Ala. Code § 40-21-1
It shall be the duty of the Department of Revenue to assess for taxation all property of all railroad companies, street and suburban railroad companies or persons or companies operating railroad or street railroads, or suburban railroads or sleeping cars in this state; all express companies, including railroad companies doing an express business and all telephone and long distance telephone and all telegraph companies, person or persons doing an express, telephone or telegraph business; all persons, firms, or corporations doing a gas business, transporting gas or furnishing gas, natural, manufactured or by-product, in or through pipes or in drums, tubes, cylinders, or by any other method; all water, electric light or power, hydroelectric power companies, steam heat, refrigerated air, dockage or cranage, toll roads, toll ferries, railroad equipment, pipelines for transporting or furnishing natural, manufactured, or by-product gas, water, oil, gasoline, or other commodities of commerce, and the property of all public service or public utility corporations, and all property not required by law to be listed for taxation with the county tax assessor; and the owner, president, general manager, agent, trustee, receiver, or other person or persons having control of the company's affairs in this state shall make returns of all property of said company located in this state to the Department of Revenue.
Ala. Code § 40-21-1 (1975)