287.710.  Tax returns — payments — use of proceeds — funds and interest not to lapse. — 1.  Every such insurance carrier or self-insurer, on or before the first day of March of each year, shall make a return, verified by the affidavit of its president and secretary or other chief officers or agents, to the director of the department of commerce and insurance, stating the amount of all such gross premiums or deposits and credits during the year ending on the thirty-first day of December, next preceding.

  2.  The amount of the tax due for each calendar year shall be paid in four approximately equal estimated quarterly installments, and a fifth reconciling installment.  The first four installments shall be based upon the application of the current calendar year's tax rate to the premium for the immediately preceding taxable year ending on the thirty-first day of December, next preceding.  The quarterly installments shall be made on the first day of March, the first day of June, the first day of September and the first day of December.  Immediately after receiving certification from the director of the department of commerce and insurance of the amount of tax due from the various companies or self-insurers, the director of revenue shall notify and assess each company or self-insurer the amount of taxes on its premiums for the calendar year ending on the thirty-first day of December, next preceding.  The director of revenue shall also notify and assess each company or self-insurer the amount of the estimated quarterly installments to be made for the calendar year.  If the amount of the actual tax due for any year exceeds the total of the installments made for such year, the balance of the tax due shall be paid on the first day of June of the year following, together with the regular quarterly payment due at that time.  If the total amount of the tax actually due is less than the total amount of the installments actually paid, the amount by which the amount paid exceeds the amount due shall be credited against the tax for the following year and deducted from the quarterly installment otherwise due on the first day of June.  If the March first quarterly installment made by a company or self-insurer is less than the amount assessed by the director of revenue, the difference will be due on June first, but no interest will accrue to the state on the difference unless the amount paid by the company or self-insurer is less than eighty percent of one-fourth of the total amount of tax assessed by the director of revenue for the immediately preceding taxable year.

  3.  Upon the receipt of the returns and verification by the director of the division of workers' compensation as to the percent of tax to be imposed, the director of the department of commerce and insurance shall certify the amount of tax due from the various insurance carriers or self-insurers on the basis and at the rate provided in section 287.690, and make a schedule thereof, duplicate copies of which, properly certified by the director, shall be filed in the offices of the revenue department, the state treasurer, and the division of workers' compensation on or before the thirtieth day of April of each year.  If the taxes provided for in this section are not paid, the department of revenue shall certify the fact to the director of the department of commerce and insurance who shall thereafter suspend the delinquent carriers of insurance or self-insurers from the further transaction of business in this state until the taxes are paid.

  4.  Upon receipt of the money all such moneys shall be deposited to the credit of the fund for the support of the division of workers' compensation.

  5.  The tax collected for implementing the workers' compensation fund, and any interest accruing thereon, under the police power of the state from those specified in sections 287.690, 287.715, and 287.730 shall be used for the purpose of making effective the law to relieve victims of industrial injuries from having individually to bear the burden of misfortune or becoming charges upon society and for the further purpose of providing for the physical rehabilitation of the victims of industrial injuries, and for no other purposes.  It is hereby made the express duty of every person exercising any official authority or responsibility in and for the state of Missouri sacredly to safeguard and preserve all funds collected, and any interest accruing thereon, under and by virtue of sections 287.690, 287.715, and 287.730 for the purposes hereinabove declared.

  6.  The funds created by virtue of sections 287.220, 287.690, 287.715, and 287.730 shall be exempt from the provisions of section 33.080, specifically as they relate to the transfer of fund balances and any interest thereon to the ordinary revenue, and the director of the division of workers' compensation may direct the state treasurer to invest all or part of these funds in interest-bearing accounts as provided in Article IV, Section 15 of the Constitution of the State of Missouri, and any unexpended balance in the second injury fund at the end of any appropriation period shall be a credit in the second injury fund and shall be the amount of the fund at the beginning of the appropriation period next immediately following.