2015 Wyoming Code
TITLE 39 - TAXATION AND REVENUE
CHAPTER 13 - AD VALOREM TAXATION
SECTION 39-13-102. - Administration; confidentiality.

39-13-102. Administration; confidentiality.

(a) Each board of county commissioners during its first meeting in January may annually divide the county into assessment districts. If the county is so divided the county assessor shall appoint one (1) deputy assessor for each district to serve at the pleasure of the county assessor.

(b) Annually, on January 31, each board of county commissioners shall furnish suitable assessment rolls and schedules properly ruled and headed to the county assessor upon which shall be entered the legal description of taxable real property, an enumeration of taxable personal property and the name of the person to whom the property is taxable.

(c) The board of county commissioners of each county constitutes the county board of equalization. The county board shall meet at the office of the county commissioners at such times as necessary to perform its statutory duties, but no earlier than the fourth Tuesday in April to consider current year assessments. The county clerk shall act as clerk of the county board. The county assessor or his designee shall attend all meetings to explain or defend the assessments. The county board of equalization shall:

(i) Add to the assessment roll and value any taxable property within the county not included within the assessment roll as returned by the county assessor at its meeting in April;

(ii) Equalize the assessment and valuation of the taxable property which is assessed and valued by the county assessor;

(iii) Correct any assessment or valuation contained in and complete the assessment roll;

(iv) Hear and determine the complaint of any person relative to any property assessment or value as returned by the county assessor subject to W.S. 39-13-109(b)(i);

(v) Decide all protests heard and provide the protestant with a written decision no later than October 1.

(d) The county board of equalization has no power to and shall not set tax policy nor engage in any administrative duties concerning assessments which are delegated to the board, the department or the county assessor.

(e) Immediately after the assessment roll is corrected by the county board of equalization and not later than June 1, the county assessor shall make an abstract of the assessment roll containing the quantity and value of each class of property assessed for taxation and transmit the abstract to the board. The board shall immediately forward copies of the abstracts to the department and ask for any recommendations with respect to equalization of values.

(f) Any person whose property assessment has been increased by the county board of equalization shall be notified of the increase by the county assessor. Any person wishing to review an assessment of his property shall contact the county assessor not later than thirty (30) days after the date of the assessment schedule.

(g) On or before the first Monday of August, the board of county commissioners shall by order entered of record levy the requisite taxes for the year. On or before the third Monday in August the county assessor shall compute the taxes from the corrected valuations as corrected by the state board and entered by the county assessor in the column of corrected valuations. The county assessor shall deliver the tax list and his warrant for the collection of the taxes to the county treasurer setting forth the assessment roll, with the taxes extended, containing in tabular form and alphabetical order the names of persons in whose names property has been listed in the county, with the classes of property and the value, total amount of taxes and column of numbers and values and total taxes footed commanding the treasurer to collect the taxes. At the end of the tax list and warrant, the county assessor shall prorate the total taxes levied to the several funds.

(h) The county treasurer upon receiving the tax list and warrant shall immediately proceed to collect the taxes levied for the current year and taxes remaining unpaid from preceding years.

(j) The county assessor may authorize changes in the assessment roll or tax list at any time to correct errors in the name of a person taxed or to enter omitted property and its assessed value.

(k) On or before September 1, county assessors shall certify the exemptions granted pursuant to W.S. 39-11-105(a)(xxiv) to the department. On or before October 1 the state treasurer out of funds appropriated for that purpose shall reimburse each county treasurer for the amount of taxes which would have been collected if the property was not exempt. The county treasurer shall distribute the revenue to each governmental entity in the actual amount of taxes lost due to the exemption.

(m) The department shall annually value and assess the following property at its fair market value for taxation:

(i) The gross product of all mines and mining claims;

(ii) Property of pipeline companies;

(iii) Property of electric utilities;

(iv) Property of railroad companies;

(v) Property of rail car companies;

(vi) Property of telecommunications companies;

(vii) Property of other public utilities;

(viii) Leased property consisting of warehouses, storage facilities and office structures and any other property that is in support of or which is used or held for use for the activities listed in this subsection. If leased property is assessed to the lessee it shall not be assessed to the property owner;

(ix) Property of cable or satellite television companies;

(x) Property of airline companies used for the public transportation of passengers or property for hire.

(n) Following determination of the fair market value of property the department shall notify the taxpayer by mail of the assessed value. The person assessed may file written objections to the assessment with the board within thirty (30) days of the date of postmark and appear before the board at a time specified by the board. The person assessed shall also file a copy of the written objections with the county treasurer of the county in which the property is located, who shall notify the county assessor and the board of county commissioners, with an estimate of the tax amount under appeal based upon the previous year's tax levy.

(o) Annually, on or before the dates hereafter indicated, or as soon thereafter as the fair market value is determined, the department shall certify the valuation determined by the department to the county assessor of the county in which the property is located, to be entered upon the assessment rolls of the county:

(i) June 1, mines and mining claims, pipeline companies, electric utilities and other public utilities;

(ii) First Monday in June, telephone and telegraph companies;

(iii) First Monday in July, railroad companies.

(p) Any governmental entity with authority to levy or require the levy of property taxes which is formed or organized or which changes its geographical boundaries shall cause one (1) copy of the legal description which is contained within the document authorizing formation or modification of boundaries and one (1) copy of an official map designating the geographical boundaries as formed or changed to be filed with the department and with the county clerk and county assessor in the county or counties within which the entity is located within ten (10) days after the effective date of the formation, and annually, by a date determined by the department, if the governmental entity levies or requires the levy of taxes and has changes to its geographical boundaries by annexation, enlargement, merger, consolidation, exclusion or dissolution. Failure to file the required documents within the required time relieves the county assessor and the department from responsibility of modifying the assessment roll to reflect the property in the new entity or changed boundary area.

(q) Confidentiality. The following shall apply:

(i) All taxpayer returns and return information shall be confidential and, except as authorized below, no current or former official, officer, employee or agent of the state of Wyoming or any political subdivision thereof shall disclose any such information obtained by him in connection with his service as an officer or employee. As used in this subsection, "taxpayer returns and return information" shall include, but not be limited to, all statements, reports, summaries and all other data and documents under audit or provided by the taxpayer in accordance with law;

(ii) Without written authorization from the taxpayer, no current or former official, officer, employee or agent of the state of Wyoming or any political subdivision thereof shall release taxpayer returns and return information pertaining to taxes imposed by this chapter, except:

(A) Information filed with the department may be released to the governor or his designee, members of the state board of equalization, to the commissioners and employees of the public service commission, to employees of the department of audit, the department of revenue, the consensus revenue estimating group and to the attorney general. Information filed with the county assessor may be released to the county board of equalization, the department of revenue and the department of audit;

(B) Upon prior notice to the taxpayer, information filed with the department may be released by the department, upon written application, to any other governmental entity if the governmental entity shows sufficient reason to obtain the information for official business;

(C) Information concerning taxpayer's valuation and assessment shall be made available on a confidential basis to the county board of equalization and the state board of equalization when the information is pertinent to an appeal before either board;

(D) Any other use authorized by law.

(iii) Any person receiving information pursuant to paragraph (ii) of this subsection shall sign an agreement with the department to keep the information confidential;

(iv) The taxable value of the taxpayer's property is not confidential and may be released without qualification;

(v) Any person who negligently violates the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). Any person who intentionally violates the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), but not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) and imprisoned for not more than one (1) year.