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Division of Motor Vehicles

Motor Fuel Special Fuel


Gasoline Refund Program

***DELAWARE GASOLINE REFUND LAW, OBTAINED FROM TITLE 30 DELAWARE CODE ***
§ 5120. Refunds of motor fuel taxes.

  1. The Secretary of Transportation shall refund out of the General Fund of this State the tax paid on gasoline upon receipt of written authorization from the Department of Transportation so to do, which written authorization shall be given under the following conditions:
    1. Gasoline used by any person for the purpose of operating stationary gas engines, tractors, motorboats, airplanes or aircrafts, or any other purpose except in motor vehicles licensed, or subject to being licensed, for operation upon any of the public highways of the State.
    2. [Repealed.]
    3. Gasoline sold and delivered to, and used and consumed by, the operators of taxicab businesses in the operation of a taxicab or taxicabs in the normal course of such businesses; provided, however, that the main base of operations of the taxicab business in each case must be in the State, and the application provided for in subsection (b) of this section must certify that all fees and taxes then due from such business to the State or to any local government of the State by the operator and/or owner of such taxicab business shall have been paid in full. For purposes of this paragraph, the definition of "taxicab" shall be as set forth in § 101 of Title 21.
  2. Such application shall be in such form as shall be prescribed by the Department, shall be under the penalties of perjury, and shall state the quantity of gasoline with respect to which refund is claimed, the purpose for which said gasoline was used, date of purchase, from whom purchased, and such other information as the Department shall require.
  3. Such application shall be accompanied by the original invoice showing such purchase, together with evidence of the payment thereof.
  4. All applications for refunds must be filed with the Department of Transportation within 12 calendar months from the date of the purchase or invoice of the gasoline with respect to which a tax refund is claimed.
  5. The conditions of this section having been fully complied with, the Department of Transportation shall determine the amount of the refund due on such application and authorize the Secretary of Transportation in writing to pay such amount within 30 days from the time of filing of the application for refund.
  6. There shall be refunded out of the General Fund of this State any tax, penalty or interest erroneously or illegally collected under this chapter. A refund claim prepared in such manner as the Department may prescribe shall be filed with the Department within 1 year from the earlier of: (1) The date of the payment; or (2) the date the payment was required to be made. The Department shall certify the amount thereof to the State Treasurer who shall thereupon draw a warrant to the claimant forthwith.
  7. If a refund granted under this section shall later be determined to have been erroneously or illegally paid in whole or in part, the Department of Transportation may demand, within 3 years from the date of such payment, that restitution be made to the General Fund of this State. Interest on said moneys assessed shall accrue at the rate of 1% per month, or fraction thereof, from the date of notification by the Department of Transportation until receipt of payment.

***DELAWARE GASOLINE REFUND REGULATION, OBTAINED FROM TITLE 30 DELAWARE CODE PROMULGATED REGULATIONS***
G. REFUNDS:

  1. Tax will not be refunded on gasoline used from the supply tank of a licensed vehicle even though that fuel is used off-highway to operate a power take-off or a separate motor. However, if the vehicle has a separate fuel tank for the loading-unloading operation or if the vehicle is equipped with a metering device which measures the gasoline used in loading and unloading operations when the vehicle is at a standstill, a refund may be claimed. Prior permission and reporting requirements must be secured from the Director before claiming such refunds.
  2. As proof of gasoline purchased on refund applications (Form MFT-4), original invoices must be submitted bearing name of seller, name of purchaser, date of purchase, type of fuel, number of gallons purchased, price per gallon and total amount paid. They must also be marked "paid" and initialed by the seller. In the absence of original invoices for bulk purchases, an itemized statement from the seller indicating that payment has been made will suffice. In the case of gasoline purchased at a retail station in a can or drum for boats, planes or other non-highway use, the invoice must so indicate.
  3. On refund applications, persons claiming to have purchased gasoline at a retail station, when the vehicles are normally fueled from claimant's own bulk tank or when a bulk tank is available on claimant's premises, must present copies of invoice tickets or credit cards to substantiate such retail purchases.
  4. A claimant must indicate ALL gasoline purchased and ALL vehicles fueled from bulk tanks owned or controlled by him on a refund claim and be prepared to document off-highway use, if necessary.
  5. A false statement on a refund claim with intent to mislead or defraud the state shall constitute grounds for voiding the entire claim and expose the claimant to criminal prosecution.
  6. The Director has the right and the obligation to determine a reasonable number of gallons of fuel used per acre in each farm claim for refund. The burden of proof of actual fuel used in farming operations rests with the claimant. In the absence of such proof, the Director may adjust the refund claim to a reasonable figure for farm use.
  7. No gasoline tax refund will be made to any person who owes this Division tax or an assessment, for any reason, until payment is received.