shall include the name of the purchaser, the number of gallons used or sold and the date of the use or sale. A supplier, permissive supplier, importer, exporter, blender, distributor, liquefied petroleum gas dealer, or aviation fuel dealer shall also deliver with each consignment of fuel to a purchaser within this State a written statement containing the date and number of gallons delivered and the names of the purchaser and seller, and that statement shall show a separate charge for the tax imposed by section 3 of P.L.2010, c.22 (C. 54:39-103) on each gallon; provided however, that a statement shall not be required to be delivered by the supplier, permissive supplier, importer, exporter, blender, distributor, liquefied petroleum gas dealer, or aviation fuel dealer if a sale of fuel is made at a service station and the fuel is delivered directly into a vehicle fuel supply tank. The records and written statements shall be preserved by a supplier, permissive supplier, importer, exporter, blender, distributor, liquefied petroleum gas dealer, or aviation fuel dealer and the purchaser respectively, for a period of a minimum of four years and shall be offered for inspection at the request of the director.

b. A supplier, permissive supplier, importer, exporter, blender, distributor, liquefied petroleum gas dealer, or aviation fuel dealer shall take a physical inventory of fuel on hand on the first or last day of each month and shall have the record of that inventory and of all other matters enumerated in this section available at all times for inspection by the director. Upon demand by the director each supplier, permissive supplier, importer, exporter, blender, distributor, liquefied petroleum gas dealer, and aviation fuel dealer shall furnish a statement under oath reflecting the contents of any records required to be kept by this section.

c. Each supplier, permissive supplier, importer, exporter, blender, distributor, liquefied petroleum gas dealer, or aviation fuel dealer shall, on or before the 22nd day of each month, render a report to the director, in the form and manner prescribed by the director, stating the number of gallons of fuel sold or used in this State by that person during the preceding calendar month. Upon application to the director, the period within which a report must be made may be extended up to an additional 10 days, if deemed advisable by the director. A tax at the rate imposed by section 3 of P.L.2010, c.22 (C. 54:39-103) shall be paid by each supplier, permissive supplier, importer, exporter, blender, distributor, liquefied petroleum gas dealer, or aviation fuel dealer, on the number of gallons of fuel sold or used in this State by that person during the preceding calendar month and not exempted from taxation, the payment to accompany the filing of the report. The report shall contain further information as the director may prescribe or determine.

d. If a supplier, permissive supplier, importer, exporter, blender, distributor, liquefied petroleum gas dealer, or aviation fuel dealer shall fail, neglect or refuse to file the report within the time prescribed by this section, the director shall note that failure, neglect or refusal upon the director’s records, and may estimate the sales, distribution and use of that supplier, permissive supplier, importer, exporter, blender, distributor, liquefied petroleum gas dealer, or aviation fuel dealer, assessing the tax thereon, and adding to that assessed tax a penalty of 20% thereof for failure, neglect or refusal to report, and that estimate shall be prima facie evidence of the true amount of tax due to the director from the supplier, permissive supplier, importer, exporter, blender, distributor, liquefied petroleum gas dealer, or aviation fuel dealer; provided that if a good and sufficient cause or reason is shown for a delinquency, the director may remit or waive the payment of the whole or any part of the penalty, as allowed by the State Uniform Tax Procedure Law, R.S.54:48-1 et seq. Reports required by this section, exclusive of schedules, itemized statements and other supporting evidence annexed to those reports, shall at all reasonable times be open to the public, notwithstanding any provision of R.S.54:50-8 to the contrary.

L.2010, c.22, s.5; amended 2010, c.79, s.4.