Every person required to obtain a license for the privilege of engaging in any business for which a privilege tax is required shall make application therefor in writing to the officer who is required to collect the tax. The application for license shall be filed on blanks to be furnished by the tax collector for that purpose, and shall be subscribed and sworn to by the person owning the business, or having an ownership interest therein; or the officer who is required to collect the tax, or his duly authorized agent, may certify to the application. If the applicant is a corporation, a duly authorized agent shall execute the application.

The application shall show the name of such person or corporation and, in case of a partnership, the name of each partner thereof; the person’s, firm’s or corporation’s business office address; the location of the place of business to which the license shall apply; the nature of the business in which engaged; the total number of employees of the business for the previous twelve (12) months as shown by affidavit signed by the applicant; and any other information the officer who is required to collect the tax may require. The applications shall contain all the information necessary for the officer collecting the tax to properly classify the applicant and ascertain the amount of tax due. Applications for renewal of such license shall not require a certificate of notary public seal or signature, and the applicant shall not be required to obtain such signature or seal upon making the application for renewal.

The application shall be accompanied by the amount of the privilege tax as required by law.

Any person who shall willfully make any false statement in an application for a privilege license shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be required to pay as damages double the amount of the difference between the tax paid and that which should have been paid, in addition to the fine and imprisonment imposed.

It is specifically provided that the officer taking the application for a privilege license shall carefully preserve the same for a period of three (3) years for the use of the grand jury, the courts of the state, or any duly authorized officer of the State of Mississippi; and any officer who shall refuse or fail to take or require the application or affidavit, as herein required, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to the penalties therefor.