Chapter 70

70.995(5n)(f) (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.

70.995(6) (6) Prior to February 15 of each year the department of revenue shall notify each municipal assessor of the manufacturing property within the taxation district that, as of that date, will be assessed by the department during the current assessment year.

70.995(7) (7) 

70.995(7)(a) (a) Each manufacturing property assessed by the department of revenue shall be entered on a state manufacturing property assessment roll for each municipality that has manufacturing property as set forth in subs. (1) and (2). Notification of the individual manufacturing property assessments contained in the roll shall be furnished by the department to the municipal clerk.

70.995(7)(b) (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 s. 70.32 (1) of all manufacturing real property in this state.

70.995(8) (8) 

70.995(8)(a) (a) The secretary of revenue shall establish a state board of assessors, which shall be comprised of the members of the department of revenue whom the secretary designates. The state board of assessors shall investigate any timely objection filed under par. (c) or (d) if the fee under that paragraph is paid. The state board of assessors, after having made the investigation, shall notify the person assessed or the person’s agent and the appropriate municipality of its determination by 1st class mail or electronic mail. Beginning with objections filed in 1989, the state board of assessors shall make its determination on or before April 1 of the year after the filing. If the determination results in a refund of property taxes paid, the state board of assessors shall include in the determination a finding of whether the refund is due to false or incomplete information supplied by the person assessed. The person assessed or the municipality having been notified of the determination of the state board of assessors shall be deemed to have accepted the determination unless the person or municipality files a petition for review with the clerk of the tax appeals commission as provided in s. 73.01 (5) and the rules of practice promulgated by the commission. If an assessment is reduced by the state board of assessors, the municipality affected may file an appeal seeking review of the reduction, or may, within 30 days after the person assessed files a petition for review, file a cross-appeal, before the tax appeals commission even though the municipality did not file an objection to the assessment with the board. If the board does not overrule a change from assessment under this section to assessment under s. 70.32 (1), the affected municipality may file an appeal before the tax appeals commission. If an assessment is increased by the board, the person assessed may file an appeal seeking review of the increase, or may, within 30 days after the municipality files a petition for review, file a cross-appeal, before the commission even though the person did not file an objection to the assessment with the board.

70.995(8)(b) (b)

70.995(8)(b)1. 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 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 property, the procedures of the tax appeals commission or of the state board of assessors, or the enforcement of delinquent taxes by statutory means.

70.995(8)(b)2. 2. If a municipality files an objection to the amount, valuation, taxability, or change from assessment under this section and the person assessed does not file an objection, the person assessed may file an appeal within 15 days after the municipality’s objection is filed.

70.995(8)(c) (c)

70.995(8)(c)1. 1. All objections to the amount, valuation, taxability, or change from assessment under this section to assessment under s. 70.32 (1) of property shall be first made in writing on a form prescribed by the department of revenue that specifies that the objector shall set forth the reasons for the objection, the objector’s estimate of the correct assessment, and the basis under s. 70.32 (1) for the objector’s estimate of the correct assessment. An objection shall be filed with the state board of assessors within the time prescribed in par. (b) 1. A $200 fee shall be paid when the objection is filed unless a fee has been paid in respect to the same piece of property and that appeal has not been finally adjudicated. The objection is not filed until the fee is paid. Neither the state board of assessors nor the tax appeals commission may waive the requirement that objections be in writing. Persons who own land and improvements to that land may object to the aggregate value of that land and improvements to that land, but no person who owns land and improvements to that land may object only to the valuation of that land or only to the valuation of improvements to that land.

70.995(8)(c)2. 2. A manufacturer who files an objection under subd. 1. may file supplemental information to support the manufacturer’s objection no later than 60 days from the date the objection is filed. The state board of assessors shall notify the municipality in which the manufacturer’s property is located of supplemental information filed by the manufacturer under this subdivision, if the municipality has filed an appeal related to the objection.

70.995(8)(d) (d) A municipality may file an objection with the state board of assessors to the amount, valuation, or taxability under this section or to the change from assessment under this section to assessment under s. 70.32 (1) of a specific property having a situs in the municipality, whether or not the owner of the specific property in question has filed an objection. Objection shall be made on a form prescribed by the department and filed with the board within the time prescribed in par. (b) 1. If the person assessed files an objection and the municipality affected does not file an objection, the municipality affected may file an appeal to that objection within 15 days after the person’s objection is filed. A $200 filing fee shall be paid when the objection is filed unless a fee has been paid in respect to the same piece of property and that appeal has not been finally adjudicated. The objection is not filed until the fee is paid. The board shall forthwith notify the person assessed of the objection filed by the municipality.

70.995(8)(dm) (dm) The department shall refund filing fees paid under par. (c) 1. or (d) if the appeal in respect to the fee is denied because of lack of jurisdiction.

70.995(8)(e) (e) Upon completion of and review by the tax appeals commission and receipt of the statement of assessments required under s. 70.53, the department of revenue shall be responsible for equating all full-value manufacturing property assessments entered in the manufacturing property assessment roll to the general level of assessment of all other property within the individual taxation district. Thereafter, the manufacturing property assessment roll shall be delivered to the municipal clerk and annexed to the municipal assessment roll containing all other property.

70.995(8)(f) (f) No manufacturing property assessment may be reviewed in a proceeding under s. 70.75 or 70.85, but such assessment may be reviewed in reassessment proceedings under s. 70.75 (1).

70.995 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. TA 1, Wis. adm. code.

70.995(9) (9) Any aggrieved party may appeal a determination by the tax appeals commission under sub. (8) to the circuit court for Dane County under s. 73.015 or to the circuit court for the county where the taxpayer’s commercial domicile, as defined in s. 71.01 (1b), is located, where the taxpayer owns other property, or where the taxpayer transacts business in this state.

70.995(10) (10) Municipalities, and counties with a county assessor system, shall have access to all manufacturing property for the purpose of making appraisals of valuation of such property and may employ appraisal personnel, who need not be certified under s. 70.05 (4), for such purpose.

70.995(11) (11) If any county appoints a county assessor under s. 70.99, the department of revenue shall nevertheless assess the property described in subs. (1) and (2) and shall continue to assess such property when required by this section, and the notice to the municipal assessor required by sub. (6) shall, in such case be made directly to the county assessor.

70.995(12) (12) 

70.995(12)(a) (a) The department of revenue shall prescribe a standard manufacturing property report form that shall be submitted annually for each real estate parcel 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.

70.995(12)(b) (b) The department of revenue shall allow an extension to April 1 of the due date for filing the report forms required under par. (a) if a written application for an extension, stating the reason for the request, is filed with the department on or before March 1.

70.995(12)(c) (c) Unless the taxpayer shows that the failure is due to reasonable cause, if a taxpayer fails to file any form required under par. (a) for property that the department of revenue assessed during the previous year by the due date or by any extension of the due date that has been granted, the taxpayer shall pay to the department of revenue a penalty of $25 if the form is filed 1 to 10 days late; $50 or 0.05 percent of the previous year’s assessment, whichever is greater, but not more than $250, if the form is filed 11 to 30 days late; and $100 or 0.1 percent of the previous year’s assessment, whichever is greater, but not more than $750, if the form is filed more than 30 days late. Penalties are due 30 days after they are assessed and are delinquent if not paid on or before that date. The department may refund all or part of any penalty it assesses under this paragraph if it finds reasonable grounds for late filing.

70.995(12)(d) (d) Sections 71.82 (2) (a) and 71.91 (4) to (6), as they apply to the taxes under ch. 71, apply to the penalties under par. (c).

70.995(12m) (12m) Any property assessment increased by the reviewing authority under s. 70.511 shall be entered in the assessment roll as prescribed under sub. (12).

70.995(12r) (12r) The department of revenue shall calculate the value of property that is used in manufacturing, as defined in this section, and that is exempt under s. 70.11 (39) and (39m).

70.995(13) (13) In the sections of this chapter relating to assessment of property, when the property involved is a manufacturing property subject to assessment under this section, the terms “local assessor” or “assessor” shall be deemed to refer also to the department of revenue except as provided in sub. (10).

70.995(14) (14) 

70.995(14)(a) (a) Beginning with the property tax assessments as of January 1, 2003, the department of revenue shall annually impose on each municipality in which manufacturing property is located a fee in an amount that is equal to the equalized value of the manufacturing property located in the municipality multiplied by a rate that is determined annually by the department so that the total amount collected under this paragraph is sufficient to pay for 50 percent of the budgeted costs to the department in the current state fiscal year associated with the assessment of manufacturing property under this section. Except as provided in par. (b), each municipality that is assessed a fee under this paragraph shall collect the amount of the fee as a special charge against the taxable property located in the municipality, except that no municipality may apply the special charge disproportionately to owners of manufacturing property relative to owners of other property.

70.995(14)(b) (b) If the department of revenue does not receive the fee imposed on a municipality under par. (a) by March 31 of each year, the department shall reduce the distribution made to the municipality under s. 79.02 (1) by the amount of the fee.

70.995 History History: 1973 c. 90, 283, 333; 1975 c. 39, 144, 199, 200, 213, 224; 1977 c. 29 ss. 776 to 782, 1646 (3), 1647 (5m), 1656 (38); 1977 c. 31, 142, 272; 1977 c. 300 ss. 7, 8; 1977 c. 328, 377, 418, 447; 1979 c. 34 ss. 883m, 2102 (39) (g); 1979 c. 221; 1981 c. 20; 1983 a. 27; 1983 a. 275 s. 15 (8); 1985 a. 29; 1985 a. 120 s. 3202 (46); 1987 a. 27, 196, 399; 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 39, 269; 1993 a. 307, 391; 1995 a. 227, 408; 1997 a. 35, 237, 250; 1999 a. 32; 2001 a. 16, 109; 2003 a. 33, 170; 2013 a. 20, 54; 2021 a. 1, 239; 2023 a. 12; s. 35.17 correction in (12) (a).

70.995 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also s. Tax 12.10, Wis. adm. code.

70.995 Annotation The board of assessors committed jurisdictional error by disregarding market adjustments that were not disputed during assessment review proceedings. This section does not contravene either the uniform taxation or equal protection clauses. State ex rel. Fort Howard Paper Co. v. Wisconsin Lake District Board of Review, 82 Wis. 2d 491, 263 N.W.2d 178 (1978).

70.995 Annotation If a business does not fit within a category listed in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual under sub. (1) or is not listed under sub. (2), the Property Assessment Manual may be looked to, to determine if property is manufacturing property. The manual provides that the general definition under sub. (1) (a) and (b) is to be considered and supplies three questions to be used in applying the definition. Zip Sort, Inc. v. DOR, 2001 WI App 185, 247 Wis. 2d 295, 634 N.W.2d 99, 00-2824.

70.995 Annotation That the taxpayer was a wholesaler of fresh fruits and vegetables did not mean that its ripening chambers could not qualify as manufacturing property under this section. The 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Manual, and not subsequently revised versions of the manual, must be followed under sub. (2) until the legislature directs otherwise. When the taxpayer’s activities did not fit squarely into a particular SIC Manual category, the commission then reasonably looked to the general definition of manufacturing in the SIC Manual to assist it in classifying the facility. DOR v. A. Gagliano Co., 2005 WI App 170, 284 Wis. 2d 741, 702 N.W.2d 834, 03-3538.