Alabama § 2-22-9 - Inspection Fee; Monthly Statement; Collection Fee; Disposition of Fees; Overpayments; Examination, Review, Audit of Sales Records.

§ 2-22-9. Inspection Fee; Monthly Statement; Collection Fee; Disposition of Fees; Overpayments; Examination, Review, Audit of Sales Records.

(a) There shall be paid to the commissioner for all commercial fertilizer sold in this state for use therein or sold for importation into this state for use therein an inspection fee established by the board not to exceed seventy-five cents ($.75) per ton; provided, that sales to manufacturers or exchanges between them are hereby exempted. Fees so collected, including permit fees and license fees levied under Sections 2-22-4 and 2-22-5, shall be deposited to the credit of the Agricultural Fund of the State Treasury for the regulatory duties of the Department of Agriculture and Industries.

(b) Every person who sells commercial fertilizer in or for importation into this state for use therein, who is licensed under Section 2-22-5 or where such person is required to procure such a license shall file with the commissioner on forms furnished by the commissioner a monthly statement for the period ending on the last day of each month setting forth thereon the number of tons of each grade of commercial fertilizer sold in or for importation into this state for use therein during such month. The person shall also include on the report any information of the type provided by Section 2-22-10 when required to do so pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the commissioner with approval of the board. The monthly report of tonnage sales with the amount of inspection fees due thereon shall be due on or before the fifteenth day of the month following the report period. Each such report shall bear a certificate that the amount remitted is correct.

If the tonnage report is not filed and the payment of inspection fee is not made by the twentieth day of the month when due, a collection fee amounting to 10 percent (minimum $10.00) of the amount may be assessed against the licensee, and the amount of fees due and unpaid shall constitute a debt and become the basis of a judgment against the licensee.

(c) When more than one person is involved in the sale, importation or distribution of a commercial fertilizer, the person who sells the fertilizer to a nonlicensee for resale or use shall be responsible for reporting the tonnage and paying the inspection fee, unless the report and payment was previously made by another licensee.

(d) The inspection fee levied under subsection (a) of this section, the permit fee required by Section 2-22-4 and the license fee levied under Section 2-22-5 shall be paid by cooperative marketing and purchasing associations, and the exemptions allowed such organizations pursuant to Section 2-10-105 or any other exemption statute shall not relieve such associations from the payment of such fees.

(e) Amounts improperly or illegally collected under the provisions of this chapter as overpayments may be refunded to the person entitled thereto in accordance with Section 2-1-6.

(f) The commissioner, or his or her agents or employees may examine, review, and audit the sales records of every person required to remit to the commissioner the inspection fee levied under subsection (a) to verify and determine the accuracy of the amounts remitted monthly as inspection fees and the amount due for a license as required by Section 2-22-5. Every such person shall maintain records as will indicate accurately the tonnage of commercial fertilizer upon which inspection fees are due.