76.645 History
History: 1985 a. 29;
2011 a. 68.
76.65
76.65
Life insurers; license fee. Every insurer doing a life insurance business within this state, except fraternals as defined in s.
614.01, shall pay into the state treasury as an annual license fee for transacting such business the amounts following:
76.65(1)(a)(a) If such insurer is organized under the laws of this state, it shall pay as an annual license fee 3.5 percent upon its gross income from all sources for the preceding calendar year except interest required to provide and maintain reserves according to the laws of this state, and except premiums collected on policies of insurance and contracts for annuities. No domestic insurer shall, however, in any year pay in the aggregate for license fee as prescribed in this paragraph an amount in excess of the annual license fee which would have been payable by it in such year under sub.
(2) had it been operating as a foreign insurer subject to sub.
(2). Any domestic insurer having in excess of $750,000,000 of insurance in force as of December 31 of the preceding calendar year, excluding therefrom any reinsurance assumed on which premium taxes are payable by the ceding insurer, shall not pay less in the aggregate for a license fee as prescribed in this paragraph than the amount of the annual license fee which would have been payable by it in such year under sub.
(2) had it been operating as a foreign insurer subject to sub.
(2). Payments under this paragraph shall be made annually on or before March 1.
76.65(1)(b)
(b) In computing the fee under par.
(a), the amount of such gross income shall, after deducting the excepted portions thereof, be multiplied by a fraction the numerator of which is the net investment income applicable to life insurance and annuities and the denominator of which is the total net investment income, as set forth in the annual statement forms for such year as approved by the commissioner of insurance.
76.65(2)
(2)
Foreign insurers. If any such insurer is organized outside of this state, it shall pay into the state treasury, as such annual license fee, 2 percent upon the excess of the gross premiums received in money or otherwise during the preceding calendar year on all policies or contracts of insurance on the lives of residents of this state after deducting all sums apportioned to premium paying policies on the lives of residents of this state from annual distribution of profits, savings, earnings or surplus which before the expiration of the calendar year next succeeding such apportionment have been either paid in cash or applied in part payment of premiums.
76.65 History
History: 1971 c. 215,
289;
1975 c. 373;
1979 c. 102 s.
25; Stats. 1979 s. 76.65;
1981 c. 20.
76.65 Annotation
Life insurance policy dividends left with the insurance company to accumulate at interest beyond the expiration of the calendar year are not to be treated as dividends “paid in cash" under s. 76.34 (2) [now s. 76.65]. Because of long-standing administrative construction, current dividends applied to purchase additional paid-up insurance are not reportable as gross premiums and thus, not taxable under s. 76.34 (2). Accumulated dividends so applied are reportable and taxable. 59 Atty. Gen. 152.
76.655
76.655
Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan assessments credit. 76.655(1)(1)
Definitions. In this section, “claimant" means an insurer, as defined in s.
149.10 (5), 2011 stats., who files a claim under this section.
76.655(2)
(2)
Filing claims. Subject to the limitations provided under this section, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2005, and before January 1, 2015, a claimant may claim as a credit against the fees imposed under ss.
76.60,
76.63,
76.65,
76.66 or
76.67 an amount that is equal to the amount of assessment under s.
149.13, 2011 stats., that the claimant paid in the claimant's taxable year, multiplied by the percentage determined under sub.
(3).
76.655(3)(a)(a) The department of revenue, in consultation with the office of the commissioner of insurance, shall determine the percentage under sub.
(2) for each claimant for each taxable year. The percentage shall be equal to $5,000,000 divided by the aggregate assessment under s.
149.13, 2011 stats., except that for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2013, and before January 1, 2015, the percentage shall be equal to $1,250,000 divided by the aggregate assessment under s.
149.13, 2011 stats., and shall not exceed 100 percent. The office of the commissioner of insurance shall provide to each claimant that participates in the cost of administering the plan the aggregate assessment at the time that it notifies the claimant of the claimant's assessment. The aggregate amount of the credit under this subsection and ss.
71.07 (5g),
71.28 (5g), and
71.47 (5g) for all claimants participating in the cost of administering the plan under ch.
149, 2011 stats., shall not exceed $5,000,000 in each fiscal year.
76.655(3)(b)
(b) The amount of any credits that a claimant is awarded under this section for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2005, and before January 1, 2008, may first be claimed against the fees imposed under ss.
76.60,
76.63,
76.65, or
76.67 for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2007, and in the manner determined by the department of revenue.
76.655(4)
(4)
Carry-forward. If the credit under sub.
(2) is not entirely offset against the fees imposed under ss.
76.60,
76.63,
76.65,
76.66, or
76.67 that are otherwise due, the unused balance may be carried forward and credited against those fees in the following 15 years to the extent that it is not offset by those fees otherwise due in all the years between the year in which the assessment was paid and the year in which the carry-forward credit is claimed.
76.655(5)
(5)
Sunset. No credit may be claimed under this section for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2014. Credits under this section for taxable years that begin before January 1, 2015, may be carried forward to taxable years that begin after December 31, 2014.
76.655 History
History: 2005 a. 74;
2013 a. 20,
116.
76.66
76.66
Retaliatory taxation of nondomestic insurers. 76.66(1)(1)
In this section, “taxes" means the taxes imposed on nondomestic insurers under ss.
76.60,
76.63,
76.65 (2) and
601.93 less offsets allowed against those taxes under s.
646.51 (7) or the amounts imposed on domestic insurers by another state or foreign country for similar purposes.
76.66(2)
(2) If another state or foreign country requires a domestic insurer doing business in that state or country to pay taxes greater in the aggregate than the aggregate amount of taxes that a nondomestic insurer doing business in this state would pay, each insurer domiciled in that state or foreign country shall pay to this state for the same year the amount that a domestic insurer doing a similar business would be required to pay to the other state or foreign country.
76.66 History
History: 1979 c. 102 s.
26; Stats. 1979 s. 76.66;
1983 a. 27;
1989 a. 31.
76.66 Annotation
Section 646.51 (7) is applicable to franchise taxes, income taxes, and fire department dues. Only Wisconsin's assessments are used for offsets against Wisconsin taxes. If assessments are reimbursed, the tax credit should be recaptured.
72 Atty. Gen. 17.
76.67
76.67
Reciprocal taxation of foreign insurers. 76.67(1)(1)
In this section, “taxes" means the taxes imposed on foreign insurers under ss.
76.60,
76.63,
76.65 (2) and
601.93 less offsets allowed against those taxes under s.
646.51 (7) or the amounts imposed on domestic insurers by another state for similar purposes.
76.67(2)
(2) If any domestic insurer is licensed to transact insurance business in another state, this state may not require similar insurers domiciled in that other state to pay taxes greater in the aggregate than the aggregate amount of taxes that a domestic insurer is required to pay to that other state for the same year less the credits under ss.
76.635,
76.636,
76.637,
76.638, and
76.655, except that the amount imposed shall not be less than the total of the amounts due under ss.
76.65 (2) and
601.93 and, if the insurer is subject to s.
76.60, 0.375 percent of its gross premiums, as calculated under s.
76.62, less offsets allowed under s.
646.51 (7) or under ss.
76.635,
76.636,
76.637,
76.638,
76.639, and
76.655 against that total, and except that the amount imposed shall not be less than the amount due under s.
601.93.
76.68
76.68
License; issuance; collection of fees. 76.68(1)(1)
Every license issued under this subchapter and chs.
600 to
646 shall certify that payment of the license fee or tax and the fee required by s.
601.31 (1) (b) has been made, be signed by the commissioner of insurance and be in a form approved by the attorney general.
76.68(2)
(2) No suit may be brought to restrain or enjoin the collection of any license fee or tax imposed or provided for by this subchapter, and the fees required by s.
601.31. Any action to recover any license fee or tax imposed or provided for by this subchapter or any fee required under s.
601.31, shall be brought in the circuit court for Dane County within 6 months from the time of the payment. The state may be served in the suit as provided in s.
801.11 (3). This subsection is the exclusive remedy by which to recover any license fee or tax imposed or provided for by this subchapter or any fee required under s.
601.31.
76.68(3)
(3) No action may be commenced to compel the issuance of the certificate of authority provided for by chs.
600 to
646 until the license fee imposed by this subchapter and the fees under s.
601.31 have been fully paid.
76.68(4)
(4) The attorney general shall institute suit in the circuit court for Dane County to recover any license fees or tax not paid within the time prescribed by this subchapter, and the fees required by s.
601.31.
76.68 History
History: 1971 c. 40 s.
93;
1971 c. 260; Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 773 (1975);
1977 c. 339;
1979 c. 32 s.
92 (5);
1979 c. 89 s.
543;
1979 c. 102 ss.
26,
237;
1979 c. 177; Stats. 1979 s. 76.68;
2007 a. 170.
76.69
76.69
Deduction for personal property taxes. Any domestic insurer may deduct from the license fee imposed on the insurer for any year under s.
76.65 (1) an amount equal to one-half of the general property taxes paid for the previous year on personal property in this state which is used in the operation of its business and not held primarily for investment purposes, but no such deduction may exceed 25 percent of the license fee.
76.69 History
History: 1971 c. 289;
1979 c. 102 s.
26; Stats. 1979 s. 76.69.
TELEPHONE COMPANY TAX
76.80
76.80
Definitions. In this subchapter:
76.80(1)
(1) “Department" means the department of revenue.
76.80(3)
(3) “Telecommunications services" means the transmission of voice, video, facsimile or data messages, including telegraph messages, except that “telecommunications services" does not include video service, as defined in s.
66.0420 (2) (y), radio, one-way radio paging or transmitting messages incidental to transient occupancy in hotels, as defined in s.
97.01 (7).
76.80(4)
(4) “Telephone company" means any person that provides to another person telecommunications services, including the resale of services provided by another telephone company. “Telephone company" does not include a person who operates a private shared telecommunications system, as defined in s.
196.201 (1), and who is not otherwise a telephone company.
76.81
76.81
Imposition. There is imposed a tax on the real property of, and the tangible personal property of, every telephone company, excluding property that is exempt from the property tax under s.
70.11 (39) and
(39m), motor vehicles that are exempt under s.
70.112 (5), property that is used less than 50 percent in the operation of a telephone company, as provided under s.
70.112 (4) (b), and treatment plant and pollution abatement equipment that is exempt under s.
70.11 (21). Except as provided in s.
76.815, the rate for the tax imposed on each description of real property and on each item of tangible personal property is the net rate for the prior year for the tax under ch.
70 in the taxing jurisdictions where the description or item is located. The real and tangible personal property of a telephone company shall be assessed as provided under s.
70.112 (4) (b).
76.815
76.815
Combined reporting. For taxes payable in 1998 and 1999, telephone companies that have more than 150,000 access lines in this state may submit a combined report of their items of personal property. Any company that does so shall pay the tax on those items at a rate that reflects the company's weighted average property tax rate based on the value and location of its real property in this state.
76.815 History
History: 1995 a. 351.
76.82
76.82
Assessment. The department, using the methods that it uses to assess property under s.
70.995, shall assess the property that is taxable under s.
76.81, including property that is exempt under s.
70.11 (27) from the tax under ch.
70, at its value as of January 1.
76.82 History
History: 1995 a. 351.
76.83
76.83
Report; payment. On or before March 1, every telephone company shall send to the department a completed form that the department prescribes. Upon written request, the department may extend the time for filing the report by no more than 30 days. The requirements for payment of taxes under s.
76.13 (2a), as they apply to the tax under subch.
I, apply to the tax under this subchapter.
76.83 History
History: 1995 a. 351.
76.84
76.84
Administration. 76.84(1)(1)
On or before October 1, the department shall notify each telephone company that is subject to the tax under s.
76.81 of the assessed value of its property.
76.84(2)
(2) On or before November 1, the department shall notify each telephone company that is subject to the tax under s.
76.81 of the amount of that tax.
76.84(4)
(4) Sections
76.03 (4),
76.05,
76.06,
76.075,
76.08,
76.09,
76.13 (1),
(2) and
(3),
76.14,
76.18,
76.22,
76.23,
76.25 and
76.28 (4) to
(6), as they apply to the tax under subch.
I, apply to the tax under this subchapter.
76.84(5)
(5) Section
71.91, as it applies to the collection of delinquent taxes under ch.
71, applies to the collection of delinquent taxes under this subchapter.
