Statutory scheme; purpose of rules

Sec. 1. (a) Under this article, a tax is imposed under IC 6-8-1-8 on all petroleum products, which includes generally crude oil

and gas severed and taken from the land, upon the owner and producers of the petroleum products.

(b) The responsibility for the payment of the tax is upon any person purchasing such petroleum products or having such petroleum products

in their possession, in that it is a lien upon such petroleum for the tax and penalties and interest thereon. The responsibility follows such petroleum

products in the hands of the purchaser or the gatherer.

(c) Any person purchasing or having possession of petroleum products upon which the petroleum severance tax has not been paid shall

be personally liable for the reporting and payment of the amount of the lien of the tax and other charges. Additionally, if the purchaser or the person

having possession of petroleum products pays the amount of the petroleum severance tax, they shall be entitled to reimbursement from the owners

or producers. By paying the petroleum severance tax, these purchasers or possessors of petroleum products are not subject to any suit or action for

recovery by the owners or producers of petroleum products. Any remedy of such owners or producers is exclusively by way of claim for refund and

litigation upon such claim for refund with the department.

(d) The responsibility for the reporting and paying of the petroleum severance tax is imposed upon all purchasers and those having

possession of petroleum products after severance from the ground, which would include all petroleum products gatherers. The reporting and payment

is to be made upon forms prescribed by the department in these regulations and at the time prescribed in the regulations.