When the insurance commissioner shall elect to audit, examine, or inspect the books, records, papers, invoices, memoranda, or other data of a taxpayer at his principal place of business outside this state, he shall designate, in writing, his agent or agents, employee or employees, to make the audit, examination, or inspection at the principal place of business of the taxpayer, and shall state the kind of tax for which the audit, examination, or inspection is thereby made.

In regard to inspection made by the commissioner of insurance the cost thereof, to include only the actual expenses involved to be determined after audit, examination, or inspection has been made, shall be paid by the taxpayer. The commissioner shall first approve the account or cost of such examination and determine to his satisfaction that it is reasonable, and that there are charged only the direct expenses involved in making the audit, examination, or inspection. He shall then pay, from the support funds authorized by the legislative act to be used by him in the administration of the duties of his office, to the agent or agents, employee or employees who made the audit, examination, or inspection, his, or their, itemized expense accounts. Then a detailed itemized statement of the expenses or cost of such audit, examination, or inspection shall be rendered the taxpayer. If such is done, the taxpayer shall be directed to pay the cost thereby set out as a refund into the treasury of the State of Mississippi to the credit of the support fund account of the officer who made the audit, examination, or inspection; and the treasurer’s receipt shall be mailed to the taxpayer.

The charge for or cost of any audit, examination, or inspection of the books, records, papers, invoices, memoranda, or other data made by the commissioner of insurance at the principal place of business outside this state of any taxpayer, and made under the provisions of any of the tax laws shall become a liability of the taxpayer to the State of Mississippi, collectible in the same manner as is the tax imposed by the tax law under which the audit, examination, or inspection has been made.