2015 Wyoming Code
TITLE 39 - TAXATION AND REVENUE
CHAPTER 13 - AD VALOREM TAXATION
SECTION 39-13-107. - Compliance; collection procedures.

39-13-107. Compliance; collection procedures.

(a) Returns and reports. The following shall apply:

(i) Except as provided by chapter 14 of this title or paragraph (ii) of this subsection, annually, commencing on January 1, the county assessor or deputy assessors as provided by W.S. 39-13-102(a) shall obtain from each property owner or person having control of taxable property in the assessment district for which they were appointed, a full, complete and detailed statement of the amount of the taxable property owned by or subject to the control of the property owner. If a property owner fails to provide a listing of personal property owned by him or under his control by March 1, unless an extension is granted from the assessor in writing, the assessor shall issue an assessment of personal property from the best information available. The county assessor shall extend the date for listing personal property from March 1 to April 1 upon written request of the property owner provided the written request is made not later than February 15. The county assessor or his deputies or any representative of the department may examine any property. The county assessor or his deputies shall enter the fair market value of the property for taxation on the assessment roll. The owner, or his agent, shall make and subscribe the following oath:

"I, ...., the owner of (or agent, etc., as the case may be) do solemnly swear (or affirm) that the above and foregoing listed property is a full, true, correct and complete list of all property owned by me or under my control as agent or otherwise, and that I have not failed or neglected to list for taxation for the year ...., all property of which I am the owner or of which I have control as agent, guardian, administrator or otherwise, in the county of ...., State of Wyoming, and that I have not connived at any violation or evasion of the requirements of law in relation to the assessment of property for taxation.";

(ii) Annually, on or before the dates hereafter indicated, any person whose property is subject to W.S. 39-13-102(m) shall sign under oath and submit a statement listing the information relative to the property and affairs of the company as the department may require to assess the following property:

(A) May 1, rail car companies;

(B) April 1, pipeline companies, electric utilities, telephone and telegraph companies and other public utilities;

(C) May 1, railroad companies.

(iii) If the statement provided by paragraph (ii) of this subsection is not filed, the department shall value the property from the best information available. The department may use information other than contained in the statement provided by paragraph (ii) of this subsection to determine the fair market value of the property provided by W.S. 39-13-102(m).

(b) The following provisions shall apply to the payment of taxes, distraint of property and deferral:

(i) The following shall apply to the payment of taxes due:

(A) 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;

(B) 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. The county treasurer shall issue receipts for taxes paid, specifying the kind of tax and when paid, and enter the payment on the tax list;

(C) Annually, on or before October 10 the county treasurer shall send a written statement in sealed envelopes of total tax due, itemized as to property description, assessed value and mill levies, to each taxpayer at his last known address. The notice shall contain information, including contact information, of any property tax relief program authorized by state law. Failure to send notice, or to demand payment of taxes, does not invalidate any taxes due;

(D) Taxes provided by this act are due and payable at the office of the county treasurer of the county in which the taxes are levied. Fifty percent (50%) of the taxes are due on and after September 1 and payable on and after November 10 in each year and the remaining fifty percent (50%) of the taxes are due on and after March 1 and payable on and after May 10 of the succeeding calendar year except as hereafter provided. If the entire tax is paid on or before December 31, no interest or penalty is chargeable;

(E) As between the grantor and grantee of any property where there is no express agreement in writing as to which party shall pay the taxes that may be assessed on the property, if the property is conveyed on or after January 1, the grantor shall pay the taxes for that year.

(ii) The following shall apply to the distraint of property:

(A) The following shall apply to the removal of property subject to tax:

(I) If the county treasurer has reasonable grounds to believe that any taxable property in the county will be removed from the county before the tax due or to become due has been paid, he may take possession of so much of the property as will be necessary to pay the taxes due or to become due for the year plus the costs incident to keeping the property. The property shall be released if the amount necessary to pay the taxes plus costs is deposited with the county treasurer;

(II) If the tax list and warrant have been delivered to the county treasurer, taxes are immediately due if circumstances provided by subdivision (I) of this subparagraph are present, and the county treasurer may levy distress against the property;

(III) When acting pursuant to subdivision (I) of this subparagraph the county treasurer may seize property in any county of the state. When acting pursuant to subdivision (II) of this subparagraph the county treasurer may forward the tax claim to the county treasurer of any county in which the property may be found who shall proceed to collect the taxes as provided by subdivision (II) of this subparagraph.

(B) The following shall apply to the distraint of property for nonpayment:

(I) Annually, the county treasurer shall declare any taxes remaining unpaid on May 11 delinquent, and on or before May 21 shall certify a list of delinquent taxes and taxpayers, indicating the years for which payment is delinquent, which constitutes the delinquent tax roll or list of the county for the years covered thereby. The county treasurer shall stamp upon each line of the delinquent tax roll "Delinquent May 11, ...." but failure to do so does not invalidate subsequent collection proceedings;

(II) Following certification of the delinquent tax roll or list, the county treasurer shall demand payment of all delinquent taxes plus interest from the taxpayers listed therein;

(III) In the event of nonpayment of delinquent taxes and interest following demand therefor, the county treasurer shall proceed to collect the delinquent taxes, interest and costs provided by W.S. 39-13-108(b)(ii) and 39-13-108(e)(ix) by levying distress against the real or personal property of the delinquent taxpayer as may be most convenient except a homestead may only be sold for taxes due upon it exclusively. The county treasurer may distrain and sell personal property even if the delinquent taxpayer has real property in the county, or may sell real property even if the delinquent taxpayer has personal property in the county subject to the homestead exception stated above.

(iii) The following shall apply to the deferral of tax collection:

(A) On or before November 10 of the year taxes are levied and upon the filing of an affidavit demonstrating an adequate showing that he is qualified under subparagraph (N) of this paragraph and if his principal residence is located on a parcel of land not more than forty (40) acres, any person may apply to the board of county commissioners for deferral of the collection of not to exceed one-half (1/2) of any real estate ad valorem taxes owed by the property owner on his principal residence. The board of county commissioners of each county may promulgate rules and regulations necessary to administer the provisions of this paragraph including guidelines for a taxpayer to demonstrate qualification and provisions allowing or requiring annual payment of a portion of the taxes or interest on deferred taxes. All rules, regulations, guidelines, forms and other program information shall be submitted to the department prior to July 1 of the year the deferral program is implemented in the county. The board of county commissioners may implement the program unless disapproved in writing by the department within forty-five (45) days of submission. If at least ten (10) residents of a county who are qualified under subparagraph (N) of this paragraph submit a petition to the board of county commissioners, the board of county commissioners shall hold a hearing within thirty (30) days on the issue of whether to promulgate rules to enable the qualified residents of the county to participate in the tax deferral program authorized under this paragraph;

(B) Any deferral of collection of taxes granted by the board of county commissioners shall constitute a perpetual tax lien against the property pursuant to W.S. 39-13-108(d)(i) with priority over any other lien. The taxpayer shall file an affidavit each year demonstrating qualification including any significant change to his financial status. If the board of county commissioners finds that the taxpayer's financial status to qualify under subdivision (N)(I) of this paragraph has significantly changed, the board of county commissioners shall, by written order, declare any taxes deferred due and payable on an earlier date. Unless declared to be due earlier, any taxes deferred shall be due and payable upon a significant change in the taxpayer's financial status as determined by the board of county commissioners, abandonment of the property, failure to file annually the affidavit required by this paragraph, the death of the property owner or the sale or transfer of the property, whichever occurs first. If the board of county commissioners finds at any time that the total taxes deferred exceeds one-half (1/2) of the fair market value of the property as estimated by the board of county commissioners, the board of county commissioners may declare, by written order, that all deferred taxes are immediately due and payable;

(C) Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prohibit or affect requirements for property to be listed, valued and assessed by the county assessor pursuant to law;

(D) Notwithstanding W.S. 39-13-108(b)(ii), interest shall accrue on any tax collection deferral granted by the board of county commissioners at a compounded rate of four percent (4%) per annum, except for persons who qualify solely under subdivision (N)(III) of this paragraph interest shall accrue at a rate equal to the average yield on ten (10) year United States treasury bonds for the previous three (3) calendar years, plus one and one-half percent (1.5%) as determined by the state treasurer for the calendar year preceding the year in which application is made. Any tax collection deferral may be prepaid at any time without prepayment penalty;

(E) Each year the county assessor shall publicize in a manner reasonably designed to notify all residents of the county the provisions of this section and the method by which eligible persons may obtain a deferral;

(F) Payment of deferred taxes shall be distributed pursuant to W.S. 39-13-111(a)(ii). Any taxes deferred under this paragraph which would be distributed pursuant to W.S. 39-13-111(a)(ii)(A) shall be paid from the county general fund subject to reimbursement when the deferred taxes are paid by the taxpayer or otherwise collected by the county. The board of county commissioners may, by December 1 of the year in which the first installment of deferred taxes are to be paid, make application to the state treasurer for disbursement of funds pledged by W.S. 9-4-715(j). If applications exceed funds authorized, the state treasurer shall make investments on a prorated basis;

(G) The deferral option shall not be available in any county which has not adopted rules as required by subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, or which has received disapproval of the county program by the department;

(H) If any residence is under mortgage, deed of trust or purchase contract whereby the explicit terms of the mortgage, deed or contract requires the accumulation of reserves out of which the holder of the mortgage, deed or contract is required to pay real property taxes, the holder or his authorized agent shall cosign the affidavit to defer either before a notarial officer or the county assessor or deputy in the county in which the real property is located;

(J) If any residence is under rental and the terms of the rental contract require the payment of taxes by the renter, the renter may apply for the deferral provided the property owner or authorized agent also cosigns the affidavit to defer either before a notarial officer or the county assessor or deputy in the county in which the real property is located;

(K) Consistent with generally accepted fiscal accounting standards, each county implementing the deferral program shall maintain adequate records pertaining to the deferral program, by legal description, owner, taxpayer, if different from owner, deferred taxes and interest, payments made against deferred taxes and interest, and any other information necessary to document and determine the status of deferred taxes and interest in the county. These records shall be updated annually or as needed, and a summary thereof shall be submitted annually to the department of revenue on or before August 10;

(M) As used in this paragraph, "limited income" means not to exceed a maximum gross monthly household income at or below two hundred fifty percent (250%) of the federal poverty level for a household of four (4) as adjusted annually by the comparative cost-of-living index for the respective county as determined by the division of economic analysis, department of administration and information;

(N) An owner is qualified under this subparagraph for his primary residence if:

(I) The owner's affidavit adequately demonstrates limited income as defined in subparagraph (M) of this paragraph;

(II) The owner is a person over the age of sixty-two (62) years;

(III) The owner is a person with a disability as determined by the social security administration; or

(IV) The owner purchased the property at least ten (10) years prior to the beginning of the tax year for which he is applying for deferral of taxes.

(O) Repealed By Laws 2009, Ch. 176, 2.

(c) Timelines. There are no specific applicable provisions for timelines for this chapter.