Sec. 21. (a) The department shall allocate each aircraft excise tax payment collected by it to the county in which the aircraft is usually located when not in operation or to the aircraft owner‘s county of residence if based out of state. The department shall distribute to each county treasurer on a quarterly basis the aircraft excise taxes which were collected by the department during the preceding three (3) months and which the department has allocated to that county. The distribution shall be made on or before the fifteenth of the month following each quarter and the first distribution each year shall be made in April.

     (b) Concurrently with making a distribution of aircraft excise taxes, the department shall send an aircraft excise tax report to the county treasurer and the county auditor. The department shall prepare the report on the form prescribed by the state board of accounts. The aircraft excise tax report must include aircraft identification, owner information, and excise tax payment, and must indicate the county where the aircraft is normally kept when not in operation. The department shall, in the manner prescribed by the state board of accounts, maintain records concerning the aircraft excise taxes received and distributed by it.

     (c) Except as provided in section 21.5 of this chapter, each county treasurer shall deposit money received by the treasurer under this chapter in a separate fund to be known as the “aircraft excise tax fund”. The money in the aircraft excise tax fund shall be distributed to the taxing units of the county in the manner prescribed in subsection (d).

     (d) As used in this subsection, “taxing district” has the meaning set forth in IC 6-1.1-1-20, “taxing unit” has the meaning set forth in IC 6-1.1-1-21, and “tuition support levy” refers to a school corporation‘s tuition support property tax levy under IC 20-45-3-11 (repealed) for the school corporation’s general fund. In order to distribute the money in the county aircraft excise tax fund to the taxing units of the county, the county auditor shall first allocate the money in the fund among the taxing districts of the county. In making these allocations, the county auditor shall allocate to a taxing district the excise taxes collected with respect to aircraft usually located in the taxing district when not in operation. Subject to this subsection, the money allocated to a taxing district shall be apportioned and distributed among the taxing units of that taxing district in the same manner and at the same time that the property taxes are apportioned and distributed (subject to adjustment as provided in IC 36-8-19-7.5). For purposes of determining the distribution for a year under this section for a taxing unit, a state welfare and tuition support allocation shall be deducted from the total amount available for apportionment and distribution to taxing units under this section before any apportionment and distribution is made. The county auditor shall remit the state welfare and tuition support allocation to the treasurer of state for deposit as directed by the budget agency. The amount of the state welfare and tuition support allocation for a county for a particular year is equal to the result determined under STEP THREE of the following formula:

STEP ONE: Determine the result of the following:

(A) Separately for 2006, 2007, and 2008 for each taxing district in the county, determine the result of:

(i) the tax rate imposed in the taxing district for the county’s county medical assistance to wards fund, family and children’s fund, children’s psychiatric residential treatment services fund, county hospital care for the indigent fund, children with special health care needs county fund, plus, in the case of Marion County, the tax rate imposed by the health and hospital corporation that was necessary to raise thirty-five million dollars ($35,000,000) from all taxing districts in the county; divided by

(ii) the aggregate tax rate imposed in the taxing district for the same year.

(B) Determine the sum of the clause (A) amounts.

(C) Divide the clause (B) amount by three (3).

(D) Determine the result of:

(i) the amount of excise taxes allocated to the taxing district that would otherwise be available for distribution to taxing units in the taxing district; multiplied by

(ii) the clause (C) amount.

(E) Determine the sum of the clause (D) amounts for all taxing districts in the county.

STEP TWO: Determine the result of the following:

(A) Separately for 2006, 2007, and 2008 for each taxing district in the county, determine the result of:

(i) the tuition support levy tax rate imposed in the taxing district plus the tax rate imposed by the school corporation for the school corporation’s special education preschool fund in the district; divided by

(ii) the aggregate tax rate imposed in the taxing district for the same year.

(B) Determine the sum of the clause (A) amounts.

(C) Divide the clause (B) amount by three (3).

(D) Determine the result of:

(i) the amount of excise taxes allocated to the taxing district that would otherwise be available for distribution to taxing units in the taxing district; multiplied by

(ii) the clause (C) amount.

(E) Determine the sum of the clause (D) amounts for all taxing districts in the county.

STEP THREE: Determine the sum of the STEP ONE and STEP TWO amounts for the county.

If the boundaries of a taxing district change after the years for which a ratio is calculated under STEP ONE or STEP TWO, the state comptroller shall establish a ratio for the new taxing district that reflects the tax rates imposed in the predecessor taxing districts. If a new taxing district is established after the years for which a ratio is calculated under STEP ONE, STEP TWO, or STEP THREE, the state comptroller shall establish a ratio for the new taxing district and adjust the ratio for other taxing districts in the county.

     (e) Within thirty (30) days following the receipt of excise taxes from the department, the county treasurer shall file a report with the county auditor concerning the aircraft excise taxes collected by the county treasurer. The county treasurer shall file the report on the form prescribed by the state board of accounts. The county treasurer shall, in the manner and at the times prescribed in IC 6-1.1-27, make a settlement with the county auditor for the aircraft excise taxes collected by the county treasurer. The county treasurer shall, in the manner prescribed by the state board of accounts, maintain records concerning the aircraft excise taxes received and distributed by the treasurer.

Formerly: Acts 1975, P.L.68, SEC.1. As amended by Acts 1977, P.L.88, SEC.1; Acts 1980, P.L.74, SEC.32; P.L.93-1983, SEC.11; P.L.65-1997, SEC.21; P.L.146-2008, SEC.355; P.L.182-2009(ss), SEC.242; P.L.261-2013, SEC.35; P.L.9-2024, SEC.208.