§ 5 — Distributor's monthly return

Except as hereinafter provided, a person holding a valid unrevoked license to act as a distributor of motor fuel shall, between the 1st and 20th days of each calendar month, make return to the Department, showing an itemized statement of the number of invoiced gallons of motor fuel of the types specified in this Section which were purchased, acquired, received, or exported during the preceding calendar month; the amount of such motor fuel produced, refined, compounded, manufactured, blended, sold, distributed, exported, and used by the licensed distributor during the preceding calendar month; the amount of such motor fuel lost or destroyed during the preceding calendar month; the amount of such motor fuel on hand at the close of business for such month; and such other reasonable information as the Department may require. If a distributor's only activities with respect to motor fuel are either: (1) production of alcohol in quantities of less than 10,000 proof gallons per year or (2) blending alcohol in quantities of less than 10,000 proof gallons per year which such distributor has produced, he shall file returns on an annual basis with the return for a given year being due by January 20 of the following year. Distributors whose total production of alcohol (whether blended or not) exceeds 10,000 proof gallons per year, based on production during the preceding (calendar) year or as reasonably projected by the Department if one calendar year's record of production cannot be established, shall file returns between the 1st and 20th days of each calendar month as hereinabove provided. The types of motor fuel referred to in the preceding paragraph are: (A) All products commonly or commercially known or sold as gasoline (including casing-head and absorption or natural gasoline), gasohol, motor benzol or motor benzene regardless of their classification or uses; and (B) all combustible gases, not including liquefied natural gas, which exist in a gaseous state at 60 degrees Fahrenheit and at 14.7 pounds per square inch absolute including, but not limited to, liquefied petroleum gases used for highway purposes; and (C) special fuel. Only those quantities of combustible gases (example (B) above) which are used or sold by the distributor to be used to propel motor vehicles on the public highways, or which are delivered into a storage tank that is located at a facility that has withdrawal facilities which are readily accessible to and are capable of dispensing combustible gases into the fuel supply tanks of motor vehicles, shall be subject to return. Distributors of liquefied natural gas are not required to make returns under this Section with respect to that liquefied natural gas unless (i) the liquefied natural gas is dispensed into the fuel supply tank of any motor vehicle or (ii) the liquefied natural gas is delivered into a storage tank that is located at a facility that has withdrawal facilities which are readily accessible to and are capable of dispensing liquefied natural gas into the fuel supply tanks of motor vehicles. For purposes of this Section, a facility is considered to have withdrawal facilities that are not "readily accessible to and capable of dispensing combustible gases into the fuel supply tanks of motor vehicles" only if the combustible gases or liquefied natural gas are delivered from: (i) a dispenser hose that is short enough so that it will not reach the fuel supply tank of a motor vehicle or (ii) a dispenser that is enclosed by a fence or other physical barrier so that a vehicle cannot pull alongside the dispenser to permit fueling. For the purposes of this Act, liquefied petroleum gases shall mean and include any material having a vapor pressure not exceeding that allowed for commercial propane composed predominantly of the following hydrocarbons, either by themselves or as mixtures: Propane, Propylene, Butane (normal butane or iso-butane) and Butylene (including isomers). In case of a sale of special fuel to someone other than a licensed distributor for a use other than in motor vehicles, the distributor shall show in his return the amount of invoiced gallons sold and the name and address of the purchaser in addition to any other information the Department may require. All special fuel sold or used for non-highway purposes must have a dye added in accordance with Section 4d of this Law. In case of a tax-free sale, as provided in Section 6, of motor fuel which the distributor is required by this Section to include in his return to the Department, the distributor in his return shall show: (1) If the sale is made to another licensed distributor the amount sold and the name, address and license number of the purchasing distributor; (2) if the sale is made to a person where delivery is made outside of this State the name and address of such purchaser and the point of delivery together with the date and amount delivered; (3) if the sale is made to the Federal Government or its instrumentalities the amount sold; (4) if the sale is made to a municipal corporation owning and operating a local transportation system for public service in this State the name and address of such purchaser, and the amount sold, as evidenced by official forms of exemption certificates properly executed and furnished by such purchaser; (5) if the sale is made to a privately owned public utility owning and operating 2-axle vehicles designed and used for transporting more than 7 passengers, which vehicles are used as common carriers in general transportation of passengers, are not devoted to any specialized purpose and are operated entirely within the territorial limits of a single municipality or of any group of contiguous municipalities or in a close radius thereof, and the operations of which are subject to the regulations of the Illinois Commerce Commission, then the name and address of such purchaser and the amount sold as evidenced by official forms of exemption certificates properly executed and furnished by the purchaser; and (6) if a sale of special fuel is made to someone other than a licensed distributor for a use other than in motor vehicles, by making a specific notation thereof on the invoice or sales slip covering such sales and obtaining such supporting documentation as may be required by the Department. All special fuel sold or used for non-highway purposes must have a dye added in accordance with Section 4d of this Law. A person whose license to act as a distributor of motor fuel has been revoked shall make a return to the Department covering the period from the date of the last return to the date of the revocation of the license, which return shall be delivered to the Department not later than 10 days from the date of the revocation or termination of the license of such distributor; the return shall in all other respects be subject to the same provisions and conditions as returns by distributors licensed under the provisions of this Act. The records, waybills and supporting documents kept by railroads and other common carriers in the regular course of business shall be prima facie evidence of the contents and receipt of cars or tanks covered by those records, waybills or supporting documents. If the Department has reason to believe and does believe that the amount shown on the return as purchased, acquired, received, exported, sold, used, lost or destroyed is incorrect, or that an amount of motor fuel of the types required by the second paragraph of this Section to be reported to the Department has not been correctly reported the Department shall fix an amount for such receipt, sales, export, use, loss or destruction according to its best judgment and information, which amount so fixed by the Department shall be prima facie correct. All returns shall be made on forms prepared and furnished by the Department, and shall contain such other information as the Department may reasonably require. The return must be accompanied by appropriate computer-generated magnetic media supporting schedule data in the format required by the Department, unless, as provided by rule, the Department grants an exception upon petition of a taxpayer. All licensed distributors shall report all losses of motor fuel sustained on account of fire, theft, spillage, spoilage, leakage, or any other provable cause when filing the return for the period during which the loss occurred. If the distributor reports losses due to fire or theft, then the distributor must include fire department or police department reports and any other documentation that the Department may require. The mere making of the report does not assure the allowance of the loss as a reduction in tax liability. Losses of motor fuel as the result of evaporation or shrinkage due to temperature variations may not exceed 1% of the total gallons in storage at the beginning of the month, plus the receipts of gallonage during the month, minus the gallonage remaining in storage at the end of the month. Any loss reported that is in excess of 1% shall be subject to the tax imposed by Section 2 of this Law. On and after July 1, 2001, for each 6-month period January through June, net losses of motor fuel (for each category of motor fuel that is required to be reported on a return) as the result of evaporation or shrinkage due to temperature variations may not exceed 1% of the total gallons in storage at the beginning of each January, plus the receipts of gallonage each January through June, minus the gallonage remaining in storage at the end of each June. On and after July 1, 2001, for each 6-month period July through December, net losses of motor fuel (for each category of motor fuel that is required to be reported on a return) as the result of evaporation or shrinkage due to temperature variations may not exceed 1% of the total gallons in storage at the beginning of each July, plus the receipts of gallonage each July through December, minus the gallonage remaining in storage at the end of each December. Any net loss reported that is in excess of this amount shall be subject to the tax imposed by Section 2 of this Law. For purposes of this Section, "net loss" means the number of gallons gained through temperature variations minus the number of gallons lost through temperature variations or evaporation for each of the respective 6-month periods. If any payment provided for in this Section exceeds the distributor's liabilities under this Act, as shown on an original return, the Department may authorize the distributor to credit such excess payment against liability subsequently to be remitted to the Department under this Act, in accordance with reasonable rules adopted by the Department. If the Department subsequently determines that all or any part of the credit taken was not actually due to the distributor, the distributor's discount shall be reduced by an amount equal to the difference between the discount as applied to the credit taken and that actually due, and that distributor shall be liable for penalties and interest on such difference.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 104-6, eff. 1-1-26 .)