(a) The rate of the tax shall be ten cents ($0.10) per ton on severed material sold as tangible personal property. Provided, however, that naturally occurring unprocessed sand may be taxed at a higher rate by a local act and all such tax collected at such higher rate shall be remitted directly to the jurisdiction in which the operator severing such naturally occurring unprocessed sand is located.

(b) Except as provided in Section 40-13-55(c), the tax levied by this article shall be collected by the producer and become due and payable by the purchaser thereof at the time of sale or delivery, whichever first occurs, provided that the tax shall be identified as a severance tax on a bill of sale, invoice, or similar sales document to the purchaser thereof, otherwise the tax shall instead be the obligation of the producer. The tax levied under this article shall not be included in the measure of tax for any other tax imposed by the state.

(c) A producer shall be allowed a credit against the tax levied hereunder for any severed material severance tax remitted to any county in connection with severed materials severed in one county and transported into another county for further processing by the producer or an affiliate of the producer.

(d) A purchaser claiming an exemption shall provide the producer with the proper documentation which includes the full name and address of the purchaser, the date of sale, the type of product purchased, the product usage, and shall state that the severed materials will be used by an exempt entity or used for an exempt purpose. If the proper documentation of exemption is presented to the producer, the producer shall not be liable for the tax imposed should the purchaser use the severed material for another purpose that is subsequently determined not to be exempt. In that case, the purchaser using the materials for other than an exempt purpose shall be liable for the tax. The exemption documentation form submitted by the purchaser shall be kept on file by the producer and submitted to the department upon request.