State will ease gas tax rebate process

Wayne Wallingford of Cape Girardeau, Missouri's Department of Revenue director, says motorists will not need to provide documentation when filing for a gas tax refund beginning July 1.

"That's too cumbersome. People will need to keep their paperwork from the gas station but we're going to trust people who report their receipts on the DOR form," said Wallingford, the former longtime lawmaker who has been departmental chief since late December.

The form Wallingford mentions is not yet available on DOR's website.

Wayne Wallingford of Cape Girardeau is director of the Missouri Department of Revenue. DOR expects to have a gas tax rebate form available on its website soon with instructions for motorists.Southeast Missourian file

"I think the Legislature is trying to revise what you need from the receipt because right now, it's very complicated. Many people have multiple cars and the way it is now, you must keep information separated. You might drive one car one day and another the next -- but you have to put down the VIN number, what (credit/debit) card was used, the date of purchase and the place of purchase," Wallingford said.

An early draft of the form currently requires the following information.

• Vehicle identification number (VIN)
• Date of gas purchase
• Name/address of seller
• Name/address of buyer
• Number of gallons purchased
• Charged tax amount

"My understanding is lawmakers are trying to make reporting gas receipts simple and that's why we're holding off on printing the form. We want to see what the General Assembly ends up doing," Wallingford said.

"I would recommend motorists who want a refund should write down the information from their receipts and when a form becomes available, put the figures on it," he said, adding a Columbia, Missouri, TV station was inaccurate in reporting the form would be available by mid-May.

"I think we'll have it done sometime in June but we're going to wait on state lawmakers," Wallingford said.

Lawmakers are set to recess May 13.

Tax history

Wallingford, who -- during his tenure as House District 147 member -- voted "yes" in July on the bill to raise the state's motor fuels tax from 17 cents to 29.5 cents a gallon over four years, remains bullish on the increase to pay for the state's infrastructure needs.

"I know when President Biden was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in January, a bridge collapsed just before he got there and 10 people were hurt. The first time a school bus falls due to a collapsed bridge, the phones of lawmakers will be ringing off the hook," he said.

The refund option was put in place last summer to ensure the gas tax bill's passage by reluctant state lawmakers.

Rep. Sara Walsh (R-Ashland) unsuccessfully proposed an amendment last week to pause the gas tax for two years if gas prices in Missouri were above $3.50 per gallon.

Walsh's amendment failed to win approval.

"We're talking about public safety here. Those who want to slow down or repeal the tax are being very short sighted," Wallingford said.

State finances

"The (state) Senate has advanced a $46 billion budget for the coming fiscal year. When I went to the Legislature in 2011, I think the budget topped out at $29 billion. I could hardly believe that spending had grown that much," Wallingford said.