2023 Wisconsin Act 12

12,131 Section 131 . 70.995 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

70.995 (5) The department of revenue shall assess all property of manufacturing establishments included under subs. (1) and (2), except property not contiguous with or located within 1,000 feet of the parcel on which the production process, as defined in s. 70.11 (27) (a) 5., occurs, as of the close of January 1 of each year, if on or before March 1 of that year the department has classified the property as manufacturing or the owner of the property has requested, in writing, that the department make such a classification and the department later does so. A change in ownership, location, or name of the manufacturing establishment does not necessitate a new request. In assessing lands from which metalliferous minerals are being extracted and valued for purposes of the tax under s. 70.375, the value of the metalliferous mineral content of such lands shall be excluded.

12,132 Section 132 . 70.995 (5n) of the statutes is created to read:

70.995 (5n) (a) If the department of revenue determines that an establishment is engaged in manufacturing, as described in subs. (1), (2), and (3), the department may classify the establishment as manufacturing. The establishment shall submit a written request on or before July 1 of the year for which classification is desired, as provided under s. 71.07 (5n) (a) 9. c. or 71.28 (5n) (a) 9. c. Any establishment classified as manufacturing prior to January 1, 2024, is presumed to be engaged in manufacturing, as described in subs. (1), (2), and (3), and need not submit a request as provided in this paragraph.

(b) The department may at any time investigate or audit requests submitted under par. (a) and may revoke a classification. A revocation under this paragraph may not apply retroactively, but shall take effect on the first day of the establishment's taxable year following the year in which the department issues a revocation. An establishment that submits a request under par. (a) shall notify the department within 60 days of any termination of manufacturing activity.

(c) On or before December 31 of the year in which a request is timely submitted under par. (a), the department shall issue a notice of determination responding to the timely request. The department may, in its sole discretion, issue a notice of determination by December 31 for requests received after July 1 of the year in which classification is desired. The notice shall be in writing and shall be sent by 1st class mail or electronic mail. In addition, the notice shall specify that objections to the decision shall be filed with the state board of assessors no later than 60 days after the date of the notice, that a fee of $200 shall be paid when the objection is filed, and that the objection is not filed until the fee is paid.

(d) For purposes of this subsection, an objection is considered timely filed if received by the state board of assessors no later than 60 days after the date of the notice or sent to the state board of assessors by U.S. postal service certified mail in a properly addressed envelope, with postage paid, that is postmarked before midnight of the last day for filing. Neither the board nor the tax appeals commission may waive the requirement that objections be in writing.

(e) The state board of assessors shall investigate any objection timely filed under par. (d) if the fee specified under par. (c) is paid. The board shall notify the person objecting or the person's agent of its determination by 1st class mail or electronic mail.

(f) If a determination of the state board of assessors under par. (e) results in an establishment not being classified as manufacturing, the person having been notified of the determination shall be deemed to have accepted the determination unless the person files a petition for review with the clerk of the tax appeals commission, as provided under s. 73.01 (5) and the rules of practice of the tax appeals commission.

12,133 Section 133 . 70.995 (7) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

70.995 (7) (b) Each 5 years, or more frequently if the department of revenue's workload permits and if in the department's judgment it is desirable, the department of revenue shall complete a field investigation or on-site appraisal at full value under ss. s. 70.32 (1) and 70.34 of all manufacturing real property in this state.

12,134 Section 134 . 70.995 (8) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

70.995 (8) (b) 1. The department of revenue shall annually notify each manufacturer assessed under this section and the municipality in which the manufacturing property is located of the full value of all real and personal property owned by the manufacturer. The notice shall be in writing and shall be sent by 1st class mail or electronic mail. In addition, the notice shall specify that objections to valuation, amount, or taxability must be filed with the state board of assessors no later than 60 days after the date of the notice of assessment, that objections to a change from assessment under this section to assessment under s. 70.32 (1) must be filed no later than 60 days after the date of the notice, that the fee under par. (c) 1. or (d) must be paid and that the objection is not filed until the fee is paid. For purposes of this subdivision, an objection is considered timely filed if received by the state board of assessors no later than 60 days after the date of the notice or sent to the state board of assessors by certified mail in a properly addressed envelope, with postage paid, that is postmarked before midnight of the last day for filing. A statement shall be attached to the assessment roll indicating that the notices required by this section have been mailed and failure to receive the notice does not affect the validity of the assessments, the resulting tax on real or personal property, the procedures of the tax appeals commission or of the state board of assessors, or the enforcement of delinquent taxes by statutory means.

12,135 Section 135 . 70.995 (12) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

70.995 (12) (a) The department of revenue shall prescribe a standard manufacturing property report form that shall be submitted annually for each real estate parcel and each personal property account on or before March 1 by all manufacturers whose property is assessed under this section. The report form shall contain all information considered necessary by the department and shall include, without limitation, income and operating statements, fixed asset schedules, and a report of new construction or demolition. Failure to submit the report shall result in denial of any right of redetermination by the state board of assessors or the tax appeals commission. If any property is omitted or understated in the manufacturing real estate assessment roll in any of the next 5 previous years, or in a manufacturing personal property assessment roll made before January 1, 2024, the assessor shall enter the value of the omitted or understated property once for each previous year of the omission or understatement. The assessor shall affix a just valuation to each entry for a former year as it should have been assessed according to the assessor's best judgment. Taxes shall be apportioned and collected on the tax roll for each entry, on the basis of the net tax rate for the year of the omission, taking into account credits under s. 79.10. In the case of omitted property, interest shall be added at the rate of 0.0267 percent per day for the period of time between the date when the form is required to be submitted and the date when the assessor affixes the just valuation. In the case of underpayments determined after an objection under sub. (8) (d), interest shall be added at the average annual discount interest rate determined by the last auction of 6-month U.S. treasury bills before the objection per day for the period of time between the date when the tax was due and the date when it is paid.

12,136 Section 136 . 71.07 (5n) (a) 5. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.07 (5n) (a) 5. a. “Manufacturing property factor" means a fraction, the numerator of which is the average value of the claimant's real and personal property assessed under s. 70.995 land and depreciable property, owned or rented and used in this state by the claimant during the taxable year to manufacture qualified production property, and the denominator of which is the average value of all the claimant's real and personal land and depreciable property owned or rented during the taxable year and used by the claimant to manufacture qualified production property.

12,137 Section 137 . 71.07 (5n) (a) 5. d. of the statutes is repealed.

12,138 Section 138 . 71.07 (5n) (a) 9. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

71.07 (5n) (a) 9. (intro.) “Qualified production property" means either any of the following:

12,139 Section 139 . 71.07 (5n) (a) 9. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.07 (5n) (a) 9. a. Tangible personal property manufactured in whole or in part by the claimant on property that is located in this state and assessed as manufacturing property under s. 70.995. Tangible personal property manufactured in this state may only be qualified production property if it is manufactured on property approved to be classified as manufacturing real property for purposes of s. 70.995, even if it is not eligible to be listed on the department's manufacturing roll until January 1 of the following year.

12,140 Section 140 . 71.07 (5n) (a) 9. c. of the statutes is created to read:

71.07 (5n) (a) 9. c. Tangible personal property manufactured in whole or in part by the claimant at an establishment that is located in this state and classified as manufacturing under s. 70.995 (5n). A person wishing to classify the person's establishment as manufacturing under this subd. 9. c. shall file an application in the form and manner prescribed by the department no later than July 1 of the taxable year for which the person wishes to claim the credit under this subsection, pursuant to s. 70.995 (5n). The department shall make a determination and provide written notice by December 31 of the year in which the application is filed. A determination on the classification under this subd. 9. c. may be appealed as provided under s. 70.995 (5n).

12,141 Section 141 . 71.07 (5n) (d) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.07 (5n) (d) 2. For purposes of determining a claimant's eligible qualified production activities income under this subsection, the claimant shall multiply the claimant's qualified production activities income from property manufactured by the claimant by the manufacturing property factor and qualified production activities income from property produced, grown, or extracted by the claimant by the agriculture property factor. This subdivision does not apply if the claimant's entire qualified production activities income results from the sale of tangible personal property that was manufactured, produced, grown, or extracted wholly in this state by the claimant.

12,142 Section 142. 71.07 (6e) (a) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.07 (6e) (a) 5. “Property taxes" means real and personal property taxes, exclusive of special assessments, delinquent interest, and charges for service, paid by a claimant, and the claimant's spouse if filing a joint return, on the eligible veteran's or unremarried surviving spouse's principal dwelling in this state during the taxable year for which credit under this subsection is claimed, less any property taxes paid which are properly includable as a trade or business expense under section 162 of the Internal Revenue Code. If the principal dwelling on which the taxes were paid is owned by 2 or more persons or entities as joint tenants or tenants in common or is owned by spouses as marital property, “property taxes" is that part of property taxes paid that reflects the ownership percentage of the claimant, except that this limitation does not apply to spouses who file a joint return. If the principal dwelling is sold during the taxable year, the “property taxes" for the seller and buyer shall be the amount of the tax prorated to each in the closing agreement pertaining to the sale or, if not so provided for in the closing agreement, the tax shall be prorated between the seller and buyer in proportion to months of their respective ownership. “Property taxes" includes monthly municipal permit fees in respect to a principal dwelling collected under s. 66.0435 (3) (c).

12,143 Section 143 . 71.07 (9) (a) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.07 (9) (a) 3. “Property taxes" means real and personal property taxes, exclusive of special assessments, delinquent interest and charges for service, paid by a claimant on the claimant's principal dwelling during the taxable year for which credit under this subsection is claimed, less any property taxes paid which are properly includable as a trade or business expense under section 162 of the Internal Revenue Code. If the principal dwelling on which the taxes were paid is owned by 2 or more persons or entities as joint tenants or tenants in common or is owned by spouses as marital property, “property taxes" is that part of property taxes paid that reflects the ownership percentage of the claimant. If the principal dwelling is sold during the taxable year the “property taxes" for the seller and buyer shall be the amount of the tax prorated to each in the closing agreement pertaining to the sale or, if not so provided for in the closing agreement, the tax shall be prorated between the seller and buyer in proportion to months of their respective ownership. “Property taxes" includes monthly municipal permit fees in respect to a principal dwelling collected under s. 66.0435 (3) (c).

12,144 Section 144 . 71.17 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

71.17 (2) Lien on trust estate; income taxes levied against beneficiary. All income taxes levied against the income of beneficiaries shall be a lien on that portion of the trust estate or interest therein from which the income taxed is derived, and such taxes shall be paid by the fiduciary, if not paid by the distributee, before the same become delinquent. Every person who, as a fiduciary under the provisions of this subchapter, pays an income tax shall have all the rights and remedies of reimbursement for any taxes assessed against him or her or paid by him or her in such capacity, as provided in s. 70.19 (1), 2021 stats., and s. 70.19 (2), 2021 stats.

12,145 Section 145 . 71.28 (5n) (a) 5. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.28 (5n) (a) 5. a. “Manufacturing property factor" means a fraction, the numerator of which is the average value of the claimant's real and personal property assessed under s. 70.995 land and depreciable property, owned or rented and used in this state by the claimant during the taxable year to manufacture qualified production property, and the denominator of which is the average value of all the claimant's real and personal land and depreciable property owned or rented during the taxable year and used by the claimant to manufacture qualified production property.

12,146 Section 146 . 71.28 (5n) (a) 5. d. of the statutes is repealed.

12,147 Section 147 . 71.28 (5n) (a) 9. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

71.28 (5n) (a) 9. (intro.) “Qualified production property" means either any of the following:

12,148 Section 148 . 71.28 (5n) (a) 9. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.28 (5n) (a) 9. a. Tangible personal property manufactured in whole or in part by the claimant on property that is located in this state and assessed as manufacturing property under s. 70.995. Tangible personal property manufactured in this state may only be qualified production property if it is manufactured on property approved to be classified as manufacturing real property for purposes of s. 70.995, even if it is not eligible to be listed on the department's manufacturing roll until January 1 of the following year.

12,149 Section 149 . 71.28 (5n) (a) 9. c. of the statutes is created to read:

71.28 (5n) (a) 9. c. Tangible personal property manufactured in whole or in part by the claimant with an establishment that is located in this state and classified as manufacturing under s. 70.995 (5n). A person wishing to classify the person's establishment as manufacturing under this subd. 9. c. shall file an application in the form and manner prescribed by the department no later than July 1 of the taxable year for which the person wishes to claim the credit under this subsection, pursuant to s. 70.995 (5n). The department shall make a determination and provide written notice by December 31 of the year in which the application is filed. A determination on the classification under this subd. 9. c. may be appealed as provided under s. 70.995 (5n).

12,150 Section 150. 71.28 (5n) (d) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.28 (5n) (d) 2. Except as provided in subd. 3., for purposes of determining a claimant's eligible qualified production activities income under this subsection, the claimant shall multiply the claimant's qualified production activities income from property manufactured by the claimant by the manufacturing property factor and qualified production activities income from property produced, grown, or extracted by the claimant by the agriculture property factor. This subdivision does not apply if the claimant's entire qualified production activities income results from the sale of tangible personal property that was manufactured, produced, grown, or extracted wholly in this state by the claimant.

12,151 Section 151 . 71.52 (7) of the statutes is amended to read:

71.52 (7) “Property taxes accrued" means real or personal property taxes or monthly municipal permit fees under s. 66.0435 (3) (c), exclusive of special assessments, delinquent interest and charges for service, levied on a homestead owned by the claimant or a member of the claimant's household. “Real or personal property taxes" means those levied under ch. 70, less the tax credit, if any, afforded in respect of such property by s. 79.10. If a homestead is owned by 2 or more persons or entities as joint tenants or tenants in common or is owned as marital property or survivorship marital property and one or more such persons, entities or owners is not a member of the claimant's household, property taxes accrued is that part of property taxes accrued levied on such homestead, reduced by the tax credit under s. 79.10, that reflects the ownership percentage of the claimant and the claimant's household, except that if a homestead is owned by 2 or more natural persons or if 2 or more natural persons have an interest in a homestead, one or more of whom is not a member of the claimant's household, and the claimant has a present interest, as that term is used in s. 700.03 (1), in the homestead and is required by the terms of a will that transferred the homestead or interest in the homestead to the claimant to pay the entire amount of property taxes levied on the homestead, property taxes accrued is property taxes accrued levied on such homestead, reduced by the tax credit under s. 79.10. A marital property agreement or unilateral statement under ch. 766 has no effect in computing property taxes accrued for a person whose homestead is not the same as the homestead of that person's spouse. For purposes of this subsection, property taxes are “levied" when the tax roll is delivered to the local treasurer for collection. If a homestead is sold or purchased during the calendar year of the levy, the property taxes accrued for the seller and the buyer are the amount of the tax levy prorated to each in proportion to the periods of time each both owned and occupied the homestead during the year to which the claim relates. The seller may use the closing agreement pertaining to the sale of the homestead, the property tax bill for the year before the year to which the claim relates or the property tax bill for the year to which the claim relates as the basis for computing property taxes accrued, but those taxes are allowable only for the portion of the year during which the seller owned and occupied the sold homestead. If a household owns and occupies 2 or more homesteads in the same calendar year, property taxes accrued is the sum of the prorated property taxes accrued attributable to the household for each of such homesteads. If the household owns and occupies the homestead for part of the calendar year and rents a homestead for part of the calendar year, it may include both the proration of taxes on the homestead owned and rent constituting property taxes accrued with respect to the months the homestead is rented in computing the amount of the claim under s. 71.54 (1). If a homestead is an integral part of a multipurpose or multidwelling building, property taxes accrued are the percentage of the property taxes accrued on that part of the multipurpose or multidwelling building occupied by the household as a principal residence plus that same percentage of the property taxes accrued on the land surrounding it, not exceeding one acre, that is reasonably necessary for use of the multipurpose or multidwelling building as a principal residence, except as the limitations of s. 71.54 (2) (b) apply. If the homestead is part of a farm, property taxes accrued are the property taxes accrued on up to 120 acres of the land contiguous to the claimant's principal residence and include the property taxes accrued on all improvements to real property located on such land, except as the limitations of s. 71.54 (2) (b) apply.

12,152 Section 152 . 73.01 (5) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

73.01 (5) (a) Any person who is aggrieved by a determination of the state board of assessors under s. 70.995 (5n) or (8) or who has filed a petition for redetermination with the department of revenue and who is aggrieved by the redetermination of the department of revenue may, within 60 days of the determination of the state board of assessors or of the department of revenue or, in all other cases, within 60 days after the redetermination but not thereafter, file with the clerk of the commission a petition for review of the action of the department of revenue and the number of copies of the petition required by rule adopted by the commission. Any person who is aggrieved by a determination of the department of transportation under s. 341.405 or 341.45 may, within 30 days after the determination of the department of transportation, file with the clerk of the commission a petition for review of the action of the department of transportation and the number of copies of the petition required by rule adopted by the commission. If a municipality appeals, its appeal shall set forth that the appeal has been authorized by an order or resolution of its governing body and the appeal shall be verified by a member of that governing body as pleadings in courts of record are verified. The clerk of the commission shall transmit one copy to the department of revenue, or to the department of transportation, and to each party. In the case of appeals from manufacturing property assessments, the person assessed shall be a party to a proceeding initiated by a municipality. At the time of filing the petition, the petitioner shall pay to the commission a $25 filing fee. The commission shall deposit the fee in the general fund. Within 30 days after such transmission the department of revenue, except for petitions objecting to manufacturing property assessments, or the department of transportation, shall file with the clerk of the commission an original and the number of copies of an answer to the petition required by rule adopted by the commission and shall serve one copy on the petitioner or the petitioner's attorney or agent. Within 30 days after service of the answer, the petitioner may file and serve a reply in the same manner as the petition is filed. Any person entitled to be heard by the commission under s. 76.38 (12) (a), 1993 stats., or s. 76.39 (4) (c) or 76.48 may file a petition with the commission within the time and in the manner provided for the filing of petitions in income or franchise tax cases. Such papers may be served as a circuit court summons is served or by certified mail. For the purposes of this subsection, a petition for review is considered timely filed if mailed by certified mail in a properly addressed envelope, with postage duly prepaid, which envelope is postmarked before midnight of the last day for filing.

12,153 Section 153 . 73.03 (77) of the statutes is created to read:

73.03 (77) To annually produce a comparative local government spending report from information received under s. 73.10 and to create and maintain a web page on its Internet site to display the information contained in the report.

12,154 Section 154 . 76.02 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

76.02 (1) “Air carrier company" means any person engaged in the business of transportation in aircraft of persons or property for hire on regularly scheduled flights, except an air carrier company whose property is exempt from taxation under s. 70.11 (42) (b) 76.074 (2). In this subsection, “aircraft" means a completely equipped operating unit, including spare flight equipment, used as a means of conveyance in air commerce.

12,155 Section 155 . 76.025 (5) of the statutes is created to read:

76.025 (5) Nothing in this chapter or ch. 70 shall be construed as providing an exemption for personal property for entities regulated under this chapter, except for the exemptions under ss. 70.11 (21), (39), and (39m), 70.112 (4) (b) and (5), and 76.074, and for such motor vehicles as are exempt under s. 70.112 (5).

12,156 Section 156 . 76.03 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

76.03 (1) The property, both real and personal, including all rights, franchises and privileges used in and necessary to the prosecution of the business of any company enumerated in s. 76.02 shall be deemed personal property for the purposes of taxation, and shall be valued and assessed together as a unit.

12,157 Section 157 . 76.07 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

76.07 (2) Relation to state valuation; description. The value of the property of each of said companies company for assessment shall be made on the same basis and for the same period of time, as near as may be, as the value of the general property of the state is ascertained and determined. The department shall prepare an assessment roll and place thereon after the name of each of said companies company assessed, the following general description of the property of such company, to wit which the department shall deem and hold to include the entire property and franchises of the company specified and all title and interest therein: “Real estate, right-of-way, tracks, stations, terminals, appurtenances, rolling stock, equipment, franchises, and all other real estate and personal property of said the company," in the case of railroads, and “Real estate, right-of-way, poles, wires, conduits, cables, devices, appliances, instruments, franchises, and all other real and personal property of said the company," in the case of conservation and regulation companies, and “Real estate, appurtenances, rolling stock, equipment, franchises, and all other real estate and personal property of said the company," in the case of air carrier companies, and “Land and land rights, structures, improvements, mains, pumping and regulation equipment, services, appliances, instruments, franchises, and all other real and personal property of said the company," in the case of pipeline companies, which description shall be deemed and held to include the entire property and franchises of the company specified and all title and interest therein.

12,158 Section 158 . 76.07 (4g) (a) 10. of the statutes is amended to read:

76.07 (4g) (a) 10. Determine the depreciated cost of road real property owned or rented by the company and used in the operation of the company's business in this state.

12,159 Section 159 . 76.07 (4g) (a) 11. and 12. of the statutes are repealed.

12,160 Section 160 . 76.07 (4g) (a) 13. of the statutes is amended to read:

76.07 (4g) (a) 13. Divide the sum of the amounts under subds. 10. and 12. amount under subd. 10. by the depreciated cost of road real property everywhere.

12,161 Section 161 . 76.074 of the statutes is created to read:

76.074 Property exempt from assessment. (1) In this section:

(a) Notwithstanding s. 76.02, “air carrier company" means any person engaged in the business of transportation in aircraft of persons or property for hire on regularly scheduled flights. In this paragraph, “aircraft" has the meaning given in s. 76.02 (1).

(b) “Hub facility" means any of the following:

1. A facility at an airport from which an air carrier company operated at least 45 common carrier departing flights each weekday in the prior year and from which it transported passengers to at least 15 nonstop destinations, as defined by rule by the department, or transported cargo to nonstop destinations, as defined by rule by the department.

2. An airport or any combination of airports in this state from which an air carrier company cumulatively operated at least 20 common carrier departing flights each weekday in the prior year, if the air carrier company's headquarters, as defined by rule by the department, is in this state.

(2) Property owned by an air carrier company that operates a hub facility in this state, if the property is used in the operation of the air carrier company, is exempt from taxation under this subchapter and from local assessment and taxation.

(3) For assessments after January 1, 2024, the personal property, as defined in s. 70.04, of a railroad company is exempt from taxation under this subchapter and from local assessment and taxation.

12,162 Section 162 . 76.125 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

76.125 (1) Using the statement of assessments under s. 70.53 and the statement of taxes under s. 69.61, the department shall determine the net rate of taxation of commercial property under s. 70.32 (2) (a) 2., and of manufacturing property under s. 70.32 (2) (a) 3. and of personal property under s. 70.30 as provided in subs. (2) to (6). The department shall enter that rate on the records of the department.

12,163 Section 163 . 76.24 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

76.24 (2) (a) All taxes paid by any railroad company derived from or apportionable to repair facilities, docks, ore yards, piers, wharves, grain elevators, and their approaches, or car ferries on the basis of the separate valuation provided for in s. 76.16, shall be distributed annually from the transportation fund to the towns, villages, and cities in which they are located, pursuant to certification made by the department of revenue on or before August 15. Beginning with amounts distributed in 2011 2024, the amount distributed to any town, village, or city under this paragraph may not be less than the amount distributed to it in 2010 2023 under this paragraph. Beginning with amounts distributed in 2025, the amount distributed to any town, village, or city under this paragraph may not be less than the amount distributed in 2024.

12,164 Section 164 . 76.31 of the statutes is amended to read:

76.31 Determination of ad valorem tax receipts for hub facility exemptions. By July 1, 2004, and every Annually, by July 1 thereafter, the department shall determine the total amount of the tax imposed under subch. I of ch. 76 that was paid by each air carrier company, as defined in s. 70.11 (42) (a) 1. 76.02 (1), whose property is exempt from taxation under s. 70.11 (42) (b) 76.074 (2) for the most recent taxable year that the air carrier company paid the tax imposed under subch. I of ch. 76. The total amount determined under this section shall be transferred under s. 20.855 (4) (fm) to the transportation fund.

12,165 Section 165 . 76.69 of the statutes is repealed.

12,166 Section 166 . 76.82 of the statutes is amended to read:

76.82 Assessment. The department, using the valuation methods that it uses to assess property under s. 70.995 prescribed in s. 70.32 (1) and s. 70.34, 2021 stats., shall assess the property that is taxable under s. 76.81, including property that is exempt under s. 70.11 (27) from the tax under ch. 70, at its value as of January 1.

12,167 Section 167 . Chapter 77 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

CHAPTER 77

TAXATION OF FOREST CROPLANDS;
REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEES;

SALES AND USE TAXES; COUNTY,
Municipality, AND SPECIAL DISTRICT
SALES AND USE TAXES; MANAGED
FOREST LAND; ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
SURCHARGE; LOCAL FOOD and
BEVERAGE TAX; LOCAL RENTAL CAR
TAX; PREMIER RESORT AREA TAXES;
STATE RENTAL VEHICLE
FEE; DRY CLEANING FEES

12,168 Section 168 . 77.04 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

77.04 (1) Tax roll. The clerk on making up the tax roll shall enter as to each forest cropland description in a special column or some other appropriate place in such tax roll headed by the words “Forest Croplands" or the initials “F.C.L.", which shall be a sufficient designation that such description is subject to this subchapter. Such land shall thereafter be assessed and be subject to review under ch. 70, and such assessment may be used by the department of revenue in the determination of the tax upon withdrawal of such lands as forest croplands as provided in s. 77.10 for entries prior to 1972 or for any entry under s. 77.02 (4) (a). The tax upon withdrawal of descriptions entered as forest croplands after December 31, 1971, may be determined by the department of revenue by multiplying the last assessed value of the land prior to the time of the entry by an annual ratio computed for the state under sub. (2) to establish the annual assessed value of the description. No tax shall be levied on forest croplands except the specific annual taxes as provided, except that any building located on forest cropland shall be assessed as personal real property, subject to all laws and regulations for the assessment and taxation of general property.

12,169 Section 169 . 77.51 (12t) of the statutes is renumbered 77.51 (12t) (intro.) and amended to read:

77.51 (12t) (intro.) “Real property construction activities" means activities that occur at a site where tangible personal property or items or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b) or (d) that are applied or adapted to the use or purpose to which real property is devoted are permanently affixed to that real property, if the intent of the person who affixes that property is to make a permanent accession to the real property. “Real property construction activities" does not include affixing property subject to tax under s. 77.52 (1) (c) to real property or affixing to real property tangible personal property that remains tangible personal property after it is affixed. The department may promulgate rules to determine whether activities that occur at a site where tangible personal property or items or goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b) or (d) are affixed to real property are real property construction activities for purposes of this subchapter. If the classification of property or an activity is not identified by rule, the department's determination of whether personal property becomes a part of real property shall be made by considering the following criteria:

12,170 Section 170 . 77.51 (12t) (a) to (c) of the statutes are created to read:

77.51 (12t) (a) Actual physical annexation to the real property.