57-51 Oil and Gas Gross Production Tax
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inches per gallon computed at a temperature of sixty degrees Fahrenheit [158.99
liters computed at a temperature of 15.56 degrees Celsius].2."Commissioner" means the state tax commissioner.3."Field" means the geographic area underlaid by one or more pools, as defined by
the industrial commission.4."Gas" means natural gas and casinghead gas.5."Oil" means petroleum, crude oil, mineral oil, and casinghead gasoline.6."Person" includes partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association,
fiduciary, trustee, and any combination of individuals.7."Posted price" means the price specified in publicly available posted price bulletins
or other public notices, net of any adjustments for quality and location.8."Shallow gas" means gas produced from a gas well completed in or producing from
a shallow gas zone, as certified to the tax commissioner by the industrial
commission.9."Shallow gas zone" means a strata or formation, including lignite or coal strata or
seam, located above the depth of five thousand feet [1524 meters] below the
surface, or located more than five thousand feet [1524 meters] below the surface but
above the top of the Rierdon formation, from which gas is or may be produced.10."Transportation costs" means the costs incurred for transporting oil established in
accordance with the first applicable of the following methods:a.Actual costs incurred under the arm's-length contract between the producer and
the transporter of oil.b.An applicable common carrier rate established and filed with the North Dakota
public service commission, or the appropriate federal jurisdictional agency.c.When no common carrier rate would be applicable, the transportation costs are
those reasonable costs associated with the actual operating and maintenance
expenses, overhead costs directly attributable and allocable to the operation
and maintenance, and either depreciation and a return on undepreciated capital
investment, or a cost equal to a return on the investment in the transportation
system, as determined by the commissioner.57-51-02. Gross production tax - Oil. A tax of five percent of the gross value at thewell is levied upon all oil produced within North Dakota, less the value of any part thereof, the
ownership or right to which is exempt from taxation.The tax levied attaches to the wholeproduction, including the royalty interest.57-51-02.1. Type of tax. For purposes of interpreting chapter 785 of the 1987 SessionLaws, relating to federal land bank taxation and to the taxation of other governmental entities if
their immunity from taxation has been waived, the gross production tax is a real property tax on
oil-producing and gas-producing mineral estates and interests.Page No. 157-51-02.2. Gross production tax - Gas. A gross production tax is levied upon all gasproduced within North Dakota except gas that is exempt from taxation. The tax levied must
attach to the whole production, including the royalty interest. The tax on gas must be calculated
by taking the taxable production in mcf times the gas tax rate.1.The gas tax rate is four cents times the gas base rate adjustment for each fiscal year
as calculated under subsection 2.2.a.The tax department shall annually determine the gas base rate adjustment and
the resulting gas tax rate for each fiscal year beginning on July first.b.The gas base rate adjustment for the fiscal year is a fraction, the numerator of
which is the annual average of the gas fuels producer price index, commodity
code 05-3, as calculated and published by the United States department of
labor, bureau of labor statistics, for the previous calendar year, and the
denominator of which is seventy-five and seven-tenths.c.The tax department shall provide the gas base rate adjustment and the gas tax
rate for the fiscal year, as determined under this subsection, to affected
producers by written notice mailed on or before June first.d.If the index used to determine the gas base rate adjustment is substantially
revised, or if the base year for the index is changed, the department by
administrative rule shall make appropriate adjustment to the method used to
determine the gas base rate adjustment to ensure a result which is reasonably
consistent with the result which would have been obtained had the index not
been revised or the base year changed.e.If the gas fuels producer price index is discontinued, a comparable index must
be adopted by the department by an administrative rule.57-51-02.3. Valuation of oil - Alternatives - Exceptions. The gross value at the wellfor oil is the price paid for the oil under an arm's-length contract between the producer and the
purchaser less, when applicable, transportation costs associated with moving the oil from the
point of production to the point of sale under the contract. In the absence of an arm's-length
contract, the gross value at the well for oil is established by the first applicable of the following
methods:1.The price paid under an arm's-length contract, to which the person paying the tax is
a party, for the purchase or sale of oil of like kind, character, and quality, in the same
field or, if none, in a nearby field, less, when applicable, transportation costs
associated with moving the oil from the point of production to the point of sale.2.The price paid under an arm's-length contract, between parties other than the
person paying the tax, for the purchase or sale of oil of like kind, character, and
quality, in the same field or, if none, in a nearby field, less, when applicable,
transportation costs associated with moving the oil from the point of production to
the point of sale.3.The value determined by consideration of the posted price relevant in valuing oil of
like kind, character, and quality, in the same field or, if none, in a nearby field, less,
when applicable, adjustments for transportation costs to reflect the differential
between the value at the point of production and the value at the location reflected in
the posted price.57-51-02.4. Shallow gas - Gross production tax exemption. Shallow gas producedduring the first twenty-four months of production from and after the date of first sales of gas from
a well completed or recompleted in a shallow gas zone after June 30, 2003, is exempted from
the gross production tax levied under section 57-51-02.2. Gas produced from such a well duringPage No. 2testing prior to well completion or connection to a pipeline is also exempt from the gross
production tax.57-51-02.5. Exemption of gas for electrical generation at well site. Gas burned atthe well site to power an electrical generator that consumes at least seventy-five percent of the
gas from the well is exempt from the tax under section 57-51-02.2.57-51-03. Gross production tax to be in lieu of other taxes. The payment of thetaxes herein imposed must be in full, and in lieu of all ad valorem taxes by the state, counties,
cities, towns, townships, school districts, and other municipalities, upon any property rights
attached to or inherent in the right to producing oil or gas, upon producing oil or gas leases, upon
machinery, appliances, and equipment used in and around any well producing oil or gas and
actually used in the operation of such well, and also upon oil and gas produced in the state upon
which gross production taxes have been paid, and upon any investment in any such property.
Any interest in the land, other than that herein enumerated, must be assessed and taxed as other
property within the taxing district in which such property is situated. It is expressly provided that
the gross production tax is not in lieu of income taxes nor excise taxes upon the sale of oil and
gas products at retail.57-51-04.Equipment used in production exempt from ad valorem tax.Noequipment, material, or property is exempt from the payment of ad valorem tax by reason of the
payment of the gross production tax as herein provided except such equipment, machinery,
tools, material, or property as is actually necessary and being used at the site of a producing well
in the production of oil or gas; and it is expressly declared that no ice plants, hospitals, office
buildings, garages, residences, gasoline extraction or absorption plants, water systems, fuel
systems, roominghouses, and other buildings, nor any equipment or material used in connection
therewith is exempt from ad valorem tax, nor are drilling rigs exempt. The real property is not
exempt under this chapter except to the extent of the mineral interests therein.57-51-05. Payment of tax on monthly basis - When tax due - When delinquent -Payment by purchaser - By producer - How casinghead gas taxed.1.The gross production tax on oil or gas, as herein provided, must be paid on a
monthly basis. The tax on oil is due and payable on the twenty-fifth day of the
month succeeding the month of production. The tax on gas is due and payable on
the fifteenth day of the second month succeeding the month of production. If the tax
is not paid as required by this section, it becomes delinquent and must be collected
as provided in this chapter. The penalty does not apply if ninety percent of the tax
due has been paid with the monthly return and the taxpayer files an amended
monthly return and pays the total tax due within sixty days from the original due
date.The commissioner, upon request and a proper showing of the necessitytherefor, may grant an extension of time, not to exceed fifteen days, for paying the
tax and when the request is granted the tax is not delinquent until the extended
period has expired. Any taxpayer who requests and is granted an extension of time
for filing a return shall pay, with the tax, interest at the rate of twelve percent per
annum from the date the tax was due to the date the tax is paid.2.On oil or gas produced and sold, the gross production tax thereon must be paid by
the purchaser, and the purchaser is authorized to deduct in making settlement with
the producer or royalty owner, the amount of tax paid; provided, that in the event oil
produced is not sold but is retained by the producer, the tax on the oil not sold must
be paid by the producer, including the tax due on royalty oil not sold; provided
further, that in settlement with the royalty owner the producer has the right to deduct
the amount of the tax paid on royalty oil or to deduct therefrom royalty oil equivalent
in value at the time the tax becomes due with the amount of the tax paid.3.Gas when produced and utilized in any manner, except when used for fuel or
otherwise used in the operation of any lease or premises in the drilling for or
production of oil or gas therefrom, or for repressuring thereon, must be consideredPage No. 3for the purpose of this chapter, as to the amount utilized, as gas actually produced
and saved.4.All calculations of the gross production tax on oil or gas, including production,
distribution, and claims for credit or refund, are based on the month of production
and must be credited to that month.57-51-05.1. Reclamation of oil - Refiner to pay tax - Reports required. On all oilreclaimed from tank bottoms, pit oil, and saltwater, the gross production tax shall be paid by the
operator of the reclaiming plant, unless taxes have already been paid thereon. If tank bottom or
pit oil material is removed from the lease by the operator of a treatment plant, the gross value of
oil reclaimed from the material is the purchase price paid by the operator of the treatment plant
for the material from which the oil is reclaimed. If the operator has not paid a cash price for the
material, the oil reclaimed has no value at the well. Every person, firm, association, corporation,
or limited liability company engaged in the sale, purchasing, and refining of tank bottoms, pit oil,
and saltwater shall report to the commissioner, upon forms prescribed by the commissioner,
information necessary to the enforcement of this section.57-51-06.Tax paid to commissioner - Statements by person paying tax -Statements by producer.1.The tax herein provided for must be paid to the commissioner and the person paying
the tax shall file with the commissioner at the time the tax is required to be paid a
statement on forms prescribed by the commissioner.The commissioner mayrequire a purchaser to file the statement or report by electronic data interchange or
other electronic media.2.Any person engaged in the production, within this state, of oil shall on or before the
twenty-fifth day of the next succeeding month after production, and any person
engaged in the production of gas within this state shall, on or before the fifteenth of
the second succeeding month after production, file with the commissioner a
statement upon forms prescribed by the commissioner.The commissioner maywaive the requirement that a producer file a well production report. A waiver by the
commissioner of the requirement to file a well production report does not release the
producer from any obligation to remit the tax under this chapter. A waiver does not
release the producer from any duty or obligation under section 57-51-07 to maintain
production records for inspection by the commissioner.3.Reports from either the purchaser or producer, as the case may be, are delinquent
after the last day fixed for their filing, and every person required to file a report is
subject to a penalty of twenty-five dollars per day for each property upon which the
person fails or refuses to file the reports. The penalties herein prescribed are for
failure to file reports and are in addition to the penalty imposed by section 57-51-10
and likewise constitute a lien against the assets of the person failing or refusing to
file the reports. The penalties prescribed under this section must be collected in the
same manner as gross production taxes and must be apportioned as other gross
production tax penalties; provided, that the commissioner may, for good cause
shown, waive any penalties imposed under this section. When royalty is claimed to
be exempt from taxation by law, the facts on which the claims of exemption are
based and other relevant information must be furnished when requested by the
commissioner.4.The tax commissioner may prescribe alternative methods for signing, subscribing, or
verifying a return filed by electronic means, including telecommunications, that shall
have the same validity and consequence as the actual signature and written
declaration for a paper return.57-51-07.Powers of commissioner.The commissioner has power to require anyperson engaged in such production and the agent or employee of such person, or purchaser ofPage No. 4such oil or gas, or the owner of any royalty interest therein to furnish any additional information
the commissioner deems to be necessary for the purpose of correctly computing the amount of
said tax, and to examine the books, records, and files of such person, and has power to conduct
hearings and compel the attendance of witnesses, the production of books, records, and papers
of any person, and full authority to make any investigation or hold any inquest deemed necessary
to a full and complete disclosure of the true facts as to the amount of production from any oil or
gas location, or of any company or other producer thereof, and as to the rendition thereof for
taxing purposes.57-51-08. State board of equalization may adjust rate of gross production tax toequal the general ad valorem tax. Repealed by S.L. 1981, ch. 611,