Ohio Code 718.11 – Local board of tax review
(A)(1) The legislative authority of each municipal corporation that imposes a tax on income in accordance with this chapter shall maintain a local board of tax review to hear appeals as provided in this section. The legislative authority of any municipal corporation that does not impose a tax on income on June 26, 2003, but that imposes such a tax after that date, shall establish such a board by ordinance not later than one hundred eighty days after the tax takes effect.
Terms Used In Ohio Code 718.11
- Another: when used to designate the owner of property which is the subject of an offense, includes not only natural persons but also every other owner of property. See Ohio Code 1.02
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Assessment: means a written finding by the tax administrator that a person has underpaid municipal income tax, or owes penalty and interest, or any combination of tax, penalty, or interest, to the municipal corporation that commences the person's time limitation for making an appeal to the local board of tax review pursuant to section 718. See Ohio Code 718.01
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Employee: means an individual who is an employee for federal income tax purposes. See Ohio Code 718.01
- in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures; this provision does not affect any law relating to signatures. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Income: means the following:
(1)(a) For residents, all income, salaries, qualifying wages, commissions, and other compensation from whatever source earned or received by the resident, including the resident's distributive share of the net profit of pass-through entities owned directly or indirectly by the resident and any net profit of the resident, except as provided in division (D)(5) of this section. See Ohio Code 718.01
- Municipal corporation: includes a joint economic development district or joint economic development zone that levies an income tax under section 715. See Ohio Code 718.01
- Person: includes individuals, firms, companies, joint stock companies, business trusts, estates, trusts, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies, associations, C corporations, S corporations, governmental entities, and any other entity. See Ohio Code 718.01
- Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
- Tax administrator: means , subject to division (U)(2) of this section, the individual charged with direct responsibility for administration of an income tax levied by a municipal corporation in accordance with this chapter, and also includes the following:
(a) A municipal corporation acting as the agent of another municipal corporation;
(b) A person retained by a municipal corporation to administer a tax levied by the municipal corporation, but only if the municipal corporation does not compensate the person in whole or in part on a contingency basis;
(c) The central collection agency or the regional income tax agency or their successors in interest, or another entity organized to perform functions similar to those performed by the central collection agency and the regional income tax agency. See Ohio Code 718.01
- Taxpayer: means a person subject to a tax levied on income by a municipal corporation in accordance with this chapter. See Ohio Code 718.01
(2) The local board of tax review shall consist of three members. Two members shall be appointed by the legislative authority of the municipal corporation, but such appointees may not be employees, elected officials, or contractors with the municipal corporation at any time during their term or in the five years immediately preceding the date of appointment. One member shall be appointed by the top administrative official of the municipal corporation. This member may be an employee of the municipal corporation, but may not be the director of finance or equivalent officer, or the tax administrator or other similar official or an employee directly involved in municipal tax matters, or any direct subordinate thereof.
(3) The term for members of the local board of tax review appointed by the legislative authority of the municipal corporation shall be two years. There is no limit on the number of terms that a member may serve if the member is reappointed by the legislative authority. The board member appointed by the top administrative official of the municipal corporation shall serve at the discretion of the administrative official.
(4) Members of the board of tax review appointed by the legislative authority may be removed by the legislative authority by majority vote for malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance in office. To remove such a member, the legislative authority must give the member a copy of the charges against the member and afford the member an opportunity to be publicly heard in person or by counsel in the member’s own defense upon not less than ten days’ notice. The decision by the legislative authority on the charges is final and not appealable.
(5) A member of the board who, for any reason, ceases to meet the qualifications for the position prescribed by this section shall resign immediately by operation of law.
(6) A vacancy in an unexpired term shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment within sixty days of when the vacancy was created. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the member’s predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of such term. No vacancy on the board shall impair the power and authority of the remaining members to exercise all the powers of the board.
(7) If a member is temporarily unable to serve on the board due to a conflict of interest, illness, absence, or similar reason, the legislative authority or top administrative official that appointed the member shall appoint another individual to temporarily serve on the board in the member’s place. The appointment of such an individual shall be subject to the same requirements and limitations as are applicable to the appointment of the member temporarily unable to serve.
(B) Whenever a tax administrator issues an assessment regarding an underpayment of municipal income tax or denies a refund claim, the tax administrator shall notify the taxpayer in writing at the same time of the taxpayer’s right to appeal the assessment or denial, the manner in which the taxpayer may appeal the assessment or denial, and the address to which the appeal should be directed.
(C) Any person who has been issued an assessment may appeal the assessment to the board created pursuant to this section by filing a request with the board. The request shall be in writing, shall specify the reason or reasons why the assessment should be deemed incorrect or unlawful, and shall be filed within sixty days after the taxpayer receives the assessment.
(D) The local board of tax review shall schedule a hearing to be held within sixty days after receiving an appeal of an assessment under division (C) of this section, unless the taxpayer requests additional time to prepare or waives a hearing. If the taxpayer does not waive the hearing, the taxpayer may appear before the board and may be represented by an attorney at law, certified public accountant, or other representative. The board may allow a hearing to be continued as jointly agreed to by the parties. In such a case, the hearing must be completed within one hundred twenty days after the first day of the hearing unless the parties agree otherwise.
(E) The board may affirm, reverse, or modify the tax administrator’s assessment or any part of that assessment. The board shall issue a final determination on the appeal within ninety days after the board’s final hearing on the appeal, and send a copy of its final determination by ordinary mail to all of the parties to the appeal within fifteen days after issuing the final determination. The taxpayer or the tax administrator may appeal the board’s final determination as provided in section 5717.011 of the Revised Code.
(F) The local board of tax review created pursuant to this section shall adopt rules governing its procedures and shall keep a record of its transactions. Such records are not public records available for inspection under section 149.43 of the Revised Code. Hearings requested by a taxpayer before a local board of tax review created pursuant to this section are not meetings of a public body subject to section 121.22 of the Revised Code.