Chapter 71

71.93(6) (6) Written agreement and authority of department. Any state agency wishing to certify debts to the department shall enter into a written agreement with the department prior to any certification of debt. Any certification of debts by a state agency or changes to certified debts shall be in a manner and form prescribed by the department. The secretary of revenue shall be the final authority in the resolution of any interagency disputes in regard to certification of debts. If a refund or disbursement is adjusted after a setoff or reduction, the department may readjust any erroneous settlement with a certifying state agency.

71.93(7) (7) Exchange of information. Information relative to changes to any debt certified shall be exchanged promptly by each agency. Setoff of refunds and reduction of disbursements against debts certified by agencies, and any report of the setoff or reduction to state agencies, is not a violation of ss. 71.78, 72.06, 77.61 (5), 78.80 (3), and 139.38 (6).

71.93(8) (8) State agency debt agreements.

71.93(8)(a) (a) Upon request by a state agency, the department of revenue may enter into an agreement with individuals who owe debts to the state agency. With the consent of the debtor, the department of revenue may arrange with the debtor’s employer for the withholding from the debtor’s pay of a specified amount to be applied against the debt.

71.93(8)(b) (b)

71.93(8)(b)1. 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., a state agency and the department of revenue shall enter into a written agreement to have the department collect any amount owed to the state agency that is more than 90 days past due, unless any of the following applies:

71.93(8)(b)1.a. a. Negotiations between the agency and debtor are actively ongoing.

71.93(8)(b)1.b. b. The debt is the subject of legal action or administrative proceedings.

71.93(8)(b)1.c. c. The agency determines that the debtor is adhering to an acceptable payment arrangement.

71.93(8)(b)1.d. d. The debt is an amount owed under ch. 108 or under a federal unemployment benefit program administered by the department of workforce development.

71.93(8)(b)1m. 1m. At least 30 days before the department pursues the collection of any debt referred by a state agency, either the department or the agency shall provide the debtor with a written notice that the debt will be referred to the department for collection. The department may collect amounts owed, pursuant to the written agreement, from the debtor in addition to offsetting the amounts as provided under sub. (3). The department shall charge each debtor whose debt is subject to collection under this paragraph a collection fee and that amount shall be credited to the appropriation under s. 20.566 (1) (h).

71.93(8)(b)2. 2. The department may enter into agreements described under subd. 1. with the courts, the legislature, authorities, as defined in s. 16.41 (4), and local units of government.

71.93(8)(b)3. 3. Agreements required under subd. 1. shall be completed no later than July 1, 2010, except that an agreement may allow a delay or phase-in of referrals.

71.93(8)(b)4. 4. The secretary of revenue may waive the referral of certain types of debt. The department’s determination that a debt is not collectable does not prevent the referring agency from taking additional collection actions.

71.93(8)(b)5. 5. The department may collect debts and assess interest on delinquent amounts under this paragraph in the same manner that it collects taxes and assesses interest under ss. 71.82 (2), 71.91, 71.92, and 73.03 (20). The department’s use of tax returns and related information to collect debts under this paragraph is not a violation of s. 71.78, 72.06, 77.61 (5), 78.80 (3), or 139.38 (6).

71.93(8)(b)6. 6. If the debtor owes debt to the department and to other entities, payments shall first apply to debts owed to the department then to the other entities in the order determined under sub. (3) (a).

71.93 History History: 1987 a. 312; 1989 a. 31; 1993 a. 437; 1995 a. 27 ss. 3427 to 3429, 9126 (19), 9130 (4); 1995 a. 404; 1997 a. 3, 27; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 33; 2005 a. 25, 59, 254; 2007 a. 20 ss. 2141 to 2142, 9121 (6) (a); 2007 a. 97, 200; 2009 a. 28; 2013 a. 20, 308; 2015 a. 55, 355; 2021 a. 87, 231; 2023 a. 117.

71.935 71.935 Setoffs for municipalities and counties.

71.935(1) (1) In this section:

71.935(1)(a) (a) “Debt” means a parking citation of at least $20 that is unpaid and for which there has been no court appearance by the date specified in the citation or, if no date is specified, that is unpaid for at least 28 days; an unpaid fine, fee, restitution or forfeiture of at least $20; and any other debt that is at least $20, including debt related to property taxes, if the debt has been reduced to a judgment or the municipality or county to which the debt is owed has provided the debtor reasonable notice and an opportunity to be heard with regard to the debt. For purposes of this subsection, a debt owed to an ambulance service provider operating pursuant to a contract with a municipality or county under s. 59.54 (1), 60.565, 61.64, or 62.133, is considered a debt owed to the municipality or county, if the debt relates to providing ambulance services to individuals in that municipality or county as a result of responding to requests that originate from a government-operated 911 call center.

71.935(1)(am) (am) “Debt related to property taxes” means delinquent general property taxes, as defined in s. 74.01 (1), special assessments, as defined in s. 74.01 (3), special charges, as defined in s. 74.01 (4), and special taxes, as defined in s. 74.01 (5). The term “debt related to property taxes” includes any interest and penalty charged as a result of the delinquency.

71.935(1)(ar) (ar) “Debt related to victim restitution” means amount owed pursuant to an order under s. 973.20 (1r), if a clerk of court for a county has certified the amount under s. 973.20 (10) (b).

71.935(1)(b) (b) “Debtor” means a person who owes a debt related to victim restitution or who owes a debt to a municipality or county.

71.935(1)(c) (c) “Department” means the department of revenue.

71.935(1)(cm) (cm) “Disbursement” means any payment to a person who provides goods and services to the state under subch. IV or V of ch. 16 or under ch. 84.

71.935(1)(cr) (cr) “Municipality” means any city, village, or town, and includes any entity formed pursuant to an intergovernmental cooperation contract or agreement under s. 66.0301 to provide consolidated services directly to cities, villages, and towns.

71.935(1)(d) (d) “Refund” has the meaning given under s. 71.93 (1) (d).

71.935(2) (2) A municipality or county may certify to the department any debt owed to it. Not later than 5 days after certification under this section or under s. 973.20 (10) (b), the municipality or county shall notify the debtor in writing of its certification of the debt to the department, of the basis of the certification and of the debtor’s right to appeal and, in the case of parking citations, of the debtor’s right to contest the citation. At the time of certification, the municipality or county shall furnish to the department the name and social security number or operator’s license number of each individual debtor and the name and federal employer identification number of each other debtor.

71.935(3) (3) 

71.935(3)(a) (a) If the debt remains uncollected and, in the case of a parking citation, if the debtor has not contested the citation within 20 days after the notice under sub. (2), the department shall set off the debt against any refund that is owed to the debtor after the setoff under s. 71.93. Any legal action contesting a setoff shall be brought against the municipality or county that certified the debt under sub. (2).

71.935(3)(b) (b) The department shall provide the information obtained under sub. (2) to the department of administration. Before reducing any disbursement as provided under this paragraph, the department of administration shall contact the department to verify whether a certified debt that is the basis of the reduction has been collected by other means and, in the case of a parking citation, whether the debtor has contested the citation within 20 days after the notice under sub. (2). If the certified debt remains uncollected and, in the case of a parking citation, the citation has not been contested within 20 days after the notice under sub. (2), the department of administration shall, after any reduction under s. 71.93, reduce the disbursement by the amount of the debtor’s certified debt under sub. (2), notify the department of such reduction and disbursement, and remit the amount of the reduction to the department in the manner prescribed by the department. If more than one debt certified under sub. (2) exists for any debtor, the disbursement shall be reduced first by the earliest debt certified. Any legal action contesting a reduction under this paragraph shall be brought against the municipality or county that certified the debt under sub. (2).

71.935(4) (4) 

71.935(4)(a) (a) Within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter, the department shall settle with each municipality and county for the amounts set off or reduced against certified debts for the municipality or county during that calendar quarter.

71.935(4)(b) (b) Within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter, each municipality and county that has received amounts from the department during that calendar quarter for debts owed to an ambulance service provider operating pursuant to a contract under s. 59.54 (1), 60.565, 61.64, or 62.133 shall pay the amounts to the ambulance service provider.

71.935(5) (5) Each debtor shall be charged for administration expenses, and the amounts charged shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.566 (1) (h). The department may set off amounts charged to the debtor under this subsection against any refund owed to the debtor, in the manner provided in sub. (3). Annually on or before November 1, the department shall review its costs incurred during the previous fiscal year in administering setoffs and reductions under this section and shall adjust its subsequent charges to each debtor to reflect that experience.

71.935(6) (6) No person has any right to, or interest in, any overpayment, refundable credit, or refund, including any interest allowed, under this chapter until setoff under this section and ss. 49.855 and 71.93 has been completed.

71.935 History History: 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 27; 2003 a. 177; 2005 a. 25, 59, 254, 454; 2007 a. 96, 97; 2011 a. 32, 142; 2015 a. 55, 59, 355.

71.94 71.94 Penalties. Unless specifically provided in this subchapter, the penalties under subch. XIII apply for failure to comply with this subchapter unless the context requires otherwise.

71.94 History History: 1987 a. 312.

subch. XVI of ch. 71 SUBCHAPTER XVI

INTERNAL REVENUE CODE UPDATE

71.98 71.98 Internal Revenue Code update. The following federal laws, to the extent that they apply to the Internal Revenue Code, apply to this chapter:

71.98(1) (1) Health savings accounts. Sections 106 (d), 220 (f) (5) (A), 223, and 408 (d) (9) of the Internal Revenue Code, all as amended to December 31, 2010, and relating to health savings accounts, except that section 223 (c) of the Internal Revenue Code in effect for federal purposes applies for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2021.

71.98(2) (2) Imputed income; employer payments to employees for medical care. Section 1004 (d) of Public Law 111-152, and section 105 (b) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended to December 31, 2010, and related to amounts paid by an employer to an employee to reimburse the employee for costs paid by him or her for medical care for the employee’s adult child.

71.98(3) (3) Depreciation, depletion, and amortization. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2013, and for purposes of computing depreciation and amortization, the Internal Revenue Code means the federal Internal Revenue Code in effect for federal purposes on January 1, 2014, except that sections 13201 (f), 13203, 13204, and 13205 of P.L. 115-97, section 2307 of division A of P.L. 116-136, and section 202 of division EE of P.L. 116-260 apply at the same time as for federal purposes. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2013, and for purposes of computing depletion, the Internal Revenue Code means the federal Internal Revenue Code in effect for federal purposes for the year in which the property is placed in service.

71.98(4) (4) Expensing of depreciable business assets. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2013, sections 179, 179A, 179B, 179C, 179D, and 179E of the Internal Revenue Code and related to expensing of depreciable business assets. For purposes of this subsection, the Internal Revenue Code means the federal Internal Revenue Code in effect for the year in which property is placed in service.

71.98(5) (5) Gain from small business stock.

71.98(5)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), for stock acquired after December 31, 2013, section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended to December 31, 2012, related to the exclusion for gain from certain small business stock.

71.98(5)(b) (b) For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2018, section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code in effect for federal purposes.

71.98(6) (6) Certain expenses of teachers. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2014, section 62 (a) (2) (D) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers.

71.98(7) (7) ABLE accounts. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2015, section 303 of Division Q of P.L. 114-113, related to state of residence changes that relate to qualified ABLE accounts.

71.98(8) (8) Charitable distributions from an individual retirement account. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, section 408 (d) (8) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to a tax-free qualified charitable distribution from an individual retirement account directly to a charitable organization.

71.98(9) (9) Rollover amounts, airline carrier bankruptcy. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2011, section 1106 of P.L. 112-95, as amended by P.L. 113-243 and section 307 of Division Q of P.L. 114-113, as it relates to the treatment of distributions to qualified airline employees that are rolled over into an individual retirement account, due to airline carrier bankruptcy. This provision does not apply to federal provisions relating to extensions of time to file amended federal returns. A qualified airline employee may file a claim for a refund to exclude income provided under this subsection pursuant to the time period specified in s. 71.75 (2) or no later than 180 days after April 5, 2018.

71.98(11) (11) Qualified tuition programs. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2021, sections 221 (e) (1) and 529 of the Internal Revenue Code as in effect for federal purposes, relating to qualified tuition programs.

71.98 History History: 2011 a. 1, 49; 2013 a. 20, 145; 2015 a. 55, 312; 2017 a. 59, 231; 2019 a. 185; 2021 a. 1; 2023 a. 35, 36, 148.