(1) In any suit, application or proceedings by any taxpayer for any recovery or refund of privilege, franchise, or other excise tax, which has been paid to any tax collecting officer or commission of the state, any county, or municipality, by any person, firm or corporation or which may have been paid into the state treasury, the person seeking such recovery or refund of such taxes must allege and prove that he alone bore the burden of the tax involved and did not directly or indirectly collect the tax from any other person.
(2) It is the declared purpose of this section to make certain that any such taxes recovered by or refunded to any taxpayer will be recovered by or go only to, as the case may be, the person who has borne the burden of any illegal tax, or any erroneous or mistaken payment or any overpayment of any such privilege, franchise, or other excise tax for which such person, firm or corporation was not liable and, therefore, that the person seeking such a recovery or refund thereof is entitled in justice and good conscience to the relief requested and is, therefore, the real party in interest.
(3) The term “taxpayer”, as used herein, shall include the person, firm or corporation who bore the burden of the said tax and also any person, firm or corporation who transmitted or in whose behalf was transmitted the funds representing the amount of the tax though not bearing the burden of the tax.