The department shall withhold the certificate of number or the transfer of registration of any vessel sold at retail to any applicant by any person other than a person holding a seller’s permit pursuant to Section 6066 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, and regularly engaged in the business of selling vessels, until the applicant pays to the department the use tax measured by the sales price of the vessel as required by the Sales and Use Tax Law, together with penalty, if any, unless the State Board of Equalization finds that no use tax is due. If the applicant so desires, he may pay the use tax and penalty, if any, to the department so as to secure immediate action upon his application for registration or transfer of registration and thereafter he may apply through the Department of Motor Vehicles to the State Board of Equalization under the provisions of the Sales and Use Tax Law for a refund of the amount so paid.

(b) The department shall transmit to the State Board of Equalization all collections of the use tax and penalty made under this section. This transmittal shall be made at least monthly, accompanied by a schedule in such form as the department and board may prescribe.

(c) The State Board of Equalization shall reimburse the department for its costs incurred in carrying out the provisions of this section.

(d) In computing any use tax or penalty thereon under the provisions of the section, dollar fractions shall be disregarded in the manner specified in Section 9559. Payment of tax and penalty on this basis shall be deemed full compliance with the requirements of the Sales and Use Tax Law insofar as they are applicable to the use of vessels to which this section relates.

(e) The department and the State Board of Equalization shall enter into an agreement for the collection of the use tax pursuant to this section and Section 6294 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. The agreement shall specify the procedures agreed upon by the department and the board for collection of the tax and the reimbursement provided for in subdivision (c). The agreement shall be approved by the Department of Finance.

(Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 665, Sec. 5.)