70.35 Taxpayer examined under oath or to submit return.
(1) To determine the amount and value of any personal property for which any person, firm, or corporation should be assessed, any assessor may examine such person or the managing agent or officer of any firm or corporation under oath as to all such items of personal property, the taxable value thereof as defined in s. 70.34 if the property is taxable. In the alternative the assessor may require such person, firm, or corporation to submit a return of such personal property and of the taxable value thereof. There shall be annexed to such return the declaration of such person or of the managing agent or officer of such firm or corporation that the statements therein contained are true.
(2) The return shall be made and all the information therein requested given by such person on a form prescribed by the assessor with the approval of the department of revenue which shall provide suitable schedules for such information bearing on value as the department deems necessary to enable the assessor to determine the true cash value of the taxable personal property that is owned or in the possession of such person on January 1 as provided in s. 70.10. The return may contain methods of deriving assessable values from book values and for the conversion of book values to present values, and a statement as to the accounting method used. No person shall be required to take detailed physical inventory for the purpose of making the return required by this section.
(3) Each return shall be filed with the assessor on or before March 1 of the year in which the assessment provided by s. 70.10 is made. The assessor, for good cause, may allow a reasonable extension of time for filing the return. All returns filed under this section shall be the confidential records of the assessor's office, except that the returns shall be available for use before the board of review as provided in this chapter. No return required under this section is controlling on the assessor in any respect in the assessment of any property.
(4) Any person, firm or corporation who refuses to so testify or who fails, neglects or refuses to make and file the return of personal property required by this section shall be denied any right of abatement by the board of review on account of the assessment of such personal property unless such person, firm or corporation shall make such return to such board of review together with a statement of the reasons for the failure to make and file the return in the manner and form required by this section.
(5) In the event that the assessor or the board of review should desire further evidence they may call upon other persons as witnesses to give evidence under oath as to the items and value of the personal property of any such person, firm or corporation.
(6) The return required by this section shall not be demanded by the assessor from any farmer, or from any firm or corporation assessed under ch. 76 or from any person, firm or corporation whose personal property is not used for the production of income in industry, trade, commerce or professional practice.
(8) This section shall not be applicable to farm products as defined by s. 93.01 (5) when owned and possessed by the original producer.
History: 1977 c. 29 ss. 750, 1646 (3); 1983 a. 189 s. 329 (20); 1997 a. 237; 2001 a. 16; 2017 a. 59.
Structure Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 70 - General property taxes.
70.01 - General property taxes; upon whom levied.
70.02 - Definition of general property.
70.03 - Definition of real property.
70.04 - Definition of personal property.
70.043 - Mobile homes and manufactured homes.
70.045 - Taxation district defined.
70.05 - Valuation of property; assessors in cities, towns and villages.
70.055 - Expert assessment help.
70.06 - Assessments, where made; first class city districts; assessors; appointment, removal.
70.07 - Functions of board of assessors in first class cities.
70.075 - Functions of board of assessors in cities of the 2nd class.
70.09 - Official real property lister; forms for officers.
70.095 - Assessment roll; time-share property.
70.10 - Assessment, when made, exemption.
70.109 - Presumption of taxability.
70.11 - Property exempted from taxation.
70.111 - Personal property exempted from taxation.
70.112 - Property exempted from taxation because of special tax.
70.113 - State aid to municipalities; aids in lieu of taxes.
70.114 - Aids on certain state lands equivalent to property taxes.
70.115 - Taxation of real estate held by investment board.
70.119 - Payments for municipal services.
70.12 - Real property, where assessed.
70.13 - Where personal property assessed.
70.14 - Incorporated companies.
70.15 - Assessment of vessels.
70.17 - Lands, to whom assessed; buildings on exempt lands.
70.174 - Improvements on government-owned land.
70.18 - Personal property, to whom assessed.
70.19 - Assessment, how made; liability and rights of representative.
70.20 - Owner's liability when personalty assessed to another; action to collect.
70.21 - Partnership; estates in hands of personal representative; personal property, how assessed.
70.22 - Personal property being administered, how assessed.
70.23 - Duties of assessors; entry of parcels on assessment roll.
70.24 - Public lands and land mortgaged to state.
70.25 - Lands, described on rolls.
70.28 - Assessment as one parcel.
70.29 - Personalty, how entered.
70.32 - Real estate, how valued.
70.323 - Assessment of divided parcel.
70.327 - Valuation and assessment of property with contaminated wells.
70.337 - Tax exemption reports.
70.339 - Reporting requirements.
70.345 - Legislative intent; department of revenue to supply information.
70.35 - Taxpayer examined under oath or to submit return.
70.36 - False statement; duty of district attorney.
70.365 - Notice of changed assessment.
70.37 - Net proceeds occupation tax on persons extracting metalliferous minerals in this state.
70.375 - Net proceeds occupation tax on mining of metallic minerals; computation.
70.38 - Reports, appeals, estimated liability.
70.385 - Collection of the tax.
70.39 - Collection of delinquent tax.
70.395 - Distribution and apportionment of tax.
70.396 - Use of metalliferous mining tax payments by counties.
70.3965 - Fund administrative fee.
70.397 - Oil and gas severance tax.
70.40 - Occupational tax on iron ore concentrates.
70.42 - Occupation tax on coal.
70.421 - Occupational tax on petroleum and petroleum products refined in this state.
70.43 - Correction of errors by assessors.
70.44 - Assessment; property omitted.
70.45 - Return and examination of rolls.
70.46 - Boards of review; members; organization.
70.47 - Board of review proceedings.
70.48 - Assessor to attend board of review.
70.49 - Affidavit of assessor.
70.501 - Fraudulent valuations by assessor.
70.502 - Fraud by member of board of review.
70.503 - Civil liability of assessor or member of board of review.
70.51 - Assessment review and tax roll in first class cities.
70.511 - Delayed action of reviewing authority.
70.52 - Clerks to examine and correct rolls.
70.53 - Statement of assessment and exemptions.
70.555 - Provisions directory.
70.57 - Assessment of counties and taxation districts by department.
70.575 - State assessment, time.
70.58 - Forestation state tax.
70.60 - Apportionment of state tax to counties.
70.63 - Apportionment of county and state taxes to municipalities.
70.64 - Review of equalized values.
70.67 - Municipal treasurer's bond; substitute for.
70.71 - Proceedings if roll not made.
70.72 - Clerical help on reassessment.
70.73 - Correction of tax roll.
70.74 - Lien of reassessed tax.
70.77 - Proceedings; inspection.
70.79 - Power of supervisor of equalization.
70.81 - Statement of expenses.
70.82 - Review of claims; payment.
70.83 - Deputies; neglect; reassessment.
70.84 - Inequalities may be corrected in subsequent year.
70.85 - Review of assessment by department of revenue.
70.855 - State assessment of commercial property.