42-3406. Refunds and rebates of tobacco taxes; supporting documentation; distributor's burden of proof

A. Except as otherwise provided under subsection B of this section or by the department for a refund or redemption under section 42-3008 or 42-3460, a distributor requesting any refund or rebate of taxes paid on tobacco products pursuant to article 2, 6, 7 or 9 of this chapter shall establish entitlement to the refund or rebate by obtaining a report executed by the retailer that purchased the tobacco products on which the distributor paid taxes, indicating the name and address of the retailer and the quantities of tobacco products sold, separately identified by the tax category of tobacco product and the necessary facts to establish the appropriate amount of refund or rebate. The report is subject to the following conditions:

1. The report shall be provided in the form and manner prescribed by the department. Under such rules as it may prescribe, the department may identify transactions for which a distributor may not rely solely on the information in the retailer's report but must instead obtain additional information as required by the rules in order to be entitled to the refund or rebate.

2. The burden of proof for the refund or rebate is on the distributor, but if the distributor complies in all other respects with this section, the department may require the retailer that caused the execution of the report to establish the accuracy and completeness of the information required to be contained in the report that would entitle the distributor to the refund or rebate. If the retailer cannot establish the accuracy and completeness of the information, the retailer is liable in an amount equal to any tax, penalty and interest that the distributor would have been liable for under this chapter if the distributor had not otherwise complied with this section. Payment of the amount under this section by the retailer exempts the distributor from liability for the underlying tax, penalty and interest. All amounts paid by a retailer under this paragraph shall be treated as tax revenues collected from the distributor in order to designate the distribution base for the purposes of this chapter.

B. In its discretion and in circumstances in which a retailer is uncooperative, nonresponsive or no longer in business, the department may accept proof other than a report described in subsection A of this section if the distributor shows, to the satisfaction of the department, that it exercised ordinary business care and prudence but was unable to furnish a report executed by the retailer. Acceptable forms of proof presented by the distributor pursuant to this subsection must consist of books, records or papers maintained by the distributor or retailer in the regular course of business.