Every person required by law to list property shall, annually, between the first day of January and the first day of March, make out and deliver to the auditor of the county in which the property is by law to be returned for taxation a statement, verified by his oath, of all the real estate which has been sold or transferred since the last listing of property for which he was responsible and to whom, and of all real and personal property possessed by him, or under his control, on the thirty-first day of December next preceding, either as owner, agent, parent, husband, guardian, executor, administrator, trustee, receiver, officer, partner, factor or holder with the value thereof, on such thirty-first day of December, at the place of return, estimating according to the rules prescribed by law, except that the returns of corn, cotton, wheat, oats, rice, peas and long forage, made on the day specified by law, shall be the amounts actually on hand in the hands of the producer thereof on the first day of August, immediately preceding the date of such return. But any county upon the written approval of a majority of the county legislative delegation, including the Senator, may waive penalties for failing to make such statement or may provide that such statement shall be made every fourth year. This section shall not repeal or alter any prior law or laws applying to particular counties which allow or provide for returns of real property more frequently than every four years.