AB43,,3394339470.995 (1) (a) In this section “manufacturing property” includes all lands, buildings, structures and other real property, as defined in s. 70.03, used in manufacturing, assembling, processing, fabricating, making or milling tangible personal property for profit. Manufacturing property also includes warehouses, storage facilities, and office structures when the predominant use of the warehouses, storage facilities, or offices is in support of the manufacturing property, and all personal property owned or used by any person engaged in this state in any of the activities mentioned, and used in the activity, including raw materials, supplies, machinery, equipment, work in process and finished inventory when located at the site of the activity production process, as defined in s. 70.11 (27) (a) 5. Establishments engaged in assembling component parts of manufactured products are considered manufacturing establishments if the new product is neither a structure nor other fixed improvement. Materials processed by a manufacturing establishment include products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, and quarrying. For the purposes of this section, establishments which engage in mining metalliferous minerals are considered manufacturing establishments.

AB43,,3396339670.995 (3) For purposes of subs. (1) and (2) “manufacturing, assembling, processing, fabricating, making or milling” includes the entire productive process and includes such activities as the storage of raw materials, the movement thereof to the first operation thereon, and the packaging, bottling, crating, or similar preparation of products for shipment when located at the site of the production process, as defined in s. 70.11 (27) (a) 5.

AB43,,3398339870.995 (4) Whenever real property or tangible personal property is used for one, or some combination, of the processes mentioned in sub. (3) and also for other purposes, the department of revenue, if satisfied that there is substantial use in one or some combination of such processes, may assess the property under this section. For all purposes of this section the department of revenue shall have sole discretion for the determination of what is substantial use and what description of real property or what unit of tangible personal property shall constitute “the property” to be included for assessment purposes, and, in connection herewith, the department may include in a real property unit, real property owned by different persons. Vacant property designed for use in manufacturing, assembling, processing, fabricating, making, or milling tangible property for profit may be assessed under this section or under s. 70.32 (1), and the period of vacancy may not be the sole ground for making that determination. In those specific instances where a portion of a description of real property includes manufacturing property rented or leased and operated by a separate person which does not satisfy the substantial use qualification for the entire property, the local assessor shall assess the entire real property description and all personal property not exempt under s. 70.11 (27). The applicable portions of the standard manufacturing property report form under sub. (12) as they relate to manufacturing machinery and equipment shall be submitted by such person.

AB43,,3400340070.995 (5) The department of revenue shall assess all property of manufacturing establishments included under subs. (1) and (2) as of the close of January 1 of each year, if on or before March 1 of that year the department has classified the property as manufacturing or the owner of the property has requested, in writing, that the department make such a classification and the department later does so. A change in ownership, location, or name of the manufacturing establishment does not necessitate a new request. In assessing lands from which metalliferous minerals are being extracted and valued for purposes of the tax under s. 70.375, the value of the metalliferous mineral content of such lands shall be excluded.

AB43,,3402340270.995 (5n) (a) If the department of revenue determines that an establishment is engaged in manufacturing, as defined in subs. (1), (2), and (3), the department may classify the establishment as manufacturing. The establishment shall submit a written request on or before July 1 of the year for which classification is desired, as provided under s. 71.07 (5n) (a) 9. c. or 71.28 (5n) (a) 9. c.

AB43,,34033403(b) The department may at any time investigate or audit requests submitted under par. (a) and may revoke a classification. An establishment that submits a request under par. (a) shall notify the department within 60 days of any termination of manufacturing activity.

AB43,,34043404(c) On or before December 31 of the year in which a request is timely submitted under par. (a), the department shall issue a notice of determination responding to the timely request. The department may, in its sole discretion, issue a notice of determination by December 31 for requests received after July 1 of the year in which classification is desired. 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 the decision shall be filed with the state board of assessors no later than 60 days after the date of the notice, that a fee of $200 shall be paid when the objection is filed, and that the objection is not filed until the fee is paid.

AB43,,34053405(d) For purposes of this subsection, 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 U.S. postal service certified mail in a properly addressed envelope, with postage paid, that is postmarked before midnight of the last day for filing. Neither the board nor the tax appeals commission may waive the requirement that objections be in writing.

AB43,,34063406(e) The state board of assessors shall investigate any timely objection filed under par. (d) if the fee specified under par. (c) is paid. The board shall notify the person objecting or the person’s agent of its determination by 1st class mail or electronic mail.

AB43,,34073407(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.

AB43,,3409340970.995 (7) (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 ss. s. 70.32 (1) and 70.34 of all manufacturing real property in this state.

AB43,,3411341170.995 (8) (b) 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 and personal 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 U.S. postal service 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 or personal property, the procedures of the tax appeals commission or of the state board of assessors, or the enforcement of delinquent taxes by statutory means.

AB43,,3413341370.995 (12) (a) The department of revenue shall prescribe a standard manufacturing property report form that shall be submitted annually for each real estate parcel and each personal property account 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.

AB43,,3416341670.995 (14) (b) If the department of revenue does not receive the fee imposed on a municipality imposes a fee under par. (a) by March 31 of each year on a municipality, the department shall reduce the a distribution made to the municipality under s. 79.02 (1) in the following year by the amount of the fee. Any amount that is not able to be deducted from a distribution under s. 79.02 (1) shall be directly imposed upon the municipality.