Ross v. Wisconsin Tax Commission
Ross v. Wisconsin Tax Commission
Opinion of the Court
The issues presented in this case are the same as those presented in Whitbeck v. Wisconsin Tax Comm., decided herewith (ante, p. 58, 239 N. W. 655, 240 N. W. 804). The mandate in this case is the same as the mandate in that case for the reasons there stated.
By the Court. — Judgment reversed, and cause remanded with directions to dismiss the complaint.
On these motions for rehearing we have been urged by the plaintiffs to reconsider the determination reached herein. In this counsel for plaintiffs have been joined by other distinguished counsel who appear amici curice in support of plaintiffs’ motions. We have again very carefully and fully considered the matter with the result that the conclusion already reached must be adhered to. In view of the importance of the question and the arguments presented we shall state our reasons therefor at some length.
The income tax act is embodied in ch. 71, Stats. Sec. 71.02 defines what constitutes taxable income. Sec. 71.03 relates to deductions from gross income of corporations. Sec. 71.04 relates to deductions from income of persons other than corporations. Sec. 71.05 specifies what income is exempt from taxation. Sec. 71.06 prescribes the rates of taxation. Sec. 71.09 confers upon the Tax Commission and assessor of incomes power to make assessments and requires every taxpayer to return the amount of his taxable income to the proper office on or before March 15th of each year. Sec. 71.10 provides for the averaging of incomes and sub. (2) contains the following provision:
“The Tax Commission or the assessor of incomes shall presume the incomes reported on the current return to be correct for the purpose of preparing initial assessment rolls, and shall enter on initial assessment rolls by taxation districts the average taxable income computed according to the preceding subsection. Such assessment rolls and all subse*66 quent assessment rolls shall remain on file in the office of the Tax Commission or the assessor of incomes as the case may be. The Tax Commission and the assessor of incomes shall make duplicate copies of such assessment rolls and all subsequent assessment rolls provided by this section, and such duplicate rolls shall be known as tax roll. The Tax Commission and the assessors of incomes shall certify such tax rolls for collection of the tax to the county treasurers of the several counties within five months after the close of the fiscal or calendar year of any taxpayer.”
This means by June 1st in the case of all taxpayers whose fiscal year corresponds to the calendar year. All income taxes not paid within thirty days after the same are due are deemed delinquent.
Sec. 71.10 (5) requires the Tax Commission or the assessor of incomes, as soon as practicable after the initial tax roll has been certified, to audit each return, and the Tax Commission and the assessor of incomes are required to notify the taxpayer of any adjustment, correction, or assessment made pursuant to the audit, and, if the taxpayer so desires, he is entitled under the provisions of sub. (6) to a hearing. If the tax is increased the treasurer shall proceed to collect the additional amount. If any tax has been overpaid the Tax Commission or assessor of incomes is authorized to certify the amount of the overpayment and the proper treasurer may refund the amount of such overpayment. By sec. 71.13 the Tax Commission is authorized to appoint three resident taxpayers of each county to serve as a county board of review. This board is required to meet on the last Monday of July, at ten o’clock a. m., and adjourns when it has disposed of the appeals before it. The assessor of incomes may reconvene the board any time until the last Monday of the succeeding month of July. Sec. 71.13 (3) (d). It may conduct hearings and review any assessment made by the assessor of incomes. If either party to the proceeding is dissatisfied with the determination of the county board of review, an appeal may be taken
As stated in the original opinion, a taxpayer is entitled to take an appeal from the determination of the Tax Commission in the manner provided. Upon such an appeal, were it not for sec. 71.14, the taxpayer would be entitled to a review of the whole matter. Therefore the question turns on what effect is to be given to that section. It is quite apparent that the statutory scheme assumes that the taxpayer shall in the first instance assess himself. This appears from the fact that the Tax Commission and assessor of incomes are required to presume that the incomes reported in the current return are in the first instance correct. The statute affords ample opportunity for a hearing and for a review in cases where the amount of the tax is increased by office audit or by field audit. What is reviewed on appeal is the correctness of the assessment made by the taxing officers in reviewing the taxpayer’s assessment of himself. The provision of sec. 71.14 which requires as a condition of questioning an assessment that the taxpayer shall have first presented objections to the assessment to the proper reviewing authority, is, as is pointed out in the briefs, quite clearly intended to apply to the initial assessment, which, under the statute as it now stands, is to be made by the taxpayer. Previous to the revision of 1927, returns were required to be filed on or before March 15th. They were then audited, the taxpayer had an opportunity to go before the county board of review or the Tax Commission as the case might be, and the tax was not reviewed until later in the year and was not payable until after January first of the succeeding year. So there was ample opportunity to object to the assessment. As is pointed out in briefs of counsel, the board of review does not sit until after the tax becomes delinquent if not paid. It follows, as is pointed out by counsel, that in the event that the tax
Inasmuch as the question raised in the case at bar relates to the initial assessment, as to which there was no objection or disclosure, what has been said disposes of the issues in the case. However, in view of the arguments made by counsel, it should be pointed out that failure to object as pro
In the original opinion language was used which, considered apart from the facts of that cáse, permits the kiference that the right to a court review in all cases depended upon objections made to the initial assessment. In this as in all other cases the language of the decision should be interpreted in the light of the facts with reference to which it was used. It is argued in the briefs that if it be held that the initial assessment made by the taxpayer is as to errors made by him against himself conclusive and in cases of additional assessments the taxpayer is required to proceed by objections before the county board of review and Tax Commission and by appeal, and that unless this remedy is
By the Court. — Motions for rehearing are denied, with $25 costs in one case only.
Reference
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