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SF0019 • 2022

County optional property tax refund program.

AN ACT relating to taxation and revenue; creating a county optional property tax refund program; and providing for an effective date.

Taxes
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Revenue
Last action
2022-03-11
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2022

Plain English Breakdown

The official text does not specify exact residency requirements beyond five years.

County Optional Property Tax Refund Program

This law allows counties to create a property tax refund program for residents who meet certain income and residency requirements.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates an optional county-level property tax refund program that counties can choose whether or not to implement.
  • Sets rules for eligibility, including requiring applicants to have lived in the state for at least five years and having a household income below three-fourths of the median gross household income for their county.
  • Requires refunds to be funded from the revenues of the county implementing the program.
  • Limits the refund amount to half of the applicant's prior year property tax or one-half of the median residential property tax liability for their county, whichever is less.
  • Requires counties to publicize information about the program and how residents can apply.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Residents who own homes in counties that choose to implement this refund program.
  • Counties that decide to create a property tax refund program based on these guidelines.

Terms To Know

Median gross household income
The middle value of all household incomes in a county when listed from lowest to highest.
Ad valorem tax
A type of property tax based on the assessed value of the property.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Counties must decide whether or not to implement this program.
  • The exact amount of refunds will vary depending on how each county sets up its program.

Bill History

  1. 2022-03-11 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 59

  2. 2022-03-11 Governor

    Governor Signed SEA No. 0026

  3. 2022-03-09 House

    H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0026

  4. 2022-03-09 Senate

    S President Signed SEA No. 0026

  5. 2022-03-08 LSO

    Assigned Number SEA No. 0026

  6. 2022-03-08 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 50-8-2-0-0

  7. 2022-03-07 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2022-03-04 House

    H COW:Passed

  9. 2022-03-01 House

    H Placed on General File

  10. 2022-03-01 House

    H03 - Revenue:Recommend Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0

  11. 2022-02-23 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H03 - Revenue

  12. 2022-02-18 House

    H Received for Introduction

  13. 2022-02-18 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 20-9-1-0-0

  14. 2022-02-17 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  15. 2022-02-16 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  16. 2022-02-16 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  17. 2022-02-16 Senate

    S03 - Revenue:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  18. 2022-02-14 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S03 - Revenue 24-6-0-0-0

  19. 2022-01-19 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  20. 2022-01-10 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 22LSO-0179
Bill No.:

SF0019

Effective:

7/1/2022 12:00:00 AM

LSO No.:

22LSO-0179

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0026

Chapter No.:

59

Prime Sponsor:

Joint Revenue Interim Committee

Catch Title:

County optional property tax refund program.

Subject:

Creating a property tax refund program that counties can choose whether to implement and tailor for their county.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act creates an optional property tax refund program at the county level. The act specifies requirements for a person to be eligible for a refund and allows flexibility for counties to tailor the program to their county.

The act requires any refund granted under a county-optional property tax refund program to be funded only from the revenues of the county opting to implement a program.

The act requires a county implementing a county‑optional property tax refund program to promulgate rules as necessary to implement the program.

Comments:

Creates a major program: the county optional property tax refund program.

Popular name: the county optional property tax refund bill.

The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
22LSO-0179

ORIGINAL Senate

File No
.
SF0019

ENROLLED ACT NO. 26,

SENATE

SIXTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2022 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to taxation and revenue; creating a county optional property tax refund program; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 39
‑
13
‑
109(c) by creating a new paragraph (vi) is amended to read:

39
‑
13
‑
109.

Taxpayer remedies.

(c)

Refunds.

The following shall apply:

(vi)

Each county shall have the option to implement a county
‑
optional property tax refund program which, is in addition to the program established under paragraph (v) of this subsection, adoption of rules as required by subparagraph (H) of this paragraph. The following shall apply to a county
‑
optional property tax refund program implemented under this paragraph:

(A)

On or before the first Monday in June, an applicant may apply to the county treasurer for a property tax refund from property taxes paid on or before the first Monday in June for the preceding calendar year upon the applicant's principal residence including the land upon which the residence is located. An applicant shall have been a resident of this state for not less than five (5) years before applying for a refund under this paragraph. The affidavit shall include information as required by rule of the county on a form approved by the county. The tax refund granted shall be as provided by subparagraph (E) of this paragraph;

(B)

The applicant shall attest that the property for which the applicant applies for a refund under this paragraph was occupied for more than nine (9) months of the preceding calendar year for which the applicant applies for a refund;

(C)

Except as provided in subparagraph (D) of this paragraph, any person in the participating county shall qualify for a refund in the amount specified under this paragraph if any ad valorem tax due upon the person's principal residence in the county for the preceding calendar year was timely paid and if the person's gross income including the total household income of which the person is a member does not exceed an amount as determined by the county, which shall not exceed three
‑
fourths (3/4) of the median gross household income for the county, as determined annually by the economic analysis division of the department of administration and information. As used in this subparagraph

"gross income" shall have the same meaning as defined by department rules promulgated under paragraph (v) of this subsection. Gross income shall be verified by federal income tax returns, which shall accompany the application for refund, if federal income tax returns were required and filed, or by whatever other means necessary as determined by the county through rules;

(D)

No person shall qualify for a refund under this paragraph unless the person has total household assets not to exceed an amount as determined by the county which shall not exceed an amount as provided in subparagraph (v)(B) of this subsection and as defined by the department through rules promulgated under subparagraph (v)(B) of this subsection;

(E)

The tax refund for qualifying persons shall be in the form of a refund of any ad valorem tax due and timely paid upon the person's principal residence for the preceding calendar year in the amount specified in this paragraph. A refund granted under this paragraph shall not exceed a percentage of the applicant's prior year's property tax as determined by the county subject to this paragraph, which shall not exceed one
‑
half (1/2) of the applicant's prior year's property tax. In no instance shall the amount of the refund exceed one
‑
half (1/2) of the median residential property tax liability for the applicant's county as determined annually by the department of revenue. The county shall issue all refunds due under this paragraph on or before September 30 of the year in which application is made for the refund;

(F)

A refund granted under this paragraph shall be funded only from the revenues of the county opting to implement that county's county
‑
optional property tax refund program;

(G)

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. Each year a county opting to implement a county
‑
optional property tax refund program shall publicize in a manner reasonably designed to notify all residents of the county the provisions of this paragraph and the method by which eligible persons may obtain a refund;

(H)

A county implementing a county
‑
optional property tax refund program under this paragraph shall promulgate rules necessary to implement this paragraph.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2022
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

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