All powers, duties, and functions of the department of taxation are vested in and shall be performed by the tax commissioner, which powers, duties, and functions shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(A) Prescribing all blank forms which the department is authorized to prescribe, and to provide such forms and distribute the same as required by law and the rules of the department.

(B) Exercising the authority provided by law, including orders from bankruptcy courts, relative to remitting or refunding taxes or assessments, including penalties and interest thereon, illegally or erroneously assessed or collected, or for any other reason overpaid, and in addition, the commissioner may on written application of any person, firm, or corporation claiming to have overpaid to the treasurer of state at any time within five years prior to the making of such application any tax payable under any law which the department of taxation is required to administer which does not contain any provision for refund, or on the commissioner’s own motion investigate the facts and make in triplicate a written statement of the commissioner’s findings, and, if the commissioner finds that there has been an overpayment, issue in triplicate a certificate of abatement payable to the taxpayer, the taxpayer’s assigns, or legal representative which shows the amount of the overpayment and the kind of tax overpaid. One copy of such statement shall be entered on the journal of the commissioner, one shall be certified to the attorney general, and one certified copy shall be delivered to the taxpayer. All copies of the certificate of abatement shall be transmitted to the attorney general, and if the attorney general finds it to be correct the attorney general shall so certify on each copy, and deliver one copy to the taxpayer, one copy to the commissioner, and the third copy to the treasurer of state. Except as provided in section 5725.08 of the Revised Code, the taxpayer’s copy of any certificates of abatement may be tendered by the payee or transferee thereof to the treasurer of state, or to the commissioner on behalf of the treasurer, as payment, to the extent of the amount thereof, of any tax payable to the treasurer of state.

(C) Exercising the authority provided by law relative to consenting to the compromise and settlement of tax claims;

(D) Exercising the authority provided by law relative to the use of alternative tax bases by taxpayers in the making of personal property tax returns;

(E) Exercising the authority provided by law relative to authorizing the prepayment of taxes on retail sales of tangible personal property or on the storage, use, or consumption of personal property, and waiving the collection of such taxes from the consumers;

(F) Exercising the authority provided by law to revoke licenses;

(G) Maintaining a continuous study of the practical operation of all taxation and revenue laws of the state, the manner in which and extent to which such laws provide revenues for the support of the state and its political subdivisions, the probable effect upon such revenue of possible changes in existing laws, and the possible enactment of measures providing for other forms of taxation. For this purpose the commissioner may establish and maintain a division of research and statistics, and may appoint necessary employees who shall be in the unclassified civil service; the results of such study shall be available to the members of the general assembly and the public.

(H) Making all tax assessments, valuations, findings, determinations, computations, and orders the department of taxation is by law authorized and required to make and, pursuant to time limitations provided by law, on the commissioner’s own motion, reviewing, redetermining, or correcting any tax assessments, valuations, findings, determinations, computations, or orders the commissioner has made, but the commissioner shall not review, redetermine, or correct any tax assessment, valuation, finding, determination, computation, or order which the commissioner has made as to which an appeal or application for rehearing, review, redetermination, or correction has been filed with the board of tax appeals, unless such appeal or application is withdrawn by the appellant or applicant or dismissed;

(I) Appointing not more than five deputy tax commissioners, who, under such regulations as the rules of the department of taxation prescribe, may act for the commissioner in the performance of such duties as the commissioner prescribes in the administration of the laws which the commissioner is authorized and required to administer, and who shall serve in the unclassified civil service at the pleasure of the commissioner, but if a person who holds a position in the classified service is appointed, it shall not affect the civil service status of such person. The commissioner may designate not more than two of the deputy commissioners to act as commissioner in case of the absence, disability, or recusal of the commissioner or vacancy in the office of commissioner. The commissioner may adopt rules relating to the order of precedence of such designated deputy commissioners and to their assumption and administration of the office of commissioner.

(J) Appointing and prescribing the duties of all other employees of the department of taxation necessary in the performance of the work of the department which the tax commissioner is by law authorized and required to perform, and creating such divisions or sections of employees as, in the commissioner’s judgment, is proper;

(K) Organizing the work of the department, which the commissioner is by law authorized and required to perform, so that, in the commissioner’s judgment, an efficient and economical administration of the laws will result;

(L) Maintaining a journal, which is open to public inspection, in which the tax commissioner shall keep a record of all final determinations of the commissioner;

(M) Adopting and promulgating, in the manner provided by section 5703.14 of the Revised Code, all rules of the department;

(N) Destroying any or all returns or assessment certificates in the manner authorized by law;

(O) Adopting rules, in accordance with division (B) of section 325.31 of the Revised Code, governing the expenditure of moneys from the real estate assessment fund under that division;

(P) Informing taxpayers in a timely manner to resolve credit account balances as required by section 5703.77 of the Revised Code.