71.93
71.93
Setoffs for other state agencies. 71.93(1)
(1)
Definitions. In this section:
71.93(1)(a)1.
1. An amount owed to a state agency, if the amount has been reduced to a judgment or if the state agency has provided the debtor reasonable notice and an opportunity to be heard with regard to the amount owed.
71.93(1)(a)2.
2. A delinquent child support or spousal support obligation that has been reduced to a judgment and has been submitted by an agency of another state to the department of children and families for certification under this section.
71.93(1)(a)8.
8. Any amount owed to a state agency and collected pursuant to a written agreement between the department of revenue and the state agency as provided under
sub. (8) (b), if the debt has been reduced to a judgment or if the state agency or the department has provided the debtor reasonable notice and an opportunity to be heard with regard to the amount owed.
71.93(1)(b)
(b) "Debtor" means any person owing a debt to a state agency and any person who owes a delinquent child support or spousal support obligation to an agency of another state.
71.93(1)(c)
(c) "Department" means the department of revenue.
71.93(1)(cm)
(cm) "Disbursement" means any payment to a person who provides goods and services to the state under
subch. IV or
V of ch. 16 or under
ch. 84.
71.93(1)(d)
(d) "Refund" means the excess amount by which any payments, refundable credits or both exceed a debtor's Wisconsin tax liability or any other liability owed to the department.
71.93(2)
(2) Certification. A state agency may certify to the department any properly identified debt exceeding $20 so that the department may set off the amount of the debt against a refund to the debtor or so that the department of administration may reduce a disbursement to the debtor by the amount of the debt. At least 30 days prior to certification each debtor shall be sent a notice by the state agency of its intent to certify the debt to the department for setoff or reduction and of the debtor's right of appeal. At the time of certification, the certifying state agency shall furnish the social security number of individual debtors and the federal employer identification number of other debtors.
71.93(3)(a)(a) The department of revenue shall setoff any debt or other amount owed to the department, regardless of the origin of the debt or of the amount, its nature or its date. If after the setoff there remains a refund in excess of $10, the department shall set off the remaining refund against certified debts of other state agencies. If more than one certified debt exists for any debtor, the refund shall be first set off against the earliest debt certified, except that no child support or spousal support obligation submitted by an agency of another state may be set off until all debts owed to and certified by state agencies of this state have been set off. When all debts have been satisfied, any remaining refund shall be refunded to the debtor by the department. Any legal action contesting a setoff under this paragraph shall be brought against the state agency that certified the debt under
sub. (2).
71.93(3)(b)
(b) The department shall provide the information obtained under
sub. (2) to the department of administration. Before reducing any disbursement as provided under this paragraph, the department of administration shall contact the department to verify whether a certified debt that is the basis of the reduction has been collected by other means. If the certified debt remains uncollected, the department of administration shall reduce the disbursement by the amount of the debtor's certified debt under
sub. (2), notify the department of such reduction and disbursement, and remit the amount of the reduction to the department in the manner prescribed by the department. If more than one certified debt exists for any debtor, the disbursement shall be reduced first by any debts certified under
s. 73.12 then by the earliest debt certified. Any legal action contesting a reduction under this paragraph shall be brought against the state agency that certified the debt under
sub. (2).
71.93(4)
(4) Settlement. Within 30 days after the close of each calendar quarter, the department shall settle with each state agency that has certified a debt. Each settlement shall note the opening balance of debts certified, any additions or deletions, reductions or amounts set off, and the ending balance at the close of the settlement period.
71.93(5)
(5) Debtor charged for costs. Each debtor shall be charged for administration expenses, and the amounts charged shall be credited to the department's appropriation under
s. 20.566 (1) (h). The department may set off amounts charged to the debtor under this subsection against any refund owed to the debtor, in the manner provided in
sub. (3). Annually on or before November 1, the department shall review its costs incurred during the previous fiscal year in administering state agency setoffs and reductions and shall adjust its subsequent charges to each debtor to reflect that experience.
71.93(6)
(6) Written agreement and authority of department. Any state agency wishing to certify debts to the department shall enter into a written agreement with the department prior to any certification of debt. Any certification of debts by a state agency or changes to certified debts shall be in a manner and form prescribed by the department. The secretary of revenue shall be the final authority in the resolution of any interagency disputes in regard to certification of debts. If a refund or disbursement is adjusted after a setoff or reduction, the department may readjust any erroneous settlement with a certifying state agency.
71.93(7)
(7) Exchange of information. Information relative to changes to any debt certified shall be exchanged promptly by each agency. Setoff of refunds and reduction of disbursements against debts certified by agencies, and any report of the setoff or reduction to state agencies, is not a violation of
ss. 71.78,
72.06,
77.61 (5),
78.80 (3), and
139.38 (6).
71.93(8)
(8) State agency debt agreements. 71.93(8)(a)(a) Upon request by a state agency, the department of revenue may enter into an agreement with individuals who owe debts to the state agency. With the consent of the debtor, the department of revenue may arrange with the debtor's employer for the withholding from the debtor's pay of a specified amount to be applied against the debt.
71.93(8)(b)1.1. Except as provided in
subd. 2., a state agency and the department of revenue shall enter into a written agreement to have the department collect any amount owed to the state agency that is more than 90 days past due, unless negotiations between the agency and debtor are actively ongoing, the debt is the subject of legal action or administrative proceedings, or the agency determines that the debtor is adhering to an acceptable payment arrangement. At least 30 days before the department pursues the collection of any debt referred by a state agency, either the department or the agency shall provide the debtor with a written notice that the debt will be referred to the department for collection. The department may collect amounts owed, pursuant to the written agreement, from the debtor in addition to offsetting the amounts as provided under
sub. (3). The department shall charge each debtor whose debt is subject to collection under this paragraph an amount for administrative expenses and that amount shall be credited to the appropriation under
s. 20.566 (1) (h).
71.93(8)(b)2.
2. The department may enter into agreements described under
subd. 1. with the courts, the legislature, authorities, as defined in
s. 16.41 (4), and local units of government.
71.93(8)(b)3.
3. Agreements required under
subd. 1. shall be completed no later than July 1, 2010, except that an agreement may allow a delay or phase-in of referrals.
71.93(8)(b)4.
4. The secretary of revenue may waive the referral of certain types of debt. The department's determination that a debt is not collectable does not prevent the referring agency from taking additional collection actions.
71.93(8)(b)5.
5. The department may collect debts and assess interest on delinquent amounts under this paragraph in the same manner that it collects taxes and assesses interest under
ss. 71.82 (2),
71.91,
71.92, and
73.03 (20). The department's use of tax returns and related information to collect debts under this paragraph is not a violation of
s. 71.78,
72.06,
77.61 (5),
78.80 (3), or
139.38 (6).
71.93(8)(b)6.
6. If the debtor owes debt to the department and to other entities, payments shall first apply to debts owed to the department, then to the state agencies, the courts, the legislature, and authorities, as defined in
s. 16.41 (4), in the order in which the debts were referred to the department, and then to local units of government in the order in which the debts were referred to the department.
71.935
71.935
Setoffs for municipalities and counties. 71.935(1)(a)
(a) "Debt" means a parking citation of at least $20 that is unpaid and for which there has been no court appearance by the date specified in the citation or, if no date is specified, that is unpaid for at least 28 days; an unpaid fine, fee, restitution or forfeiture of at least $20; and any other debt that is at least $20, including debt related to property taxes, if the debt has been reduced to a judgment or the municipality or county to which the debt is owed has provided the debtor reasonable notice and an opportunity to be heard with regard to the debt.
71.935(1)(am)
(am) "Debt related to property taxes" means delinquent general property taxes, as defined in
s. 74.01 (1), special assessments, as defined in
s. 74.01 (3), special charges, as defined in
s. 74.01 (4), and special taxes, as defined in
s. 74.01 (5). The term "debt related to property taxes" includes any interest and penalty charged as a result of the delinquency.
71.935(1)(b)
(b) "Debtor" means a person who owes a debt to a municipality or county.
71.935(1)(c)
(c) "Department" means the department of revenue.
71.935(1)(cm)
(cm) "Disbursement" means any payment to a person who provides goods and services to the state under
subch. IV or
V of ch. 16 or under
ch. 84.
71.935(2)
(2) A municipality or county may certify to the department any debt owed to it. Not later than 5 days after certification, the municipality or county shall notify the debtor in writing of its certification of the debt to the department, of the basis of the certification and of the debtor's right to appeal and, in the case of parking citations, of the debtor's right to contest the citation. At the time of certification, the municipality or county shall furnish to the department the name and social security number or operator's license number of each individual debtor and the name and federal employer identification number of each other debtor.
71.935(3)(a)(a) If the debt remains uncollected and, in the case of a parking citation, if the debtor has not contested the citation within 20 days after the notice under
sub. (2), the department shall set off the debt against any refund that is owed to the debtor after the setoff under
s. 71.93. Any legal action contesting a setoff shall be brought against the municipality or county that certified the debt under
sub. (2).
71.935(3)(b)
(b) The department shall provide the information obtained under
sub. (2) to the department of administration. Before reducing any disbursement as provided under this paragraph, the department of administration shall contact the department to verify whether a certified debt that is the basis of the reduction has been collected by other means and, in the case of a parking citation, whether the debtor has contested the citation within 20 days after the notice under
sub. (2). If the certified debt remains uncollected and, in the case of a parking citation, the citation has not been contested within 20 days after the notice under
sub. (2), the department of administration shall, after any reduction under
s. 71.93, reduce the disbursement by the amount of the debtor's certified debt under
sub. (2), notify the department of such reduction and disbursement, and remit the amount of the reduction to the department in the manner prescribed by the department. If more than one debt certified under
sub. (2) exists for any debtor, the disbursement shall be reduced first by the earliest debt certified. Any legal action contesting a reduction under this paragraph shall be brought against the municipality or county that certified the debt under
sub. (2).
71.935(4)
(4) Within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter, the department shall settle with each municipality and county for the amounts set off or reduced against certified debts for the municipality or county during that calendar quarter.
71.935(5)
(5) Each debtor shall be charged for administration expenses, and the amounts charged shall be credited to the appropriation account under
s. 20.566 (1) (h). The department may set off amounts charged to the debtor under this subsection against any refund owed to the debtor, in the manner provided in
sub. (3). Annually on or before November 1, the department shall review its costs incurred during the previous fiscal year in administering setoffs and reductions under this section and shall adjust its subsequent charges to each debtor to reflect that experience.
71.94
71.94
Penalties. Unless specifically provided in this subchapter, the penalties under
subch. XIII apply for failure to comply with this subchapter unless the context requires otherwise.
71.94 History
History: 1987 a. 312.
