The property tax levy limit under current law does not apply to the amount that
a city, village, or town levies to pay for charges assessed by a joint fire department
or joint emergency medical services district if the current year increase in such
charges is equal to or less than the percentage change in the U.S. consumer price
index for all urban consumers, U.S. city average, as determined by the U.S.
Department of Labor, for the 12 months ending on September 30 of the year of the
levy, plus 2 percent. The bill modifies the consumer price index provision so that it
is for the 12 months ending on August 31 of the year of the levy.
Leasing property owned by a church or religious organization
Current law provides a property tax exemption for property owned by
educational associations and institutions, benevolent associations, churches,
religious associations, and certain nonprofit entities licensed by the Department of
Health Services. Leasing such property does not render the property taxable as long
as the lessor uses the leasehold income for maintenance or construction debt
retirement of the leased property. However, current law allows some leased property
to retain its exemption regardless of how the leasehold income is used. For example,
leasing a part of property that is owned and operated by a licensed nonprofit entity
as residential housing does not render the property taxable, regardless of how the
lessor uses the leasehold income.
Under this bill, leasing all or part of any property owned by a church or religious
organization to an educational association or institution that is also exempt from
taxation does not render the property taxable, regardless of how the lessor uses the
leasehold income.
INCOME tax
Disability income subtraction
Current law allows an individual with less than $20,200 of federal adjusted
gross income to claim a disability income subtraction on the individual's state tax
return, if the individual is under 65 years of age and retired on disability, and, when
the individual retired, was permanently and totally disabled. For a married couple
filing a joint return, each spouse may claim the credit if they meet the criteria and
their combined income is less than $25,400. The bill replaces an obsolete reference
to the federal Internal Revenue Code with the language used to determine the
claimant's eligibility that existed under the obsolete reference.

Homestead credit
Under current law, an individual who is under the age of 62 and who does not
have a disability must have earned income in order to claim the homestead credit.
However, current law does not define earned income for purposes of claiming the
credit. The bill defines “earned income” for purposes of claiming the homestead
credit as wages, salaries, tips, and other employee compensation that may be
included in federal adjusted gross income for the taxable year, plus the amount of net
earnings from self-employment.
Current law also requires individuals who wish to claim the homestead credit
to add certain disqualified losses to homestead income in order to determine
eligibility to claim the credit. However, the requirement does not apply to an
individual whose primary income is from farming and whose farming operation
generates less than $250,000 in the year to which the claim relates. The bill clarifies
that an individual's primary income is from farming if the individual's gross income
from farming for the year in which the claim relates is greater than 50 percent of the
individual's total gross income from all sources for that year.
Final audit determinations
Under current law, a taxpayer who receives a final audit determination from
DOR has 90 days to report to DOR any changes or corrections related to that
determination. The bill increases the time for providing that report to 180 days.
Historic rehabilitation credit
The bill modifies the procedure for transferring the historic rehabilitation tax
credit so that the person transferring the credit may file a claim for more than one
taxable year.
Internal Revenue Code
The bill adopts for state income and franchise tax purposes various provisions
of the federal Internal Revenue Code.
Medical care insurance subtraction
The bill eliminates obsolete provisions related to the medical care insurance
subtraction for self-employed persons.
Payments from a retirement plan
Under current law, payments or distributions of $5,000 or less received each
year by an individual from a qualified retirement plan is exempt from income tax if
the individual is at least 65 years of age and has income of less than $15,000 if single
or filing a tax return as head of household or less than $30,000 if married. The bill
changes the exemption to a subtraction that the taxpayer can choose not to claim if
not claiming the subtraction would result in the taxpayer receiving a greater
homestead credit.
Sales tax
University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority
This bill provides a sales and use tax exemption for tangible personal property
sold to a construction contractor who transfers the property to the University of
Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority as part of constructing a facility for the

authority in this state. A similar exemption applies under current law to property
sold to a contractor who transfers the property to a local unit of government,
technical college district, or institution or campus of the University of Wisconsin
System. Under current law, a sale of tangible personal property directly to the
University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority is exempt from the sales
and use tax, but the exemption does not apply to a contractor who purchases tangible
personal property on the authority's behalf.
Property transferred with services
Current law provides that persons providing landscaping, printing,
fabricating, processing, or photographic services or performing services to tangible
personal property may purchase for resale, without paying the sales tax, items that
the person will transfer to a customer in conjunction with providing a service that
is subject to the sales tax. The bill provides that the exemption applies regardless
of whether the service is taxable.
Nonprofit organizations
The bill modifies the sales and use tax exemption for churches, religious
organizations, and certain nonprofit organizations to conform with DOR's current
practice with regard to the administration of the exemption. The bill provides that
the exemption applies to organizations that are exempt from federal taxation under
section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and have received a determination
letter for the Internal Revenue Service. The bill also provides that the exemption
applies to churches and religious organizations that meet the requirements of
section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, but are not required to apply for or
obtain tax-exempt status from the IRS.
Out-of-state retailer
Under current law, an out-of-state retailer that has annual gross sales into this
state in excess of $100,000 or 200 or more annual separate sales transactions into
this state must register with DOR and collect the sales tax on those sales and
transactions. The determination of the annual gross sales and transactions is based
on the retailer's taxable year for federal income tax purposes.