Chapter 70

70.395(2)(dc)4. 4. Six months after the signing of a local agreement under s. 293.41 or 295.443 for the proposed mine for which the payment is made, the board shall refund any funds paid under this paragraph but not distributed under par. (fm) from the investment and local impact fund to the person making the payment under this paragraph.

70.395(2)(dg) (dg) Each person constructing a metalliferous mining site shall pay to the department of revenue for deposit in the investment and local impact fund, as a construction fee, an amount sufficient to make the construction period payments under par. (d) 5. in respect to that site. Any person paying a construction fee under this paragraph may credit against taxes due under s. 70.375 an amount equal to the payments that the taxpayer has made under this paragraph, provided that the credit does not reduce the taxpayer’s liability under s. 70.375 below the amount needed to make the first-dollar payments under par. (d) 1., 2. and 2m. for that year in respect to the taxpayer’s mine. Any amount not creditable because of that limitation in any year may be carried forward.

70.395(2)(e) (e) If the appropriations under ss. 20.566 (7) (e) and (v) in any year are insufficient to make all payments under par. (d), full payments shall be made in the order listed in subds. 1. to 4., except that construction period payments under par. (d) 5. for which a person mining has made a construction fee payment under par. (dg) shall be made first. If funds are insufficient to pay the full amounts payable at a particular priority level listed in subds. 1. to 4., payments shall be prorated among the entities entitled to payments at that level:

70.395(2)(e)1. 1. Payments under par. (d) 1., 2. and 2m.

70.395(2)(e)2. 2. Payments under par. (d) 1m.

70.395(2)(e)3. 3. Payments under par. (d) 4.

70.395(2)(e)4. 4. Mining permit application payments under par. (d) 5.

70.395(2)(f) (f) A school district may apply to the board for payments from the fund in an amount equal to the school district’s nonshared costs. If the board finds that the school district has incurred costs attributable to enrollment resulting from the development and operation of metalliferous mineral mining and if the board and the school board of the school district reach an agreement on a payment schedule, the board shall certify to the department of administration for payment to the school district an amount equal to all or part of the nonshared costs of the school district in the year in which the initial agreement was reached. The board and the school district may, by mutual consent, modify the provisions of the agreement at any time. The payment shall be considered a nondeductible receipt for the purposes of s. 121.07 (6). In this paragraph, “nonshared costs” means the amount of the school district’s principal and interest payments on long-term indebtedness and annual capital outlay for the current school year, which is not shared under s. 121.07 (6) (a) or other nonshared costs and which is attributable to enrollment increases resulting from the development of metalliferous mineral mining operations.

70.395(2)(fm) (fm) The board may distribute a payment received under par. (dc) to a county, town, village, city, tribal government or local impact committee authorized under s. 293.41 (3) or 295.443 only for legal counsel, qualified technical experts in the areas of transportation, utilities, economic and social impacts, environmental impacts and municipal services and other reasonable and necessary expenses incurred by the recipient that directly relate to the good faith negotiation of a local agreement under s. 293.41 or 295.443 for the proposed mine for which the payment is made.

70.395(2)(g) (g) The board may distribute the revenues received under sub. (1e) or proceeds thereof in accordance with par. (h) for the following purposes, with a preference to private sector economic development projects under subd. 3., as the board determines necessary:

70.395(2)(g)1. 1. Protective services, such as police and fire services associated with the construction and operation of the mine site.

70.395(2)(g)2. 2. Highways, as defined in s. 990.01 (12), repaired or constructed as a consequence of the construction and operation of the mine site.

70.395(2)(g)3. 3. Studies and projects for local private sector economic development.

70.395(2)(g)4. 4. Monitoring the effects of the mining operation on the environment.

70.395(2)(g)5. 5. Extraordinary community facilities and services provided as a result of mining activity.

70.395(2)(g)6. 6. Legal counsel and technical consultants to represent and assist municipalities appearing before state agencies on matters relating to metalliferous mineral mining.

70.395(2)(g)7. 7. Other expenses associated with the construction, operation, cessation of operation or closure of the mine site.

70.395(2)(g)8. 8. The preparation of areawide community service plans for municipalities applying for funds under par. (h) which identify social, economic, educational and environmental impacts associated with mining and set forth a plan for minimizing the impacts.

70.395(2)(g)9. 9. Provision of educational services in a school district.

70.395(2)(g)10. 10. Expenses attributable to a permanent or temporary closing of a mine including the cost of providing retraining and other educational programs designed to assist displaced workers in finding new employment opportunities and the cost of operating any job placement referral programs connected with the curtailment of mining operations in any area of this state.

70.395(2)(h) (h) Distribution under par. (g) shall be as follows:

70.395(2)(h)1. 1. Distribution shall first be made to those municipalities in which metalliferous minerals are extracted or were extracted within 3 years previous to December 31 of the current year, or in which a permit has been issued under s. 293.49 or 295.58 to commence mining;

70.395(2)(h)2. 2. Distribution shall next be made to those municipalities adjacent to municipalities in which metalliferous minerals are extracted or were extracted more than 3 years, but less than 7 years previous to December 31 of the current year;

70.395(2)(h)3. 3. Distribution shall next be made to those municipalities which are not adjacent to municipalities in which metalliferous minerals are extracted and in which metalliferous minerals are not extracted.

70.395(2)(hg) (hg) The board shall, by rule, establish fiscal guidelines and accounting procedures for the use of payments under pars. (d), (f), (fm) and (g), sub. (3) and ss. 293.65 (5) and 295.61 (9).

70.395(2)(hr) (hr) The board shall, by rule, establish procedures to recoup payments made, and to withhold payments to be made, under pars. (d), (f), (fm) and (g), sub. (3) and ss. 293.65 (5) and 295.61 (9) for noncompliance with this section or rules adopted under this section.

70.395(2)(hw) (hw) A recipient of a discretionary payment under par. (f) or (g), sub. (3) or ss. 293.65 (5) and 295.61 (9) or any payment under par. (d) that is restricted to mining-related purposes who uses the payment for attorney fees may do so only for the purposes under par. (g) 6. and for processing mining-related permits or other approvals required by the municipality. The board shall recoup or withhold payments that are used or proposed to be used by the recipient for attorney fees except as authorized under this paragraph. The board may not limit the hourly rate of attorney fees for which the recipient uses the payment to a level below the hourly rate that is commonly charged for similar services.

70.395(2)(i) (i) The board may require financial audits of all recipients of payments made under pars. (d) to (g). The board shall require that all funds received under pars. (d) to (g) be placed in a segregated account. The financial audit may be conducted as part of a municipality’s or county’s annual audit, if one is conducted. The cost of the audits shall be paid by the board from the appropriation under s. 20.566 (7) (g).

70.395(2)(j) (j) Prior to the beginning of a fiscal year, the board shall certify to the department of administration for payment from the investment and local impact fund any sum necessary for the department of natural resources to make payments under s. 289.68 (3) for the long-term care of mining waste sites, if moneys in the waste management fund are insufficient to make complete payments during that fiscal year, but this sum may not exceed the balance in the waste management fund at the beginning of that fiscal year or 50 percent of the balance in the investment and local impact fund at the beginning of that fiscal year, whichever amount is greater.

70.395(2)(k) (k) Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, the board shall certify to the department of administration for payment from the investment and local impact fund any sum necessary for the department of natural resources to make payments under s. 292.31 for the environmental repair of mining waste sites, if moneys in the environmental fund that are available for environmental repair are insufficient to make complete payments during that fiscal year. This sum may not exceed the balance in the environmental fund at the beginning of that fiscal year or 50 percent of the balance in the investment and local impact fund at the beginning of that fiscal year, whichever amount is greater.

70.395(3) (3) Federal revenue distribution. The investment and local impact fund board shall distribute federal mining revenue received by the state from the sales, bonuses, royalties and rentals of federal public lands located within the state. The distribution of such federal revenues by the board shall give priority to those municipalities socially or economically impacted by mining on such federal lands and shall be used for planning, construction and maintenance of public facilities or provision of public services. The funds distributed under this subsection may be used only for mining-related purposes.

70.395 History History: 1977 c. 31, 185, 423; 1979 c. 34 s. 2102 (46) (c); 1979 c. 63; 1979 c. 175 s. 53; 1981 c. 86 ss. 27 to 36, 71; 1981 c. 374 s. 150; 1983 a. 27 ss. 1184u to 1185r, 2202 (38) and (45); 1983 a. 410 ss. 22, 2202 (38); 1985 a. 29 ss. 1214s to 1214z, 3200 (46) (a); 1985 a. 332 s. 253; 1987 a. 399; 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 39, 259; 1995 a. 27, 227; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 32; 2013 a. 1; 2021 a. 240 s. 30.

70.395 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. Tax 13, Wis. adm. code.

70.395 Annotation The legislature has vested the Investment and Local Impact Fund Board with the power to make discretionary distributions under sub. (2) (g). Kammes v. Wisconsin Mining Investment & Local Impact Fund Board, 115 Wis. 2d 144, 340 N.W.2d 206 (Ct. App. 1983).

70.395 Annotation Grants under this section would not violate the public purpose doctrine and the internal improvements clause of the Wisconsin Constitution. 70 Atty. Gen. 48.

70.396 70.396 Use of metalliferous mining tax payments by counties. Counties receiving payments under s. 70.395 (2) (d) 1. shall expend the funds for any or all of the following uses:

70.396(1) (1) For mining-related purposes.

70.396(2) (2) Funds may be placed in the county mining investment fund for investment by the state investment board or may be placed in a segregated account with a financial institution located in the state. The funds may be withdrawn only at a later date to alleviate impacts associated with the closing of a metalliferous mine in the county or the curtailment of metalliferous mining activity in the county. If a county deposits mining impact funds in the county mining investment fund, withdrawals from the fund shall be subject to the restrictions described under s. 25.65 (4). If a county deposits mining impact funds with a financial institution located in this state, withdrawals made within 10 years of deposit shall be subject to the review and approval of the investment and local impact fund board. The county shall notify the board of withdrawals made 10 years after deposit. The county shall report annually to the impact board any deposits, withdrawals and use of mining impact funds in that year.

70.396(3) (3) A maximum of $25,000 annually may be distributed by a county to any town, city or village in the county where the extraction of metalliferous minerals is occurring.

70.396 History History: 1977 c. 423; 1981 c. 87; 1985 a. 29; 1991 a. 259.

70.3965 70.3965 Fund administrative fee. There is imposed an investment and local impact fund administrative fee on each person that has gross proceeds. On or before July 31 the department shall calculate the fee imposed on each such person by dividing the person’s gross proceeds for the previous year by the total gross proceeds of all persons for that year and by multiplying the resulting fraction by the amount expended under s. 20.566 (7) (g) for the previous fiscal year. Each person who is subject to a fee under this section shall pay that fee on or before August 15.

70.3965 History History: 1995 a. 27.

70.397 70.397 Oil and gas severance tax.

70.397(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

70.397(1)(a) (a) “Department” means the department of revenue.

70.397(1)(b) (b) “Market value” means the sales price or market value of oil or gas at the mouth of the well, except that if the oil or gas is exchanged for something other than cash, if there is no sale between the time of severance and the due date of the tax or if the department determines that the oil or gas was not sold in an arm’s length transaction, “market value” means the value determined by the department based upon a consideration of the sales price of oil or gas of similar quality.

70.397(1)(c) (c) “Producer” means any person owning, controlling, managing or leasing any oil or gas property, any person who severs oil or gas from the soil or water and any person owning a royalty or other interest in oil or gas.

70.397(2) (2) Imposition. A severance tax is imposed upon each producer who severs oil or gas from the soil or water of this state. The amount of the tax is 7 percent of the market value of the total production of oil or gas during the previous year. If more than one producer severs oil or gas at a location, the tax imposed under this section is levied upon the producers of oil or gas in the proportion of their ownership at the time of severance but shall be paid by the person in charge of the production operation, who may deduct the amount of tax imposed upon a producer from the payments due that producer.

70.397(3) (3) Reports; administration.

70.397(3)(a) (a) Sections 70.38 (1), 70.385 and 70.39, as they apply to the tax under s. 70.375 (2m), apply to the tax under this section. If a producer severs oil or gas from more than one location in this state, the producer shall submit a report for each location separately.

70.397(3)(b) (b) Sections 71.74 (2), (9), (11), (14) and (15), 71.77, 71.78, 71.80 (6), 71.83 (1) (a) 1. and 2. and (2) (a) 2. and 3. and 71.85 (2), as they apply to the taxes under ch. 71, apply to the tax under this section.

70.397(3)(c) (c) Any person feeling aggrieved by an assessment notice under this section may, within 60 days after receipt of the notice, file with the department a petition for redetermination setting forth the person’s objections to the assessment. In the petition, the person may request an informal conference with representatives of the department. The secretary of revenue shall act on the petition within 90 days after receipt of the petition for redetermination. If the person is aggrieved by the secretary’s denial of the petition, the person may appeal to the tax appeals commission if the appeal is filed with the commission within 30 days after the petition is denied.

70.397(3)(d) (d) No petition for redetermination may be filed, acted upon or appealed unless the tax objected to is paid by the due date.

70.397(3)(e) (e) The department shall administer the tax under this section.

70.397 History History: 1991 a. 262.

70.40 70.40 Occupational tax on iron ore concentrates.

70.40(1) (1) Every person operating an iron ore concentrates dock in this state shall on or before January 31 of each year pay an annual occupational tax equal to 5 cents per ton upon all iron ore concentrates handled by or over the dock during the year ending on the December 31 which is 2 years prior to the payment due date. In this section “dock” means a wharf or platform for the loading or unloading of materials to or from ships.

70.40(2) (2) Every person on whom a tax is imposed by sub. (1) shall, on May 1 of each year, furnish to the assessor of the town, city or village in which the dock is situated, a full and true list or statement of all iron ore concentrates received or handled by the person during the year ending on April 30 of such year. Beginning in 1979, the list shall be furnished on February 1 and apply to the year ending on the preceding December 31. Any such person who willfully fails or refuses to furnish the list or statement or who knowingly makes or furnishes a false or incorrect list or statement, shall be fined not exceeding $1,000.

70.40(3) (3) The tax provided for in this section shall be separately assessed to the person chargeable therewith by the assessor and shall be included in the assessment roll annually submitted by the assessor to the town, village or city clerk and shall be entered by the clerk on the tax roll. The tax is a special tax under ch. 74 and shall be deductible from gross income for income or franchise tax purposes as personal property taxes are deductible by corporations in computing net income under s. 71.26 (2). Taxes collected under this section shall be divided as follows: 30 percent to the state general fund and 70 percent to the town, city or village in which the taxes are collected, which shall be remitted and accounted for in the same manner as the state and county taxes collected from property are remitted and paid.

70.40(4) (4) If the assessor or board of review has reason to believe that the list or statement made by any person is incorrect, or when any such person fails or refuses to furnish a list or statement as required by law, the assessor or board of review shall place on the assessment roll such assessment against the person as they deem true and just. If such change or assessment is made by the assessor, the assessor shall give written notice of the amount of the assessment at least 6 days before the first or some adjourned meeting of the board of review. If such change or assessment is made by the board of review, notice shall be given in time to allow the person to appear and be heard before the board of review in relation to the assessment. Notice may be served as a circuit court summons is served or by registered mail.

70.40(5) (5) All laws not in conflict with this section relating to the assessment, collection and payment of personal property taxes and the correction of errors in assessment and tax rolls, shall apply to the tax imposed in this section.

70.40 History History: 1977 c. 29, 418; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 27; 1987 a. 312 s. 17; 1987 a. 378, 403; 1991 a. 39.

70.40 Annotation Imposition by a city of a tax under this section was precluded by federal law as being discriminatory against railroads. Burlington Northern R.R. v. City of Superior, 932 F.2d 1185 (1991).

70.42 70.42 Occupation tax on coal.

70.42(1) (1) Every person operating a coal dock in this state, other than a dock used solely in connection with an industry and handling no coal except that consumed by the industry, shall on or before January 31 of each year pay an annual occupation tax of a sum equal to 5 cents per ton upon all bituminous and subbituminous coal, coke and briquettes, and upon all petroleum carbon, coke and briquettes, and 7 cents per ton upon all anthracite coal, coke and briquettes handled by or over such coal dock, during the preceding year ending April 30 except that as of December 15, 1979, such tax shall apply to the year ending on the December 31 which is 2 years prior to the payment due date. Such coal, petroleum carbon, coke and briquettes shall be exempt from all other taxation, either state or municipal.

70.42(2) (2) Every person on whom a tax is imposed by sub. (1) shall on February 1 of each year furnish to the assessor of the town, city or village within which the coal dock is situated, a full and true list or statement of all coal, specifying the respective amounts and different kinds, received in or on, or handled by or over the coal dock during the year immediately preceding January 1 of the year in which the list or statement is to be made. Any operator of a coal dock who fails or refuses to furnish the list or statement or who knowingly makes or furnishes a false or incorrect list or statement, shall be fined not exceeding $1,000.

70.42(3) (3) The tax provided for in this section shall be separately assessed to the person chargeable therewith by the assessor and shall be included in the assessment roll annually submitted by the assessor to the town, village or city clerk and shall be entered by the clerk on the tax roll. The tax is a special tax under ch. 74 and when paid shall be deductible from gross income for income or franchise tax purposes as personal property taxes are deductible by corporations in computing net income under s. 71.26 (2). Taxes collected under this section shall be divided as follows: 10 percent to the state, 20 percent to the county, and 70 percent to the town, city or village in which the taxes are collected, which shall be remitted and accounted for in the same manner as the state and county taxes collected from property are remitted and paid.

70.42(4) (4) If the assessor or board of review has reason to believe that the list or statement made by any person is incorrect, or when any such person has failed or refused to furnish a list or statement as required by law, the assessor or board of review shall place on the assessment roll such taxes against such person as they deem true and just, and in case such change or assessment is made by the assessor, the assessor shall give written notice of the amount of such assessment at least 6 days before the first or some adjourned meeting of the board of review; in case such change or assessment is made by the board of review, notice shall be given in time to allow such person to appear and be heard before the board of review in relation to said assessment; said notice may be served as a circuit court summons is served or by registered mail.

70.42(5) (5) All laws not in conflict with this section relating to the assessment, collection and payment of personal property taxes, the correction of errors in assessment and tax rolls, shall apply to the tax imposed under this section.

70.42 History History: 1977 c. 29; 1979 c. 89; 1987 a. 27; 1987 a. 312 s. 17; 1987 a. 378, 403; 1991 a. 39.

70.421 70.421 Occupational tax on petroleum and petroleum products refined in this state.

70.421(1) (1) Every person operating a crude oil refinery in this state, shall on or before January 31 of each year pay an annual occupation tax of a sum equal to 5 cents per ton upon all crude oil handled during the preceding year ending April 30 except that as of December 15, 1979, such tax shall apply to the year ending the December 31 which is 2 years prior to the payment due date. All such crude oil so handled and all petroleum products refined therefrom, in the possession of the refinery, shall be exempt from all personal property taxation, either state or municipal.

70.421(2) (2) Every person on whom a tax is imposed by sub. (1) shall on February 1 of each year furnish to the assessor of the town, city or village within which the refinery is situated, a full and true list or statement of all crude oil handled and all petroleum products refined specifying the respective amounts and different kinds, refined by the refinery during the year immediately preceding January 1 of the year in which the list or statement is to be made. Any operator of a refinery who fails or refuses to furnish the list or statement or who knowingly makes or furnishes a false or incorrect list or statement, shall be fined not exceeding $1,000.

70.421(3) (3) The tax provided for shall be separately assessed to the person chargeable therewith by the assessor and shall be included in the assessment roll annually submitted by such assessor to the town, village or city clerk and shall be entered by said clerk on the tax roll. Such tax shall be paid and collected in the taxing district where such refinery is situated, and shall be deductible from gross income for income or franchise tax purposes in the same manner as personal property taxes are deductible by corporations in computing net income under s. 71.26 (2). Such tax is a special tax under ch. 74 and the entire proceeds of such tax shall be retained by such taxing district.

70.421(4) (4) If the assessor or board of review has reason to believe that the list or statement made by any person is incorrect, or when any such person has failed or refused to furnish a list or statement as required by law, the assessor or board of review shall place on the assessment roll such taxes against such person as the assessor or board of review deems true and just, and in case such change or assessment is made by the assessor, the assessor shall give written notice of the amount of such assessment at least 6 days before the first or some adjourned meeting of the board of review; in case such change or assessment is made by the board of review, notice shall be given in time to allow such person to appear and be heard before the board of review in relation to said assessment; said notice may be served as a circuit court summons is served or by registered mail.

70.421(5) (5) All laws not in conflict with this section relating to the assessment, collection and payment of personal property taxes and the correction of errors in assessment and tax rolls, shall apply to the tax herein imposed.

70.421(6) (6) This section shall apply to the year ending April 30, 1957, and subsequent years.

70.421 History History: 1977 c. 29; 1979 c. 89; 1987 a. 27; 1987 a. 312 s. 17; 1987 a. 378, 403; 1991 a. 39, 316.

70.43 70.43 Correction of errors by assessors.

70.43(1) (1) In this section, “palpable error” means an error under s. 74.33 (1).

70.43(2) (2) If the assessor discovers a palpable error in the assessment of a tract of real estate or an item of personal property, for personal property assessments made before January 1, 2024, that results in the tract or property having an inaccurate assessment for the preceding year, the assessor shall correct that error by adding to or subtracting from the assessment for the preceding year. The result shall be the true assessed value of the property for the preceding year. The assessor shall make a marginal note of the correction on that year’s assessment roll.

70.43(3) (3) The dollar amount of the adjustment determined in the correction under sub. (2) shall be referred to the board of review and, if certified by that board, shall be entered in a separate section of the current assessment roll, as prescribed by the department of revenue, and shall be used to determine the amount of additional taxes to be collected or taxes to be refunded. The dollar amount of the adjustment may be appealed to the board of review in the same manner as other assessments. The taxes to be collected or refunded shall be determined on the basis of the net tax rate of the previous year, taking into account credits under s. 79.10. The taxes to be collected or refunded shall be reflected on the tax roll in the same manner as omitted property under s. 70.44, but any such adjustment may not be carried forward to future years. The governing body of the taxation district shall proceed under s. 74.41.

70.43(4) (4) As soon as practicable, the assessor shall provide written notice of the correction to the person assessed. That notice shall include information regarding that person’s appeal rights to the board of review.

70.43 History History: 1983 a. 300; 1987 a. 378; 1991 a. 39; 2023 a. 12.

70.43 Annotation This section provides a taxpayer with a substantive right and procedure to recover unlawful taxes. IBM Credit Corp. v. Village of Allouez, 188 Wis. 2d 143, 524 N.W.2d 132 (1994).

70.44 70.44 Assessment; property omitted.

70.44(1) (1) Real property omitted from assessment in any of the 2 next previous years or personal property assessments made before January 1, 2024, and omitted from any of the 2 next previous years, unless previously reassessed for the same year or years, shall be entered once additionally for each previous year of such omission, designating each such additional entry as omitted for the year of omission and affixing a just valuation to each entry for a former year as the same should then have been assessed according to the assessor’s best judgment, and taxes shall be apportioned, using the net tax rate as provided in s. 70.43, and collected on the tax roll for such entry. This section shall not apply to manufacturing property assessed by the department of revenue under s. 70.995.

70.44(2) (2) Any property assessment increased by a local board of review under s. 70.511 shall be entered in the assessment roll as prescribed under sub. (1).

70.44(3) (3) As soon as practicable, the assessor shall provide written notice concerning the discovery of property omitted from assessment and concerning that person’s appeal rights to the board of review to the owner of the property.