(a) There is hereby annually levied a tax at the rates specified by Section 40-17-325 on taxable unaccounted for motor fuel losses at a terminal in this state. For the purposes of this section, taxable unaccounted for motor fuel losses shall mean the number of net gallons of unaccounted for motor fuel losses that exceed one half of one percent of the number of net gallons removed from the terminal during the year by a bulk transfer or at the terminal rack. Unaccounted for motor fuel losses means the difference between: (1) The amount of motor fuel in inventory at the terminal at the beginning of the calendar year plus the amount of motor fuel received by the terminal during the year; and (2) the amount of motor fuel in inventory at the terminal at the end of the calendar year plus the amount of motor fuel removed from the terminal during the year. Accounted for motor fuel losses which have been approved by the department or motor fuel losses constituting part of a transmix shall not constitute unaccounted for motor fuel losses.

(b) The terminal operator is liable for the tax levied by this section on unaccounted gallons. Motor fuel received by a terminal operator and not shown on an informational report filed by the terminal operator with the department as having been removed from the terminal is presumed to be unaccounted for motor fuel losses. A terminal operator may rebut this presumption by establishing that motor fuel received at a terminal, but not shown on an informational report as having been removed from the terminal, was an accounted for loss or constitutes part of a transmix.