(a) Refunds and credits. A person may file a claim for refund or a license holder may take a credit on a return for state fuel tax paid on gasoline, diesel fuel, compressed natural gas, or liquefied natural gas used off the highway, for certain resale, for export from Texas, for loss caused by fire, theft, or accident, or other use if authorized by law. The claim for refund or credit must be filed in accordance with this section.
(b) Time limitation. A claim for refund or credit must be filed before the expiration of the following time limitations, as provided by Tax Code, §§162.128, 162.230, and 162.369:
(1) one year from the first day of the calendar month that follows:
(2) four years from the due and payable date for a tax return on which an overpayment of state fuel tax was made by a licensed supplier, permissive supplier, distributor, importer, exporter, blender, or compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas dealer who determines that taxes were erroneously reported or that more taxes were paid than were due because of a mistake of fact or law. The licensed supplier, permissive supplier, distributor, importer, exporter, blender, or compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas dealer must establish the credit by filing an amended state fuel tax return for the period in which the error occurred and tax payment was made to the comptroller.
(c) Filing forms and documentation. A claim for refund or credit must be on a form prescribed by the comptroller and must be submitted within the applicable limitations period provided by subsection (b) of this section. A person or license holder is required to maintain and have available for inspection the following documentation and information to substantiate a claim for refund or credit:
(1) an original purchase invoice with the name and address of the seller or name of the purchaser, whichever is applicable. For refund or credit purposes, the original invoice may be a copy of the original impression if the copy has been stamped "Customer Original Invoice," "Original for Tax Purposes," or similar wording. If a copy is so stamped, the original and all other copies must then be stamped "Not Good for Tax Purposes" or similar wording. Invoices of original impression submitted in support of refund claims must be without the above wording stamped or imprinted;
(2) evidence as to who paid the tax. A purchaser claiming a refund or credit must have an invoice that either separately states the state fuel tax amount paid or a written statement that the price included state fuel tax. A seller claiming a refund or credit must have issued an invoice, signed by the purchaser, that contains a statement that no state fuel tax was collected or that it was a tax-free sale;
(3) if refund or credit is claimed on fuel purchased at retail the purchase invoice must note the identification of each vehicle or type of equipment (e.g., including railway engines, motor boats, refrigeration units, stationary engines, off-highway equipment, or nonhighway farm equipment that has traveled between multiple farms or ranches as allowed in §3.440 of this title (relating to On-Highway Travel of Farm Machinery)) in which the fuel was delivered and used; and
(4) if refund or credit is claimed on fuel removed from the claimant's own bulk storage, then a distribution log as provided by Tax Code, §162.127 and §162.229. The distribution log must contain the name and address of the user and, for each individual removal from the bulk storage the following information:
(d) Refund or credit for state fuel tax on gasoline used solely for off-highway purposes. A claim for refund or credit for state fuel tax on gasoline used solely for off-highway purposes must list each off-highway vehicle or piece of equipment or document other nonhighway use and the total number of gallons used by way of a distribution log as described in subsection (c)(4) of this section.
(e) Refund or credit for state fuel tax on gasoline used by a lessor of off-highway equipment. The lessor of off-highway equipment who claims a refund or credit of state fuel tax must maintain documentation that shows that the state fuel tax was assessed and paid, a list of each piece of off-highway equipment, and a distribution log as described in subsection (c)(4) of this section of the number of gallons of gasoline used in both on-highway and off-highway vehicles and equipment. A lessor who claims a refund of state fuel tax may include a separate refueling, fuel reimbursement, or fuel service charge on the invoice, if the invoice contains a statement that the fuel charge does not include state fuel tax.
(f) Refund or credit for state fuel tax on gasoline, compressed natural gas, or liquefied natural gas used in a motor vehicle operated exclusively off-highway, except for incidental highway use. A claim for refund or credit may be filed by a person who used gasoline, compressed natural gas, or liquefied natural gas in motor vehicles incidentally on the highway, when the incidental travel on the highway was infrequent, unscheduled, and insignificant to the total operation of the motor vehicle, and only for the purpose of transferring the base of operation or to travel to and from required maintenance and repair.
(1) A record that shows the date and miles traveled during each highway trip must be maintained.
(2) 1/4 gallon for each mile of incidental highway travel shall be deducted from the number of gallons claimed.
(g) Refund or credit for state fuel tax on gasoline used in gasoline-powered motor vehicles equipped with power take-off or auxiliary power units. A person who files a claim for refund or a license holder who takes a credit on a tax return for state fuel tax on gasoline used in the operation of power take-off or auxiliary power units must use one of the following methods in determining the amount of gasoline used:
(1) direct measurement method. The use of a metering device, as defined by §3.435 of this title (relating to Metering Devices Used to Claim Refund of Tax on Gasoline Used in Power Take-Off and Auxiliary Power Units) is an acceptable method for determination of fuel usage. A person who claims a refund or credit for state fuel tax on gasoline used to propel motor vehicles with approved measuring or metering devices that measure or meter the fuel used in stationary operations must maintain records on each vehicle so equipped, and the records must reflect:
(2) fixed 30% method for gasoline-powered ready mix concrete trucks and solid waste refuse trucks. Operators of gasoline-powered ready mix concrete trucks and solid waste refuse trucks that are equipped with power take-off or auxiliary power units that are mounted on the motor vehicle and use the fuel supply tank of the motor vehicle may claim refund on 30% of the total gasoline used in this state by each vehicle. A solid waste refuse truck means a motor vehicle equipped with a power take-off or auxiliary power unit that provides power to compact the refuse, open the back of the container before ejection, and eject the compacted refuse;
(3) mileage factor method. The nontaxable use may be determined by computing the taxable use at 1/4 gallon for each mile traveled, as recorded by the odometer or hubometer and subtracting that amount from the total quantity of gasoline delivered into the motor vehicle fuel supply tanks. The remainder will be considered nontaxable, and a tax refund or tax credit may be claimed on that quantity of fuel;
(4) two tank method. A motor vehicle may be equipped with two fuel tanks and an automatic switching device that a spring-activated air release parking brake operates, and that switches from one tank that is designated for highway use to another tank that is not so designated when the vehicle is stationary. The highway tank and the not-for-highway tank may not be connected by crossover line or equalizer line of any kind. The state fuel tax paid on the gasoline delivered to the tank designated not-for-highway use may be claimed as a tax refund or taken as a tax credit. All gasoline delivered into the fuel supply tanks of a vehicle that is equipped with an automatic switching device must be invoiced as taxable. Separate invoices must be issued for deliveries of fuel into each tank. A notation that indicates that fuel was delivered into the tank designated not-for-highway use must be made on invoices;
(5) fixed 5.0% method. In lieu of the use of one of the previously mentioned methods, the owner or operator of a gasoline-powered motor vehicle that is equipped with a power take-off or auxiliary power unit that is mounted on the vehicle may claim a credit or refund of the state fuel tax paid on 5.0% of the total taxable gasoline used in this state by each vehicle so equipped; or
(6) proposed alternate methods. Proposals for the use of methods that this section does not specifically cover to determine the amount of gasoline used in power take-off operations or auxiliary power units may be submitted to the comptroller for approval; and
(7) accurate mileage records must be kept regardless of the method used.
(h) Refund or credit for state fuel tax on gasoline or diesel fuel sold to or used by an exempt entity.
(1) A license holder, other than an aviation fuel dealer, may take a credit on a return for state fuel tax paid on the purchase of gasoline or diesel fuel that is resold tax-free if the purchaser was one of the following entities: