2009 Wisconsin Act 28

71.59 (1) (d) 5. That soil and water conservation standards applicable to the land are established and approved as required under s. 92.105 (1) to (3), 2007 stats., and that no notice of noncompliance is in effect under s. 92.105 (5), 2007 stats., with respect to the claimant at the time the certificate is issued.

28,1759 Section 1759. 71.59 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

71.59 (2) Ineligible claims. (intro.) No credit shall be allowed under this subchapter ss. 71.57 to 71.61:

28,1760 Section 1760. 71.59 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

71.59 (2) (b) If a notice of noncompliance with an applicable soil and water conservation plan under s. 92.104, 2007 stats., is in effect with respect to the claimant at the time the claim is filed.

28,1761 Section 1761. 71.59 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

71.59 (2) (c) If a notice of noncompliance with applicable soil and water conservation standards under s. 92.105, 2007 stats., is in effect with respect to the claimant at the time the claim is filed.

28,1762 Section 1762. 71.59 (2) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:

71.59 (2) (d) For property taxes accrued on farmland zoned for exclusive agricultural use under an ordinance certified under subch. V of ch. 91, 2007 stats., which is granted a special exception or conditional use permit for a use which is not an agricultural use, as defined in s. 91.01 (1), 2007 stats.

28,1763 Section 1763. 71.59 (2) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:

71.59 (2) (e) If the department determines that ownership of the farmland has been transferred to the claimant primarily for the purpose of maximizing benefits under this subchapter ss. 71.57 to 71.61.

28,1764 Section 1764. 71.60 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

71.60 (1) (b) The credit allowed under this subchapter ss. 71.57 to 71.61 shall be limited to 90% of the first $2,000 of excessive property taxes plus 70% of the 2nd $2,000 of excessive property taxes plus 50% of the 3rd $2,000 of excessive property taxes. The maximum credit shall not exceed $4,200 for any claimant. The credit for any claimant shall be the greater of either the credit as calculated under this subchapter ss. 71.57 to 71.61 as it exists at the end of the year for which the claim is filed or as it existed on the date on which the farmland became subject to a current agreement under subch. II or III of ch. 91, 2007 stats., using for such calculations household income and property taxes accrued of the year for which the claim is filed.

28,1765 Section 1765. 71.60 (1) (c) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.60 (1) (c) 1. If the farmland is located in a county which has a certified agricultural preservation plan under subch. IV of ch. 91, 2007 stats., at the close of the year for which credit is claimed and is in an area zoned by a county, city or village for exclusive agricultural use under ch. 91, 2007 stats., at the close of such year, the amount of the claim shall be that as specified in par. (b).

28,1766 Section 1766. 71.60 (1) (c) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.60 (1) (c) 2. If the farmland is subject to a transition area agreement under subch. II of ch. 91, 2007 stats., on July 1 of the year for which credit is claimed, or the claimant had applied for such an agreement before July 1 of such year and the agreement has subsequently been executed, and the farmland is located in a city or village which has a certified exclusive agricultural use zoning ordinance under subch. V of ch. 91, 2007 stats., in effect at the close of the year for which credit is claimed, or in a town which is subject to a certified county exclusive agricultural use zoning ordinance under subch. V of ch. 91, 2007 stats., in effect at the close of the year for which credit is claimed, the amount of the claim shall be that as specified in par. (b).

28,1767 Section 1767. 71.60 (1) (c) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.60 (1) (c) 3. If the claimant or any member of the claimant's household owns farmland which is ineligible for credit under subd. 1. or 2. but was subject to a farmland preservation agreement under subch. III of ch. 91, 2007 stats., on July 1 of the year for which credit is claimed, or the owner had applied for such an agreement before July 1 of such year and the agreement has subsequently been executed, and if the owner has applied by the end of the year in which conversion under s. 91.41, 2007 stats., is first possible for conversion of the agreement to a transition area agreement under subch. II of ch. 91, 2007 stats., and the transition area agreement has subsequently been executed, and the farmland is located in a city or village which has a certified exclusive agricultural use zoning ordinance under subch. V of ch. 91, 2007 stats., in effect at the close of the year for which credit is claimed, or in a town which is subject to a certified county exclusive agricultural use zoning ordinance under subch. V of ch. 91, 2007 stats., in effect at the close of the year for which credit is claimed, the amount of the claim shall be that specified in par. (b).

28,1768 Section 1768. 71.60 (1) (c) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.60 (1) (c) 4. If the claimant or any member of the claimant's household owns farmland which is ineligible for credit under subd. 1. or 2. but which is subject to a farmland preservation agreement or a transition area agreement under subch. II of ch. 91, 2007 stats., on July 1 of the year for which credit is claimed, or the owner had applied for such an agreement before July 1 of such year and the agreement has subsequently been executed, the amount of the claim shall be limited to 80% of that specified in par. (b).

28,1769 Section 1769. 71.60 (1) (c) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.60 (1) (c) 5. If the claimant or any member of the claimant's household owns farmland which is ineligible for credit under subds. 1. to 4. but was subject to a farmland preservation agreement under subch. III of ch. 91, 2007 stats., on July 1 of the year for which credit is claimed, or the owner had applied for such an agreement before July 1 of such year and the agreement has subsequently been executed, and if the owner has applied by the end of the year in which conversion under s. 91.41, 2007 stats., is first possible for conversion of the agreement to an agreement under subch. II of ch. 91, 2007 stats., and the agreement under subch. II of ch. 91, 2007 stats., has subsequently been executed, the amount of the claim shall be limited to 80% of that specified in par. (b).

28,1770 Section 1770. 71.60 (1) (c) 6. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.60 (1) (c) 6. If the farmland is located in an agricultural district under a certified county agricultural preservation plan under subch. IV of ch. 91, 2007 stats., at the close of the year for which credit is claimed, and is located in an area zoned for exclusive agricultural use under a certified town ordinance under subch. V of ch. 91, 2007 stats., at the close of such year, the amount of the claim shall be the amount specified in par. (b).

28,1771 Section 1771. 71.60 (1) (c) 6m. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.60 (1) (c) 6m. If the farmland is located in an agricultural district under a certified county agricultural preservation plan under subch. IV of ch. 91, 2007 stats., at the close of the year for which credit is claimed, and is located in an area zoned for exclusive agricultural use under a certified county or town ordinance under subch. V of ch. 91, 2007 stats., for part of a year but not at the close of that year because the farmland became subject to a city or village extraterritorial zoning ordinance under s. 62.23 (7a), the amount of the claim shall be equal to the amount that the claim would have been under this section if the farmland were subject to a certified county or town exclusive agricultural use ordinance at the close of the year.

28,1772 Section 1772. 71.60 (1) (c) 7. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.60 (1) (c) 7. If the farmland is located in an area zoned for exclusive agricultural use under a certified county, city or village ordinance under subch. V of ch. 91, 2007 stats., at the close of the year for which credit is claimed, but the county in which the farmland is located has not adopted an agricultural preservation plan under subch. IV of ch. 91, 2007 stats., by the close of such year, the amount of the claim shall be limited to 70% of that specified in par. (b).

28,1773 Section 1773. 71.60 (1) (c) 8. of the statutes is amended to read:

71.60 (1) (c) 8. If the farmland is subject to a farmland preservation agreement under subch. III of ch. 91, 2007 stats., on July 1 of the year for which credit is claimed or the claimant had applied for such an agreement before July 1 of such year and the agreement has subsequently been executed, the amount of the claim shall be limited to 50% of that specified in par. (b).

28,1774 Section 1774. 71.60 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

71.60 (2) If the farmland is subject to a certified ordinance under subch. V of ch. 91, 2007 stats., or an agreement under subch. II of ch. 91, 2007 stats., in effect at the close of the year for which the credit is claimed, the amount of the claim is 10% of the property taxes accrued or the amount determined under sub. (1), whichever is greater.

28,1775 Section 1775. 71.61 of the statutes is amended to read:

71.61 General provisions. (1) Department may apply credit against any tax liability. The amount of any claim otherwise payable under this subchapter ss. 71.57 to 71.61 may be applied by the department against any amount certified to the department under s. 71.93 or 71.935 or may be credited under s. 71.80 (3) or (3m).

(2) Credits are income. All amounts allowed as credits under this subchapter ss. 71.57 to 71.61 constitute income for income and franchise tax purposes and are reportable as such in the year of receipt.

(3) Interest not allowed. No interest may be allowed on any payment made to a claimant under this subchapter ss. 71.57 to 71.61.

(3m) Administration. The income tax provisions in this chapter relating to assessments, refunds, appeals and collection apply to the credit under this subchapter ss. 71.57 to 71.61.

(4) Penalties. Unless specifically provided in this subchapter ss. 71.57 to 71.61, the penalties under subch. XIII apply for failure to comply with this subchapter ss. 71.57 to 71.61 unless the context requires otherwise.

(5) Table prepared by department. The department shall prepare a table under which claims under this subchapter ss. 71.57 to 71.61 shall be determined.

28,1776 Section 1776. 71.61 (6) of the statutes is created to read:

71.61 (6) Prohibition of new claims. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2009, no new claims for a credit may be filed under ss. 71.57 to 71.61, but if an otherwise eligible claimant is subject to a farmland preservation agreement, as defined in s. 91.01 (7), 2007 stats., that is in effect on July 1, 2010, the claimant may continue to file a claim for the credit under ss. 71.57 to 71.61 until the farmland preservation agreement expires, except that no claimant who files a claim under ss. 71.57 to 71.61 may file a claim under s. 71.613.

28,1777 Section 1777. 71.613 of the statutes is created to read:

71.613 Farmland preservation credit, 2010 and beyond. (1) Definitions. In this section:

(a) "Agricultural use" has the meaning given in s. 91.01 (2).

(b) "Claimant" means an owner, as defined in s. 91.01 (9), 2007 stats., of farmland, domiciled in this state during the entire taxable year to which the claim under this section relates, who files a claim under this section, except as follows:

1. When 2 or more individuals of a household are able to qualify individually as a claimant, they may determine between them who the claimant shall be. If they are unable to agree, the matter shall be referred to the secretary of revenue, whose decision is final.

2. If any person in a household has claimed or will claim credit under subch. VIII, all persons from that household are ineligible to claim any credit under this section for the year to which the credit under subch. VIII pertains.

3. For partnerships except publicly traded partnerships treated as corporations under s. 71.22 (1k), "claimant" means each individual partner.

4. For limited liability companies, except limited liability companies treated as corporations under s. 71.22 (1k), "claimant" means each individual member.

5. For purposes of filing a claim under this section, the personal representative of an estate and the trustee of a trust shall be considered owners of farmland. "Claimant" does not include the estate of a person who is a nonresident of this state on the person's date of death, a trust created by a nonresident person, a trust which receives Wisconsin real property from a nonresident person or a trust in which a nonresident settlor retains a beneficial interest.

6. For purposes of filing a claim under this section, when land is subject to a land contract, the claimant shall be the vendee under the contract.

7. For purposes of filing a claim under this section, when a guardian has been appointed in this state for a ward who owns the farmland, the claimant shall be the guardian on behalf of the ward.

8. For a tax-option corporation, "claimant" means each individual shareholder.

(c) "Department" means the department of revenue.

(d) "Farm" means a farm, as defined in s. 91.01 (13), that has produced at least $6,000 in gross farm revenues during the taxable year to which the claim relates or, in the taxable year to which the claim relates and the 2 immediately preceding taxable years, at least $18,000 in gross farm revenues.

(e) "Farmland preservation agreement" has the meaning given in s. 91.01 (15).

(f) "Farmland preservation zoning district" has the meaning given in s. 91.01 (18).

(g) "Gross farm revenues" means gross receipts from agricultural use of a farm, excluding rent receipts, less the cost or other basis of livestock or other agricultural items purchased for resale which are sold or otherwise disposed of during the taxable year.

(ge) "Household" means an individual and his or her spouse and all minor dependents.

(h) "Qualifying acres" means the number of acres of a farm that correlate to a claimant's percentage of ownership interest in a farm to which one of the following applies:

1. The farm is wholly or partially covered by a farmland preservation agreement, except that if the farm is only partially covered, the qualifying acres calculation includes only those acres which are covered by a farmland preservation agreement.

2. The farm is located in a farmland preservation zoning district at the end of the taxable year to which the claim relates.

3. If the claimant transferred the claimant's ownership interest in the farm during the taxable year to which the claim relates, the farm was wholly or partially covered by a farmland preservation agreement, or the farm was located in a farmland preservation zoning district, on the date on which the claimant transferred the ownership interest. For the purposes of this subdivision, a land contract is a transfer of ownership interest.

(2) Filing claims. Subject to the limitations and conditions provided in sub. (3), a claimant may claim as a credit against the tax imposed under s. 71.02, 71.08, 71.23, or 71.43, an amount calculated by multiplying the claimant's qualifying acres by one of the following amounts, and if the allowable amount of the claim exceeds the income taxes otherwise due on the claimant's income or if there are no Wisconsin income taxes due on the claimant's income, the amount of the claim not used as an offset against income taxes shall be certified by the department of revenue to the department of administration for payment to the claimant by check, share draft, or other draft from the appropriation under s. 20.835 (2) (do):

(a) Ten dollars, if the qualifying acres are located in a farmland preservation zoning district and are also subject to a farmland preservation agreement that is entered into after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date].

(b) Seven dollars and 50 cents, if the qualifying acres are located in a farmland preservation zoning district but are not subject to a farmland preservation agreement that is entered into after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date].

(c) Five dollars, if the qualifying acres are subject to a farmland preservation agreement that is entered into after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], but are not located in a farmland preservation zoning district.

(3) Limitations and conditions. (a) No credit may be allowed under this section unless all of the following apply:

1. The claimant certifies to the department that the claimant has paid, or is legally responsible for paying, the property taxes levied against the qualifying acres to which the claim relates.

2. The claimant certifies to the department that at the end of the taxable year to which the claim relates or, on the date on which the person transferred the person's ownership interest in the farm if the transfer occurs during the taxable year to which the claim relates, there was no outstanding notice of noncompliance issued against the farm under s. 91.82 (2).

3. The claimant submits to the department a certification of compliance with soil and water conservation standards, as required by s. 91.80, issued by the county land conservation committee unless, in the last preceding year, the claimant received a tax credit under ss. 71.57 to 71.61 or this section for the same farm.

(b) If a farm is jointly owned by 2 or more persons who file separate income or franchise tax returns, each person may claim a credit under this section based on the person's ownership interest in the farm.

(c) If a person acquires or transfers ownership of a farm during a taxable year for which a claim may be filed under this section, the person may file a claim under this section based on the person's liability for the property taxes levied on the person's qualifying acres for the taxable year to which the claim relates.

(d) A claimant shall claim the credit under this section on a form prepared by the department and shall submit any documentation required by the department. On the claim form, the claimant shall certify all of the following:

1. The number of qualifying acres for which the credit is claimed.

2. The location and tax parcel number for each parcel on which the qualifying acres are located.

4. That the qualifying acres are covered by a farmland preservation agreement or located in a farmland preservation zoning district, or both.

5. That the qualifying acres are part of a farm that complies with applicable state soil and water conservation standards, as required by s. 91.80.

(e) No credit may be allowed under this section unless it is claimed within the time period under s. 71.75 (2).

(f) The maximum amount of the credits that may be claimed under this section in any fiscal year is $27,007,200. If the total amount of eligible claims exceed this amount, the excess claims shall be paid in the next succeeding fiscal year to ensure that the limit specified in this paragraph is not exceeded.

(g) For the 2011-2012 fiscal year, and for every succeeding fiscal year, the department shall prorate the per acre amounts specified in sub. (2) based on the department's estimated amount of eligible claims that will be filed for that fiscal year, and to account for any excess claims from the preceding fiscal year that are required to be paid under par. (f).

(h) If the payment to which an eligible claimant is entitled under sub. (2) is delayed because the claim was an excess claim, as described in par. (f), the claimant is not entitled to any interest payment under s. 71.82 with regard to the delayed claim or with regard to any other refund to which the claimant is entitled if that other refund claim is claimed on the same income tax return as the credit under this section.

(4) Administration. The department may enforce the credit under this section and may take any action, conduct any proceeding, and proceed as it is authorized in respect to taxes under this chapter. The income and franchise tax provisions in this chapter relating to assessments, refunds, appeals, collection, interest, and penalties apply to the credit under this section.

28,1777m Section 1777m. 71.63 (3) (d) of the statutes is created to read:

71.63 (3) (d) With regard to ss. 71.64 (6m) and 71.65 (6), "employer" means a person described in s. 108.18 (2) (c).

28,1777o Section 1777o. 71.64 (6m) of the statutes is created to read:

71.64 (6m) Withholding by certain contractors. If an employer files federal tax form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income, on behalf of any independent contractor or single-member limited liability company providing construction services to the employer, the employer shall deduct and withhold, not more frequently than on a quarterly basis, 1 percent from the wages paid to the person on whose behalf the form is filed.

28,1778 Section 1778. 71.65 (5) (b) of the statutes is amended to read: