Chapter 70

70.07 70.07 Functions of board of assessors in first class cities.

70.07(1) (1) In all 1st class cities the several assessors shall make their assessments available to the commissioner of assessments on or before the 2nd Monday in May in each year.

70.07(2) (2) The commissioner of assessments shall publish a class 3 notice, under ch. 985, that on the days named, the assessments for the city will be open for examination by the taxable inhabitants of the city. On the 2nd Monday of May the commissioner of assessments shall call together all of the assessors, and the other members of the board of assessors as provided in s. 70.06 (2), and they together with the commissioner of assessments shall constitute an assessment board.

70.07(3) (3) To the end that all valuations throughout the city shall be made on a uniform basis, such board of assessors, under the direction and supervision of the commissioner of assessments, shall compare the valuations so secured, making all necessary corrections and all other just and necessary changes to arrive at the true value of property within the city; and the commissioner of assessments may direct that all objections to valuations filed under s. 70.47 (16) shall be investigated by such board.

70.07(4) (4) The concurrence of a majority of such board of assessors shall be necessary to determine any matter upon which the commissioner of assessments requires it to act. No notice need be given to the owners of the property assessed of any corrections or changes in assessments which are made prior to the day or days fixed in the notice mentioned in sub. (2) on which said assessments are to be open for examination, but any changes made thereafter and before the assessment roll is delivered to the board of review can only be made upon notice by first class mail to the person assessed if a resident of the city or, if a nonresident, the agent of the person assessed if there is one resident therein or, if neither, the possessor of the property assessed if any, if the residence of such owner, agent or possessor is known to any member of said board of assessors.

70.07(5) (5) The commissioner of assessments may provide for such committees of the board of assessors, as the commissioner of assessments may think best, to make investigations including the investigations mentioned in sub. (3) and perform such other duties as are prescribed by the commissioner of assessments. The commissioner of assessments shall be chairperson of the board of assessors, and may appoint as a member or chairperson of the various committees, himself or herself, any assessor or other officer or employee in the commissioner’s department.

70.07(6) (6) The board of assessors shall remain in session until all corrections and changes have been made, including all those resulting from investigations by committees of objections to valuations filed with the commissioner of assessments as provided in this subsection, after which the commissioner of assessments shall prepare the assessment rolls as corrected by the board of assessors and submit them to the board of review not later than the 2nd Monday in October. The person assessed, having been notified of the determination of the board of assessors as required in sub. (4), shall be deemed to have accepted the determination unless the person notifies the commissioner of assessments in writing, within 15 days from the date that the notice of determination was issued under sub. (4), of the desire to present testimony before the board of review. After the board of review has met, the commissioner of assessments may appoint committees of the board of assessors to investigate any objections to the amount or valuation of any real or personal property which have been filed with the commissioner of assessments. The committees may at the direction of the commissioner of assessments report their investigation and recommendations to the board of review and any member of any such committee shall be a competent witness in any hearing before the board of review.

70.07(7) (7) This section shall not apply to a city of the 1st class after it has come under a county assessor system.

70.07 History History: 1973 c. 90; 1977 c. 29 s. 1647 (8), (16); 1977 c. 273; 1979 c. 34 s. 2102 (46) (b); 1979 c. 95 ss. 2, 4; 1979 c. 176; 1983 a. 192, 220; 1991 a. 156, 316; 2001 a. 103; 2005 a. 49.

70.075 70.075 Functions of board of assessors in cities of the 2nd class.

70.075(1) (1) In cities of the 2nd class the common council may by ordinance provide that objections to property tax assessments shall be processed through a board of assessors. In such cases, the city assessor shall publish a class 3 notice, under ch. 985, that on the days named in the notice, the assessments for the city will be open for examination by the taxable inhabitants of the city. On the 2nd Monday of May the city assessor shall call together all of the members of the board of assessors as created in sub. (2) and they, together with the city assessors, shall constitute an assessment board.

70.075(2) (2) In cities of the 2nd class which have elected to have a board of assessors, the board shall have at least 3 members and no more than 7 members, and shall consist of the city assessor, assistant assessors, appraisers or other expert technical personnel appointed by the city assessor and approved by the common council.

70.075(3) (3) To the end that all valuations throughout the city shall be made on a uniform basis, such board of assessors, under the direction and supervision of the city assessor, shall compare the valuations so secured, making all necessary corrections and all other just and necessary changes to arrive at the true value of property within the city. The city assessor may direct that all objections to valuations filed with the city assessor in writing, in the manner provided in s. 70.47 (13) [s. 70.47 (16)], shall be investigated by the board.

70.075 Note NOTE: The correct cross-reference is shown in brackets. Corrective legislation is pending.

70.075(4) (4) The concurrence of a majority of the board of assessors is necessary to determine any matter upon which the city assessor requires it to act. No notice need be given to the owners of the property assessed of any corrections or changes in assessments which are made prior to the day or days fixed in the notice specified under sub. (1) on which the assessments are to be open for examination, but any changes made thereafter and before the assessment roll is delivered to the board of review can only be made upon notice by 1st class mail to the person assessed if a resident of the city or, if a nonresident, an agent if there is one resident in the city or, if neither, the possessor of the property assessed if any, if the residence of the owner, agent or possessor is known to any member of the board of assessors.

70.075(5) (5) The city assessor may provide for committees of the board of assessors to make investigations including the investigations mentioned in sub. (3) and perform such other duties as may be prescribed. The city assessor shall chair the board of assessors, and may appoint as a member or chairperson of the various committees, himself or herself, an assistant assessor, or other officer or employee in the office of the city assessor.

70.075(6) (6) The board of assessors shall remain in session until all corrections and changes have been made, including all those resulting from investigations by committees of objections to valuations filed with the city assessor as provided in this section, after which the city assessor shall prepare the assessment rolls as corrected by the board of assessors and submit them to the board of review not later than the last Monday in July. A person assessed who has been notified of the determination of the board of assessors as required in sub. (4) is deemed to have accepted such determination unless the person notifies the city assessor in writing, within 15 days from the date that the notice of determination was issued under sub. (4), of a desire to present testimony before the board of review. After the board of review meets, the city assessor may appoint committees of the board of assessors to investigate any objections to the amount or valuation of any real or personal property which are referred to the city assessor by the board of review. The committees so appointed may at the city assessor’s direction report their investigation and recommendations to the board of review and any member of any such committee shall be a competent witness in any hearing before the board of review.

70.075(7) (7) This section does not apply to a city of the 2nd class if it is contained within a county which adopts a county assessor system under s. 70.99.

70.075 History History: 1977 c. 29; 1981 c. 20; 2005 a. 49.

70.08 70.08 Assessment district. The term “assessment district” is used to designate any subdivision of territory, whether the whole or any part of any municipality, in which by law a separate assessment of taxable property is made by an assessor or assessors elected or appointed therefor except that in cities of the first class such districts may be referred to as administrative districts.

70.09 70.09 Official real property lister; forms for officers.

70.09(1) (1) Lister, county boards may provide for. Any county board may appoint a county real property lister and may appropriate funds for the operation of the department of such lister.

70.09(2) (2) Duties of lister. The county board may delegate any of the following duties to the lister:

70.09(2)(a) (a) To prepare and maintain accurate ownership and description information for all parcels of real property in the county. That information may include the following:

70.09(2)(a)1. 1. Parcel numbers.

70.09(2)(a)2. 2. The owner’s name and an accurate legal description as shown on the latest records of the office of the register of deeds.

70.09(2)(a)3. 3. The owner’s mailing address.

70.09(2)(a)4. 4. The number of acres in the parcel if it contains more than one acre.

70.09(2)(a)5. 5. School district and special purpose district codes.

70.09(2)(b) (b) To provide information on parcels of real property in the county for the use of taxation district assessors, city, village and town clerks and treasurers and county offices and any other persons requiring that information.

70.09(2)(c) (c) To serve as the coordinator between the county and the taxation districts in the county for assessment and taxation purposes.

70.09(2)(d) (d) To provide computer services related to assessment and taxation for the assessors, clerks and treasurers of the taxation districts in the county, including but not limited to data entry for the assessment roll, notice of assessments, summary reports, tax roll and tax bills.

70.09(3) (3) Basic tax forms.

70.09(3)(a) (a) The department of revenue shall prescribe basic uniform forms of assessment rolls, tax rolls, tax bills, tax receipts, tax roll settlement sheets and all other forms required for the assessment and collection of general property taxes throughout the state, and shall furnish each county designee a sample of the uniform forms.

70.09(3)(c) (c) If any county has reason to use forms for assessment and collection of taxes in addition to those prescribed under par. (a), the county real property lister and treasurer jointly may prescribe such additional forms for use in their county, upon approval of the department of revenue.

70.09(3)(d) (d) Each county designee who requires the forms prescribed in pars. (a) and (c) shall procure them at county expense and shall furnish such forms to the assessors, clerks and treasurers of the taxation districts within the county, as needed in the discharge of their duties.

70.09 History History: 1977 c. 142; 1983 a. 275; 1985 a. 12 ss. 2, 3, 13; 1991 a. 204; 1995 a. 225.

70.095 70.095 Assessment roll; time-share property. For the purpose of time-share property, as defined in s. 707.02 (32), a time-share instrument, as defined in s. 707.02 (28), shall provide a method for allocating real property taxes among the time-share owners, as defined in s. 707.02 (31), and a method for giving notice of an assessment and the amount of property tax to the owners. Only one entry shall be made on the assessment roll for each building unit within the time-share property, which entry shall consist of the cumulative real property value of all time-share interests in the unit.

70.095 History History: 1983 a. 432; 1985 a. 188 s. 16; 1987 a. 399.

70.10 70.10 Assessment, when made, exemption. The assessor shall assess all taxable property as of the close of January 1 of each year. Except in cities of the 1st class and 2nd class cities that have a board of assessors under s. 70.075, the assessment shall be finally completed before the first Monday in April. All real property conveyed by condemnation or in any other manner to the state, any county, city, village or town by gift, purchase, tax deed or power of eminent domain before January 2 in such year shall not be included in the assessment. Assessment of manufacturing property subject to s. 70.995 shall be made according to that section.

70.10 History History: 1973 c. 90; 1977 c. 29; 1981 c. 20; 2023 a. 12.

70.10 Annotation Nothing in this section requires a property to be classified based on its actual use or prevents an assessor from considering a property’s most likely use. West Capitol, Inc. v. Village of Sister Bay, 2014 WI App 52, 354 Wis. 2d 130, 848 N.W.2d 875, 13-1458.

70.109 70.109 Presumption of taxability. Exemptions under this chapter shall be strictly construed in every instance with a presumption that the property in question is taxable, and the burden of proof is on the person who claims the exemption.

70.109 History History: 1997 a. 237.

70.109 Annotation Exemption from payment of taxes is an act of legislative grace; the party seeking the exemption bears the burden of proving entitlement. Exemptions are only allowed to the extent the plain language of a statute permits. For tax exemptions to be valid, they must be clear and express, and not extended by implication. In construing tax exemptions, courts apply a strict but reasonable construction resolving any doubts regarding the exemption in favor of taxability. United Rentals, Inc. v. City of Madison, 2007 WI App 131, 302 Wis. 2d 245, 733 N.W.2d 322, 05-1440.

70.11 70.11 Property exempted from taxation. The property described in this section is exempted from general property taxes if the property is exempt under sub. (1), (2), (18), (21), (27) or (30); if it was exempt for the previous year and its use, occupancy or ownership did not change in a way that makes it taxable; if the property was taxable for the previous year, the use, occupancy or ownership of the property changed in a way that makes it exempt and its owner, on or before March 1, files with the assessor of the taxation district where the property is located a form that the department of revenue prescribes or if the property did not exist in the previous year and its owner, on or before March 1, files with the assessor of the taxation district where the property is located a form that the department of revenue prescribes. Except as provided in subs. (3m) (c), (4) (b), (4a) (f), and (4d), leasing a part of the property described in this section does not render it taxable if the lessor uses all of the leasehold income for maintenance of the leased property or construction debt retirement of the leased property, or both, and, except for residential housing, if the lessee would be exempt from taxation under this chapter if it owned the property. Any lessor who claims that leased property is exempt from taxation under this chapter shall, upon request by the tax assessor, provide records relating to the lessor’s use of the income from the leased property. Property exempted from general property taxes is:

70.11(1) (1) Property of the state. Property owned by this state except land contracted to be sold by the state. This exemption shall not apply to land conveyed after September, 1933, to this state or for its benefit while the grantor or others for the grantor’s benefit are permitted to occupy the land or part thereof in consideration for the conveyance; nor shall it apply to land devised to the state or for its benefit while another person is permitted by the will to occupy the land or part thereof. This exemption shall not apply to any property acquired by the department of veterans affairs under s. 45.32 (5) and (7), 2017 stats., or to the property of insurers undergoing rehabilitation or liquidation under ch. 645. Property exempt under this subsection includes general property owned by the state and leased to a private, nonprofit corporation that operates a national ice training center, regardless of the use of the leasehold income.

70.11(2) (2) Municipal property and property of certain districts, exception. Property owned by any county, city, village, town, school district, technical college district, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, metropolitan sewerage district, municipal water district created under s. 198.22, joint local water authority created under s. 66.0823, regional planning commission created under s. 66.0309, long-term care district under s. 46.2895, or town sanitary district; lands belonging to cities of any other state used for public parks; land tax-deeded to any county or city before January 2; but any residence located upon property owned by the county for park purposes that is rented out by the county for a nonpark purpose shall not be exempt from taxation. Except as to land acquired under s. 59.84 (2) (d), this exemption shall not apply to land conveyed after August 17, 1961, to any such governmental unit or for its benefit while the grantor or others for his or her benefit are permitted to occupy the land or part thereof in consideration for the conveyance. The exemption under this subsection applies to the property of a regional planning commission that the commission owned prior to October 1, 2021. If a regional planning commission subsequently sells property exempt from taxation under this subsection, the exemption applies to property purchased and owned by the commission if the total size of all property owned by the commission is substantially similar in size to the total property owned by the commission prior to October 1, 2021. Any property of the regional planning commission in excess of that size restriction is subject to taxation under this chapter. Leasing the property exempt under this subsection, regardless of the lessee and the use of the leasehold income, does not render that property taxable.

70.11(2m) (2m) Property leased or subleased to school districts. All of the property that is owned or leased by a corporation, organization or association that is exempt from federal income taxation under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code if all of that property is leased or subleased to a school district for no or nominal consideration for use by an educational institution that offers regular courses for 6 months in a year.

70.11(3) (3) Colleges and universities.

70.11(3)(a) (a)

70.11(3)(a)1. 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., grounds of any incorporated college or university, not exceeding 80 acres.

70.11(3)(a)2. 2. Grounds of any incorporated college or university, not exceeding 150 acres, if the college or university satisfies all of the following criteria:

70.11(3)(a)2.a. a. It is a nonprofit organization.

70.11(3)(a)2.b. b. It was founded before January 1, 1900.

70.11(3)(a)2.c. c. Its total annual undergraduate enrollment is at least 5,000 students, not including students receiving online instruction only.

70.11(3)(b) (b) The fact that college or university officers, faculty members, teachers, students or employees live on the grounds does not render them taxable. In addition to the exemption of leased property specified in the introductory phrase of this section, a university or college may also lease property for educational or charitable purposes without making it taxable if it uses the income derived from the lease for charitable purposes.

70.11(3)(c) (c) All buildings, equipment and leasehold interests in lands described in s. 36.06, 1971 stats., and s. 37.02 (3), 1971 stats.

70.11(3a) (3a) Buildings at the Wisconsin Veterans homes. All buildings, equipment and leasehold interests in lands described in s. 45.03 (5).

70.11(3m) (3m) Student housing facilities.

70.11(3m)(a) (a) All real and personal property of a housing facility, not including a housing facility owned or used by a university fraternity or sorority, college fraternity or sorority, or high school fraternity or sorority, for which all of the following applies:

70.11(3m)(a)1. 1. The facility is owned by a nonprofit organization.

70.11(3m)(a)2. 2. At least 90 percent of the facility’s residents are students enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the facility houses no more than 300 such students.

70.11(3m)(a)3. 3. The facility offers support services and outreach programs to its residents, the public or private institution of higher education at which the student residents are enrolled, and the public.

70.11(3m)(a)4. 4. The facility is in existence and meets the requirements of this subsection on July 2, 2013, except that, if the facility is located in a municipally designated landmark, the facility is in existence and meets the requirements of this subsection on September 30, 2014.

70.11(3m)(b) (b) If a nonprofit organization owns more than one housing facility, as described under par. (a), the exemption applies to only one facility, at one location.

70.11(3m)(c) (c) Leasing a part of the property described in this subsection does not render it taxable if the lessor uses the leasehold income only for the following:

70.11(3m)(c)1. 1. Maintenance of the leased property.

70.11(3m)(c)2. 2. Construction debt retirement of the leased property.

70.11(3m)(c)3. 3. The purposes for which the exemption under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code is granted to the nonprofit organization that owns the facility.

70.11(4) (4) Educational, religious and benevolent institutions; women’s clubs; historical societies; fraternities; libraries.

70.11(4)(a) (a)

70.11(4)(a)1. 1. Property owned and used exclusively by educational institutions offering regular courses 6 months in the year; or by churches or religious, educational or benevolent associations, or by a nonprofit entity that is operated as a facility that is licensed, certified, or registered under ch. 50, including benevolent nursing homes but not including an organization that is organized under s. 185.981 or ch. 611, 613 or 614 and that offers a health maintenance organization as defined in s. 609.01 (2) or a limited service health organization as defined in s. 609.01 (3) or an organization that is issued a certificate of authority under ch. 618 and that offers a health maintenance organization or a limited service health organization and not including property owned by any nonstock, nonprofit corporation which services guaranteed student loans for others or on its own account, and also including property owned and used for housing for pastors and their ordained assistants, members of religious orders and communities, and ordained teachers, whether or not contiguous to and a part of other property owned and used by such associations or churches, and also including property described under par. (b); or by women’s clubs; or by domestic, incorporated historical societies; or by domestic, incorporated, free public library associations; or by fraternal societies operating under the lodge system (except university, college and high school fraternities and sororities), but not exceeding 10 acres of land necessary for location and convenience of buildings while such property is not used for profit. Property owned by churches or religious associations necessary for location and convenience of buildings, used for educational purposes and not for profit, shall not be subject to the 10-acre limitation but shall be subject to a 30-acre limitation. Property that is exempt from taxation under this subsection and is leased remains exempt from taxation only if, in addition to the requirements specified in the introductory phrase of this section, the lessee does not discriminate on the basis of race.

70.11(4)(a)2. 2. For purposes of subd. 1., beginning with the property tax assessments as of January 1, 2018, property owned by a church or religious association necessary for location and convenience of buildings includes property necessary for the location and convenience of a building that the church or religious association intends to construct to replace a building destroyed by fire, natural disaster, or criminal act, regardless of whether preconstruction planning or construction has begun. This subdivision applies only for the first 25 years after the year in which the building is destroyed.

70.11(4)(b) (b)

70.11(4)(b)1. 1. Leasing a part of property described in par. (a) that is owned and operated by a nonprofit organization as a facility that is licensed, certified, or registered under ch. 50, as residential housing, does not render the property taxable, regardless of how the lessor uses the leasehold income.

70.11(4)(b)2. 2. Leasing a part of property described in par. (a) that is occupied by one or more individuals with permanent disabilities for whom evidence is available that demonstrates that such individuals meet the medical definition of permanent disability used to determine eligibility for programs administered by the federal social security administration, as residential housing, does not render the property taxable, regardless of how the lessor uses the leasehold income.

70.11(4)(b)3. 3. Leasing all or part of property described in par. (a) that is owned by a church or religious association or institution to an educational association or institution exempt under par. (a) does not render the property taxable, regardless of how the lessor uses the leasehold income.

70.11(4a) (4a) Benevolent low-income housing.

70.11(4a)(a) (a) Property owned by a nonprofit entity that is a benevolent association and used as low-income housing, including all common areas of a low-income housing project. Property used for a low-income housing project, including other low-income housing projects under common control with such project, and exempt under this subsection may not exceed 30 acres necessary for the location and convenience of buildings or 10 contiguous acres in any one municipality.

70.11(4a)(b) (b) For purposes of this subsection, “low-income housing” means any housing project described in sub. (4b) or any residential unit within a low-income housing project that is occupied by a low-income or very low-income person or is vacant and is only available to such persons.

70.11(4a)(c) (c) For purposes of this subsection, “low-income housing project” means a residential housing project for which all of the following apply:

70.11(4a)(c)1. 1. At least 75 percent of the residential units are occupied by low-income or very low-income persons or are vacant and available only to low-income or very low-income persons.

70.11(4a)(c)2. 2. At least one of the following applies:

70.11(4a)(c)2.a. a. At least 20 percent of the residential units are rented to persons who are very low-income persons or are vacant and are only available to such persons.

70.11(4a)(c)2.b. b. At least 40 percent of the residential units are rented to persons whose income does not exceed 120 percent of the very low-income limit or are vacant and only available to such persons.

70.11(4a)(d) (d) For purposes of this subsection, low-income persons and very low-income persons shall be determined in accordance with the income limits published by the federal department of housing and urban development for low-income and very low-income families under the National Housing Act of 1937.

70.11(4a)(e) (e) For purposes of this subsection, all properties included within the same federal department of housing and urban development contract or within the same federal department of agriculture, rural development, contract are considered to be one low-income housing project.

70.11(4a)(f) (f) Leasing property that is exempt from taxation under this subsection or sub. (4b) as low-income housing does not render it taxable, regardless of how the leasehold income is used.