Sec. 7. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b), (c), and (f), a taxpayer shall, on or before the filing date of each year, file a personal property return with:

(1) the assessor of each township in which the taxpayer’s personal property is subject to assessment;

(2) the county assessor if there is no township assessor for a township in which the taxpayer’s personal property is subject to assessment; or

(3) after 2020, the personal property online submission portal developed and maintained by the department under section 26 of this chapter.

     (b) The township assessor or county assessor may grant a taxpayer an extension of not more than thirty (30) days to file the taxpayer’s return if:

(1) the taxpayer submits a written or an electronic application for an extension prior to the filing date; and

(2) the taxpayer is prevented from filing a timely return because of sickness, absence from the county, or any other good and sufficient reason.

     (c) If a taxpayer:

(1) has personal property subject to assessment in more than one (1) township in a county; or

(2) has personal property that is subject to assessment and that is located in two (2) or more taxing districts within the same township;

the taxpayer shall file a single return with the county assessor and attach a schedule listing, by township, all the taxpayer’s personal property and the property’s assessed value. The taxpayer shall provide the county assessor with the information necessary for the county assessor to allocate the assessed value of the taxpayer’s personal property among the townships listed on the return and among taxing districts, including the street address, the township, and the location of the property. The taxpayer may, in the alternative, submit the taxpayer’s personal property information and the property’s assessed value through the personal property online submission portal developed under section 26 of this chapter.

     (d) The county assessor shall provide to each affected township assessor (if any) in the county all information filed by a taxpayer under subsection (c) that affects the township.

     (e) The county assessor may refuse to accept a personal property tax return that does not comply with subsection (c). For purposes of IC 6-1.1-37-7, a return to which subsection (c) applies is filed on the date it is filed with the county assessor with the schedule required by subsection (c) attached.

     (f) This subsection applies to a church or religious society that:

(1) has filed a personal property tax return under this section for each of the five (5) years preceding a year; and

(2) on each of the returns described in subdivision (1) has not owed any tax liability due to exemptions under IC 6-1.1 for which the church or religious society has been deemed eligible.

Notwithstanding any other law, a church or religious society is not required to file a personal property tax return for a year after the five (5) year period described in subdivision (1) unless there is a change in ownership of any personal property included on a return described in subdivision (1), or any other change that results in the personal property no longer being eligible for an exemption under IC 6-1.1, or the church or religious society would otherwise be liable for property tax imposed on personal property owned by the church or religious society.

[Pre-1975 Property Tax Recodification Citations: 6-1-23-2 part; 6-1-23-3.]

Formerly: Acts 1975, P.L.47, SEC.1. As amended by P.L.61-1983, SEC.1; P.L.56-1985, SEC.1; P.L.54-1991, SEC.1; P.L.41-1993, SEC.4; P.L.25-1995, SEC.12; P.L.6-1997, SEC.9; P.L.198-2001, SEC.5; P.L.146-2008, SEC.55; P.L.249-2015, SEC.2; P.L.108-2019, SEC.101; P.L.174-2022, SEC.6.