MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2020 Regular Session

To: Ways and Means

By: Representative Lamar

House Bill 868

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 27-19-11, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO ADD A GROSS WEIGHT CATEGORY FROM 80,001 POUNDS TO 84,000 POUNDS FOR CARRIERS OF PROPERTY AND IMPOSE AN ADDITIONAL HIGHWAY PRIVILEGE TAX FOR THE NEW WEIGHT CATEGORY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  Section 27-19-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     27-19-11.  On each carrier of property, for each commercial motor vehicle, truck-tractor or road tractor, and on each bus, there is hereby levied an annual highway privilege tax in accordance with the following schedule, except that the gross vehicle weight of buses shall be the gross weight of the vehicle plus one hundred fifty (150) pounds per each regular seat.

RATE OF TAX

GROSS WEIGHT       COMMON AND         PRIVATE          PRIVATE

 OF VEHICLE        CONTRACT          COMMERCIAL       CARRIERS

NOT TO EXCEED      CARRIERS OF           AND              OF

 IN POUNDS         PROPERTY          NONCOMMERCIAL    PROPERTY

                                      CARRIERS OF  

                                       PROPERTY    

 0000 -  6000      $    7.20         $    7.20    $      7.20

 6001 - 10000           33.60              25.20          16.80

10001 - 16000           78.40              70.70          39.20

16001 - 20000          156.00             129.00          78.00

20001 - 26000          228.00             192.00         114.00

26001 - 30000         300.00             247.00         150.00

30001 - 36000          384.00             318.00         192.00

36001 - 40000          456.00             378.00         228.00

40001 - 42000          504.00             420.00         264.00

42001 - 44000          528.00             444.00         276.00

44001 - 46000          552.00             456.00         282.00

46001 - 48000          588.00             492.00         300.00

48001 - 50000          612.00             507.00         312.00

50001 - 52000          660.00             540.00         336.00

52001 - 54000          684.00             564.00         348.00

54001 - 56000          708.00            588.00         360.00

56001 - 58000          756.00             624.00         384.00

58001 - 60000          780.00             642.00         396.00

60001 - 62000          828.00             828.00         420.00

62001 - 64000          852.00             852.00         432.00

64001 - 66000          900.00             900.00         482.00

66001 - 68000          936.00             936.00         504.00

68001 - 70000          972.00             972.00         516.00

70001 - 72000          996.00             996.00         528.00

72001 - 74000        1,128.00           1,128.00         576.00

74001 - 76000        1,248.00           1,248.00         612.00

76001 - 78000        1,380.00           1,380.00         720.00

78001 - 80000        1,512.00           1,512.00         864.00

80001 - 84000        1,644.00           1,644.00       1,008.00

     In addition to the above levied annual highway privilege tax on vehicles with a gross weight exceeding ten thousand (10,000) pounds, there is levied and shall be collected an additional privilege tax in the amount of One Thousand Three Hundred Fifty Dollars ($1,350.00) for each current or later year model vehicle based upon a licensed weight of eighty thousand (80,000) pounds and from eighty thousand one (80,001) pounds to eighty-four thousand (84,000) pounds.  This additional privilege tax shall be reduced by the amount of One Hundred Seventy-five Dollars ($175.00) for each year of age to a minimum of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) and further reduced by the ratio of licensed weight to the maximum weight of * * *eighty thousand (80,000) pounds eighty-four thousand (84,000) pounds.  During the first year only, the privilege tax monies collected under the provisions of this paragraph shall be distributed to the various counties of the state on the basis of the ratio of the last year of annual ad valorem taxes collected by such counties on such vehicles to the total ad valorem taxes collected by all counties on such vehicles in the same year.  In all subsequent years, the distribution to the counties shall be made on the basis of the ratio of the number of motor vehicles registered in excess of ten thousand (10,000) pounds, in each taxing district in each county, to the total number of such vehicles registered statewide.  The counties shall then distribute these proceeds as they would if these collections were ad valorem taxes.

     From the privilege tax monies collected under this section, Three Million Seven Hundred Thirty-two Thousand Four Hundred Three Dollars and Eleven Cents ($3,732,403.11) shall be earmarked and set aside to be apportioned and paid to the counties of the state in the manner provided by Section 27-19-159, Mississippi Code of 1972.  Any excess privilege tax monies collected under this section shall be deposited into the State Highway Fund for the construction, maintenance and reconstruction of highways and roads of the State of Mississippi or the payment of interest and principal on bonds authorized by the 1972 Regular Session of the Legislature for construction and reconstruction of highways.

     No privilege license shall be issued for any period of time for less than One Dollar ($1.00).  Any person making application for a license tag subject to the privilege taxes in this section is required to sign an affidavit attesting to facts indicating the applicability of this section.

     The annual highway privilege tax imposed on operators engaged exclusively in the transportation of household goods shall be the same as the tax imposed upon private commercial carriers by this section.  In determining the amount of privilege taxes due under the provisions of this section, there shall be allowed a maximum tolerance of five hundred (500) pounds on all classes of carriers except carriers of liquefied compressed gases and in the case of carriers of liquefied compressed gases there shall be allowed a maximum tolerance of two thousand (2,000) pounds.

     Any owner or operator who operates a motor vehicle on the public highways, with a license tag attached to it which was issued for another or different vehicle, shall be liable for the privilege tax on said vehicle for twelve (12) months plus a penalty thereon of twenty-five percent (25%).

     Carriers of property duly registered and licensed in another state and being used to transport farm harvesting machinery or equipment to and from a particular county in this state may, upon adoption of a resolution by the board of supervisors of the county where such machinery or equipment is being exclusively used in harvesting farm crops within the county, be exempt from the taxes herein levied when the resolution is filed with the * * *State Tax Commission Department of Revenue.  However, the exemption shall not exceed a period of forty (40) days for any annual period without a second resolution of approval by the board of supervisors who shall have the authority to extend the exemption not to exceed an additional period of twenty (20) days during any annual period.

     A private commercial carrier of property hauling interstate may purchase a common and contract carrier of property license plate at the prescribed fee to allow the carrier to lease on a one-way basis per trip without qualifying with the Public Service Commission.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2020.