Chapter 77

77.76(1) (1) The department of revenue shall have full power to levy, enforce, and collect county, municipality, and special district sales and use taxes and may take any action, conduct any proceeding, impose interest and penalties, and in all respects proceed as it is authorized to proceed for the taxes imposed by subch. III. The department of transportation and the department of natural resources may administer the county, municipality, and special district sales and use taxes in regard to items under s. 77.61 (1).

77.76(2) (2) Judicial and administrative review of departmental determinations shall be as provided in subch. III for state sales and use taxes, and no county, municipality, or special district may intervene in any matter related to the levy, enforcement, and collection of the taxes under this subchapter.

77.76(3) (3) From the appropriation under s. 20.835 (4) (g) the department of revenue shall distribute 99.25 percent of the county taxes reported for each enacting county, minus the county portion of the retailers’ discounts, to the county and shall indicate the taxes reported by each taxpayer, no later than 75 days following the last day of the calendar quarter in which such amounts were reported. In this subsection, the “county portion of the retailers’ discount” is the amount determined by multiplying the total retailers’ discount by a fraction the numerator of which is the gross county sales and use taxes payable and the denominator of which is the sum of the gross state and county sales and use taxes payable. The county taxes distributed shall be increased or decreased to reflect subsequent refunds, audit adjustments, and all other adjustments of the county taxes previously distributed. Interest paid on refunds of county sales and use taxes shall be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.835 (4) (g) at the rate paid by this state under s. 77.60 (1) (a). Except as provided in s. 77.70 (2), a county may retain the amount it receives or it may distribute all or a portion of the amount it receives to the towns, villages, cities, and school districts in the county. After receiving notice from the department of revenue, a county shall reimburse the department for the amount by which any refunds, including interest, of the county’s sales and use taxes that the department pays or allows in a reporting period exceeds the amount of the county’s sales and use taxes otherwise payable to the county under this subsection for the same or subsequent reporting period. Any county receiving a report under this subsection is subject to the duties of confidentiality to which the department of revenue is subject under s. 77.61 (5) and (6).

77.76(3m) (3m) From the appropriation under s. 20.835 (4) (gb) the department, for the first 2 years of collection, shall distribute 97 percent of the taxes reported for each local professional baseball park district that has imposed taxes under this subchapter, minus the district portion of the retailers’ discounts, to the local professional baseball park district no later than the end of the 3rd month following the end of the calendar quarter in which such amounts were reported. From the appropriation under s. 20.835 (4) (gb) the department, after the first 2 years of collection, shall distribute 98.5 percent of the taxes reported for each local professional baseball park district that has imposed taxes under this subchapter, minus the district portion of the retailers’ discount, to the local professional baseball park district no later than the end of the 3rd month following the end of the calendar quarter in which such amounts were reported. At the time of distribution the department shall indicate the taxes reported by each taxpayer. In this subsection, the “district portion of the retailers’ discount” is the amount determined by multiplying the total retailers’ discount by a fraction the numerator of which is the gross local professional baseball park district sales and use taxes payable and the denominator of which is the sum of the gross state and local professional baseball park district sales and use taxes payable. The local professional baseball park district taxes distributed shall be increased or decreased to reflect subsequent refunds, audit adjustments and all other adjustments of the local professional baseball park district taxes previously distributed. Interest paid on refunds of local professional baseball park district sales and use taxes shall be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.835 (4) (gb) at the rate paid by this state under s. 77.60 (1) (a). Any local professional baseball park district receiving a report under this subsection is subject to the duties of confidentiality to which the department of revenue is subject under s. 77.61 (5) and (6).

77.76(3p) (3p) Except as provided in sub. (5), from the appropriation under s. 20.835 (4) (ge) the department of revenue shall distribute 98.5 percent of the taxes reported for each local professional football stadium district that has imposed taxes under this subchapter, minus the district portion of the retailers’ discount, to the local professional football stadium district no later than the end of the 3rd month following the end of the calendar quarter in which such amounts were reported. At the time of distribution the department of revenue shall indicate the taxes reported by each taxpayer. In this subsection, the “district portion of the retailers’ discount” is the amount determined by multiplying the total retailers’ discount by a fraction the numerator of which is the gross local professional football stadium district sales and use taxes payable and the denominator of which is the sum of the gross state and local professional football stadium district sales and use taxes payable. The local professional football stadium district taxes distributed shall be increased or decreased to reflect subsequent refunds, audit adjustments and all other adjustments of the local professional football stadium district taxes previously distributed. Interest paid on refunds of local professional football stadium district sales and use taxes shall be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.835 (4) (ge) at the rate paid by this state under s. 77.60 (1) (a). Any local professional football stadium district receiving a report under this subsection is subject to the duties of confidentiality to which the department of revenue is subject under s. 77.61 (5) and (6).

77.76(3r) (3r) From the appropriation under s. 20.835 (4) (gi), the department shall distribute 98.25 percent of the municipality taxes reported for each enacting municipality, minus the municipality portion of the retailers’ discounts, to the municipality and shall indicate the taxes reported by each taxpayer, no later than 75 days following the last day of the calendar quarter in which such amounts were reported. In this subsection, the “municipality portion of the retailers’ discount” is the amount determined by multiplying the total retailers’ discount by a fraction the numerator of which is the gross municipality sales and use taxes payable and the denominator of which is the sum of the gross state and municipality sales and use taxes payable. The municipality taxes distributed shall be increased or decreased to reflect subsequent refunds, audit adjustments, and all other adjustments of the municipality taxes previously distributed. Interest paid on refunds of municipality sales and use taxes shall be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.835 (4) (gi) at the rate paid by this state under s. 77.60 (1) (a). Any municipality receiving a report under this subsection is subject to the duties of confidentiality to which the department of revenue is subject under s. 77.61 (5) and (6).

Effective date note NOTE: Sub. (3r) is amended by 2023 Wis. Act 41 eff. on the July 1 immediately following the date of the notice published in the Wisconsin Administrative Register under s. 77.76 (3s) (b) 1., to read:

Effective date text (3r) From the appropriation under s. 20.835 (4) (gi), the department shall distribute 99.25 percent of the municipality taxes reported for each enacting municipality, minus the municipality portion of the retailers’ discounts, to the municipality and shall indicate the taxes reported by each taxpayer, no later than 75 days following the last day of the calendar quarter in which such amounts were reported. In this subsection, the “municipality portion of the retailers’ discount” is the amount determined by multiplying the total retailers’ discount by a fraction the numerator of which is the gross municipality sales and use taxes payable and the denominator of which is the sum of the gross state and municipality sales and use taxes payable. The municipality taxes distributed shall be increased or decreased to reflect subsequent refunds, audit adjustments, and all other adjustments of the municipality taxes previously distributed. Interest paid on refunds of municipality sales and use taxes shall be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.835 (4) (gi) at the rate paid by this state under s. 77.60 (1) (a). Any municipality receiving a report under this subsection is subject to the duties of confidentiality to which the department of revenue is subject under s. 77.61 (5) and (6).

77.76(3s) (3s) 

77.76(3s)(a) (a) Annually, the department shall deposit into the baseball park facilities improvement segregated fund under s. 229.687 the amount in the appropriation account under s. 20.835 (4) (k), except that the department may not deposit a cumulative amount under this paragraph that exceeds $67,500,000.

77.76(3s)(b) (b)

77.76(3s)(b)1. 1. At the same time the department deposits into the baseball park facilities improvement segregated fund under s. 229.687 a cumulative amount under par. (a) equal to $67,500,000, the department of revenue shall send a notice to the legislative reference bureau for publication in the Wisconsin Administrative Register that states the date on which the cumulative amount deposited into the baseball park facilities improvement segregated fund under s. 229.687, as provided under par. (a), equals $67,500,000.

77.76(3s)(b)2. 2. At the same time the department sends the notice under subd. 1., the department shall send an identical notice to each municipality imposing a tax under s. 77.701.

77.76(4) (4) There shall be retained by the state 1.5 percent of the taxes collected for taxes imposed by special districts under s. 77.706, 0.75 percent of the taxes collected for taxes imposed by counties under s. 77.70, and 1.75 percent of the taxes collected for taxes imposed by municipalities under s. 77.701 to cover costs incurred by the state in administering, enforcing, and collecting the tax. All interest and penalties collected shall be deposited and retained by this state in the general fund.

Effective date note NOTE: Sub. (4) is amended by 2023 Wis. Act 41 eff. on the July 1 immediately following the date of the notice published in the Wisconsin Administrative Register under s. 77.76 (3s) (b) 1., to read:

Effective date text (4) There shall be retained by the state 1.5 percent of the taxes collected for taxes imposed by special districts under s. 77.706 and 0.75 percent of the taxes collected for taxes imposed by counties under s. 77.70 and for taxes imposed by municipalities under s. 77.701 to cover costs incurred by the state in administering, enforcing, and collecting the tax. All interest and penalties collected shall be deposited and retained by this state in the general fund.

77.76(5) (5) 

77.76(5)(a) (a) If a local professional football stadium district in Brown County makes all the certifications to the department of revenue under s. 229.825 (3), the department shall distribute the taxes imposed by or collected for the district under s. 77.706 from April 1, 2015, to September 30, 2015, as follows, excluding taxes reported to the department before April 1, 2015, that the department paid to the district:

77.76(5)(a)1. 1. Twenty-five percent of such taxes to Brown County.

77.76(5)(a)2. 2. Seventy-five percent of such taxes to the cities, villages, and towns in Brown County in proportion to the population of each such city, village, and town in the county compared to the county’s entire population. For purposes of this subdivision, the department shall use the population determined under s. 16.96 for the county and for each city, village, and town in the county.

77.76(5)(b) (b)

77.76(5)(b)1. 1. Brown County shall deposit the revenue received under par. (a) 1. into a segregated account established and controlled by the county to use only for the purpose of redeveloping the Brown County arena and land on which the arena is located. The county may not make expenditures from the segregated account unless the county board adopts a resolution specifying the purpose for which the revenues will be spent and the amount of the revenues to be spent for that purpose.

77.76(5)(b)2. 2. Each municipality that receives revenue under par. (a) 2. shall deposit the revenue into a segregated account established and controlled by the municipality to use only for the purpose of providing property tax relief, tax levy supported debt relief, or economic development. A municipality may not make expenditures from the segregated account unless the municipality’s governing body adopts a resolution specifying the purpose for which the revenues will be spent and the amount of the revenues to be spent for that purpose.

77.76(5)(c) (c) If the local professional football stadium district receives from the department any of the taxes imposed by or collected for the district under s. 77.706 from April 1, 2015, to September 30, 2015, excluding taxes reported to the department before April 1, 2015, that the department paid to the district, the district shall return those taxes to the department, in the manner prescribed by the department, so that the department may distribute the taxes as provided in par. (a).

77.76(5)(d) (d) The department shall distribute, as provided under par. (a), the taxes imposed by or collected for the district under s. 77.706 from April 1, 2015, to September 30, 2015, including the amounts returned under par. (c), no later than December 31, 2015. The department shall distribute, as provided under par. (a), any additional amounts collected for the district under s. 77.706 after September 30, 2015, including interest, penalties, and amounts due as a result of an audit determination, annually beginning on October 1, 2016, and on October 1 of each year thereafter.

77.76(5)(e) (e) Subsection (3p), as it relates to calculating the distribution from the appropriation under s. 20.835 (4) (ge), applies to calculating the distribution from that appropriation under this subsection. Interest paid on refunds of local professional football stadium district sales and use taxes issued by the department on or after April 1, 2015, shall reduce the amounts distributed under this subsection.

77.76 History History: 1985 a. 29, 41; 1991 a. 37, 269; 1995 a. 56; 1999 a. 9, 167; 2001 a. 16; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 32, 68; 2015 a. 114; 2017 a. 17; 2019 a. 28; 2023 a. 12, 19, 40, 41.

77.77 77.77 Transitional provisions.

77.77(1) (1) 

77.77(1)(a) (a) The sales price from services subject to the tax under s. 77.52 (2) or the lease, rental, or license of tangible personal property and property, items, and goods specified under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), and (d), is subject to the taxes under this subchapter, and the incremental amount of tax caused by a rate increase applicable to those services, leases, rentals, or licenses is due, beginning with the first billing period starting on or after the effective date of the county ordinance, municipal ordinance, special district resolution, or rate increase, regardless of whether the service is furnished or the property, item, or good is leased, rented, or licensed to the customer before or after that date.

77.77(1)(b) (b) The sales price from services subject to the tax under s. 77.52 (2) or the lease, rental, or license of tangible personal property and property, items, and goods specified under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), and (d) is not subject to the taxes under this subchapter, and a decrease in the tax rate imposed under this subchapter on those services first applies, beginning with bills rendered on or after the effective date of the repeal or sunset of a county ordinance, municipal ordinance, or special district resolution imposing the tax or other rate decrease, regardless of whether the service is furnished or the property, item, or good is leased, rented, or licensed to the customer before or after that date.

77.77(3) (3) The sale of building materials to contractors engaged in the business of constructing, altering, repairing or improving real estate for others is not subject to the taxes under this subchapter, and the incremental amount of tax caused by the rate increase applicable to those materials is not due, if the materials are affixed and made a structural part of real estate, and the amount payable to the contractor is fixed without regard to the costs incurred in performing a written contract that was irrevocably entered into prior to the effective date of the county ordinance, municipal ordinance, special district resolution, or rate increase or that resulted from the acceptance of a formal written bid accompanied by a bond or other performance guaranty that was irrevocably submitted before that date.

77.77 History History: 1985 a. 41; 1995 a. 56; 2009 a. 2, 28; 2011 a. 32; 2023 a. 12.

77.78 77.78 Registration. No motor vehicle, boat, snowmobile, recreational vehicle, as defined in s. 340.01 (48r), trailer, semitrailer, all-terrain vehicle, utility terrain vehicle, off-highway motorcycle, as defined in s. 23.335 (1) (q), or aircraft that is required to be registered by this state may be registered or titled by this state unless the registrant files a sales and use tax report and pays the county tax, municipal tax, and special district tax at the time of registering or titling to the state agency that registers or titles the property. That state agency shall transmit those tax revenues to the department of revenue.

77.78 History History: 1985 a. 41; 1995 a. 56; 2007 a. 11; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 32, 208; 2017 a. 59; 2023 a. 12.

77.785 77.785 Duties of retailers.

77.785(1) (1) All retailers shall collect and report the taxes under this subchapter on the sales price from leases and rentals of property or items, property, and goods under s. 77.52 (1) (b), (c), and (d) under s. 77.71 (4).

77.785(2) (2) Prior to registration or titling, a retailer of a boat, aircraft, motor vehicle, manufactured home, as defined in s. 101.91 (2), or recreational vehicle, as defined in s. 340.01 (48r), shall collect the taxes under this subchapter on sales of items under s. 77.71 (4). The retailer shall remit those taxes to the department of revenue along with payments of the taxes under subch. III.

77.785 History History: 1985 a. 41; 1987 a. 141; 2007 a. 11; 2009 a. 2.

77.79 77.79 Relation to subch. III. The provisions of subch. III; including those related to exemptions, exceptions, exclusions and the retailers’ discount; that are consistent with this subchapter, as they apply to the taxes under that subchapter, apply to the taxes under this subchapter.

77.79 History History: 1985 a. 41; 1999 a. 32.

subch. VI of ch. 77 SUBCHAPTER VI

MANAGED FOREST LAND

Subch. VI of ch. 77 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. NR 46, Wis. adm. code.

77.80 77.80 Purpose. The purpose of this subchapter is to encourage the management of private forest lands for the production of future forest crops for commercial use through sound forestry practices, recognizing the objectives of individual property owners, compatible recreational uses, watershed protection, development of wildlife habitat and accessibility of private property to the public for recreational purposes.

77.80 History History: 1985 a. 29.

77.81 77.81 Definitions. In this subchapter:

77.81(1) (1) “Department” means the department of natural resources.

77.81(1m) (1m) “Fixed sampling equipment” means physical equipment that will be in the same location for more than 24 hours and that is used for the evaluation of a proposed ferrous mining site, including equipment that is used for boring, drilling, bulk sampling, or obtaining climatological data or other data relating to the environment or the state’s natural resources.

77.81(2) (2) “Forestry” means managing forest lands and their related resources, including trees and other plants, animals, soil, water and air.

77.81(2m) (2m) “Independent certified plan writer” means a plan writer certified by the department but who is not acting under contract with the department under s. 77.82 (3) (g).

77.81(2r) (2r) “Large property” means one or more separate parcels of land that are under the same ownership, that collectively are greater than 1,000 acres in size, and that are managed forest land or forest croplands or a combination thereof.

77.81(3) (3) “Merchantable timber” means standing trees which, because of their size and quality, are salable.

77.81(4) (4) “Municipality” means a town, village, or city.

77.81(4m) (4m) “Natural disaster” means fire, ice, snow, wind, flooding, insects, drought, or disease.

77.81(5) (5) “Nonprofit organization” means a nonprofit corporation, a charitable trust, or other nonprofit association that is described in section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

77.81(5m) (5m) “Proposed ferrous mining site” means a proposed mining site, as described under s. 295.46 (1), for which the person proposing to engage in ferrous mining has provided preapplication notification under s. 295.465.

77.81(6) (6) “Recreational activities” means recreational outdoor activities that are compatible with the practice of forestry, as determined by the department. “Recreational activities” includes hunting, fishing, hiking, sight-seeing, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, and staying in cabins.

77.81 History History: 1985 a. 29; 2003 a. 228; 2005 a. 25; 2007 a. 20; 2013 a. 81; 2015 a. 358.

77.82 77.82 Managed forest land; application.

77.82(1) (1) Eligibility requirements.

77.82(1)(a) (a) A parcel of land that is subject to a managed forest land order issued or renewed before April 16, 2016, is eligible for designation as managed forest land only if it fulfills the following requirements:

77.82(1)(a)1. 1. It consists of at least 10 contiguous acres, except as provided in this subdivision. The fact that a lake, river, stream, or flowage, a public or private road, or a railroad or utility right-of-way separates any part of the land from any other part does not render a parcel of land noncontiguous. If a part of a parcel of at least 10 contiguous acres is separated from another part of that parcel by a public road, that part of the parcel may be enrolled in the program, even if that part is less than 10 acres, if that part meets the requirement under subd. 2. and is not ineligible under par. (b).

77.82(1)(a)2. 2. At least 80 percent of the parcel must be producing or capable of producing a minimum of 20 cubic feet of merchantable timber per acre per year.

77.82(1)(ag) (ag) A parcel of land that is or will be subject to a managed forest land order issued or renewed on or after April 16, 2016, is eligible for designation as managed forest land only if it fulfills all of the following requirements:

77.82(1)(ag)1. 1. Subject to par. (am), the parcel either consists of at least 20 contiguous acres or meets all of the following acreage requirements:

77.82(1)(ag)1.a. a. The parcel consists of at least 10 contiguous acres.

77.82(1)(ag)1.b. b. The parcel is located in a tract of land under the same ownership that contains at least one other parcel of at least 10 acres that meets the requirements under subd. 2. and for which designation under the same managed forest land order is sought.

77.82(1)(ag)2. 2. At least 80 percent of the parcel is producing or capable of producing a minimum of 20 cubic feet of merchantable timber per acre per year.

77.82(1)(am) (am) The fact that a lake, river, stream, or flowage, a public or private road, or a railroad or utility right-of-way separates any part of the land from any other part does not render a parcel of land noncontiguous and does not render ownership of land noncontiguous.

77.82(1)(ar) (ar) The owner of a parcel that does not meet the acreage requirements in par. (ag) 1. and that is subject to a managed forest land order issued before April 16, 2016, may apply one time for a renewal of the order under sub. (12) on or after April 16, 2016, without meeting the acreage requirements under par. (ag) 1.

77.82(1)(b) (b) The following land is not eligible for designation as managed forest land:

77.82(1)(b)1. 1. A parcel of which more than 20 percent consists of land that is unsuitable for producing merchantable timber, including water, marsh, muskeg, bog, rock outcrops, sand dunes, farmland, roadway or railroad and utility rights-of-way.

77.82(1)(b)2. 2. A parcel that is developed for commercial recreation, for industry or for any other use determined by the department to be incompatible with the practice of forestry.

77.82(1)(b)3. 3. A parcel that is developed for a human residence. This subdivision applies only to a parcel of land subject to a managed forest land order issued or renewed before April 16, 2016.

77.82(1)(b)3m. 3m. A parcel on which a building or an improvement associated with a building is located. This subdivision applies only to a parcel of land subject to a managed forest land order issued or renewed on or after April 16, 2016.

77.82(1)(b)4. 4. A parcel that is not accessible to the public on foot by public road or from other land open to public access. This subdivision does not apply to a parcel or part of a parcel that is closed to public access under s. 77.83 (1).

77.82(1)(bp) (bp)

77.82(1)(bp)1. 1. For purposes of par. (b) 3m., and except as provided in subd. 2., an improvement is any of the following:

77.82(1)(bp)1.a. a. Any structure or fixture that is built or placed on the parcel for its benefit.

77.82(1)(bp)1.b. b. Landscaping that is done on the parcel.

77.82(1)(bp)2. 2. An improvement does not include any of the following:

77.82(1)(bp)2.a. a. A public or private road.

77.82(1)(bp)2.b. b. A railroad or utility right-of-way.

77.82(1)(bp)2.c. c. A fence, except as provided in subd. 3.

77.82(1)(bp)2.d. d. Culverts.

77.82(1)(bp)2.e. e. Bridges.

77.82(1)(bp)2.f. f. Hunting blinds, as specified by rules promulgated by the department.

77.82(1)(bp)2.g. g. Structures and fixtures that are needed for sound forestry practices.