With many state legislatures wrapping up session within the past month or so, there has been a flurry of last-minute tax amnesty legislation passed. Nearly a half-dozen states have authorized upcoming tax amnesty periods. These tax amnesties include a waiver of interest and, in some circumstances, allow taxpayers currently under audit or with an appeal pending to participate. This blog entry highlights the various enactments that have occurred since the authors last covered the upcoming Maryland amnesty program.
Missouri
On April 27, 2015, Governor Jay Nixon signed a bill (HB 384) that creates the first Missouri tax amnesty since 2002. The bill creates a 90-day tax amnesty period scheduled to run from September 1, 2015, to November 30, 2015. The amnesty is limited in scope and applies only to income, sales and use, and corporation franchise taxes. The amnesty allows taxpayers with liabilities accrued before December 31, 2014, to pay in full between September 1, 2015, and November 30, 2015, and be relieved of all penalties and interest associated with the delinquent obligation. Before electing to participate in the amnesty program, taxpayers should be aware that participation will disqualify them from participating in any future Missouri amnesty for the same type of tax. In addition, if a taxpayer fails to comply with Missouri tax law at any time during the eight years following the agreement, the penalties and interest waived under the amnesty will be revoked and become due immediately. Finally, taxpayers who are the subject of civil or criminal state-tax-related investigations, or are currently involved in litigation over the obligation, are not eligible for the amnesty.
According to the fiscal note provided in conjunction with the bill, the state estimates that 340,000 taxpayers will be eligible for the amnesty and that the program will raise $25 million.
Oklahoma
On May 20, 2015, Governor Mary Fallin signed a bill (HB 2236) creating a two-month amnesty period from September 14, 2015, to November 13, 2015. The bill allows taxpayers that pay delinquent taxes (i.e., taxes due for any tax period ending before January 1, 2015) during the amnesty period to receive a waiver of any associated interest, penalties, fines or collection costs.
Taxes eligible for the amnesty include individual and corporate income taxes, withholding taxes, sales and use taxes, gasoline and diesel taxes, gross production and petroleum excise taxes, banking privilege taxes and mixed beverage taxes. Notably, franchise taxes are not included in this year’s amnesty (they were included in the 2008 Oklahoma amnesty).
Indiana
In May, Governor Mike Pence signed a biennial budget bill (HB 1001) that included a provision authorizing the Department of Revenue (Department) to implement an eight-week tax amnesty program before 2017. While the Department must promulgate emergency regulations that will specify exact dates and procedures, several sources have indicated that the amnesty is expected to occur sometime this fall. The upcoming amnesty will mark the second-ever amnesty offered by Indiana (the first occurred in 2005). Taxpayers that participated in the 2005 program will be disappointed to know that the authorizing legislation specifically prohibits them from participating in the upcoming amnesty.
The amnesty program is applicable to all “listed taxes” collected by the Department, including sales and use taxes, corporate and personal income taxes, financial institutions tax and gas taxes. See Indiana Code § 6-8.1-1-1 for the complete list. Unlike several of the other amnesty programs discussed that apply to more recent liabilities, the Indiana amnesty is only statutorily authorized for liabilities due before January 1, 2013 (i.e., 2012 or earlier). While the Department is not prevented from settling more recent liabilities incurred in 2013 and 2014, such an arrangement would be outside the scope of the statutory amnesty provisions.
The benefits of the upcoming program include abatement of interest, penalties, collection fees and costs that would otherwise be applicable, release of any liens and no civil or criminal prosecution. Indiana taxpayers should be aware that if an eligible liability is not paid during the amnesty period (and is subsequently discovered by the Department) penalties are doubled under the statute.
Arizona
On March 12, 2015, Governor Doug Ducey approved a budget package that included a bill (SB 1471) creating a tax recovery (amnesty) program for taxpayers with outstanding liabilities. The program is scheduled to run from September 1, 2015, through October 31, 2015, and applies to all taxes administered by the Department of Revenue, except withholding and luxury taxes. Taxpayers that come forward with tax liabilities that could have been assessed before 2014 (or before 2015 in the case of non-annual filers) will receive abatement of all civil penalties and interest. Taxpayers that were a party to a closing agreement with the Department during the liability period are not eligible for the program; however, nothing in the statute would appear to prevent a taxpayer that is currently under audit from participating in the program.
As a consequence of applying to the program, the inclusion of the outstanding debt in a taxpayer’s application is considered to be a waiver of the taxpayer’s administrative and judicial appeal rights.
South Carolina
On June 8, 2015, Governor Nikki Haley signed a bill (S. 526) giving the Department of Revenue (Department) authority to schedule and execute a three-month tax amnesty period at their discretion. The bill specifically allows the Department to waive all penalties and interest (or a portion of them at its discretion) for taxpayers that voluntarily file delinquent returns and pay all taxes owed (i.e., the Department cannot waive penalties and interest on a period-by-period basis). Taxpayers with an appeal pending may only participate in the program if they pay all the taxes owed. While payment of the liability is required to participate, it will not constitute an admission of liability or a waiver of the appeal.
Taxpayers should note that any debts not fully paid within an agreed-upon post-amnesty period will be subject to a 10 percent collection and assistance fee, in addition to the penalties and interest otherwise owed. The bill grants authority for imposition of this fee for up to one year after the close of the extended amnesty period.
Practice Note
Now is the time for taxpayers with outstanding tax obligations in any of the state’s offering amnesty (including Maryland) to consider whether the issues can and should be resolved through the amnesty program. In deciding whether to avail oneself of the amnesty offerings, taxpayers should be aware that failure to participate in many states (including Indiana and South Carolina) can lead to increased penalties and fees (the infamous “amnesty hammer”) if the delinquent obligation subsequently surfaces.
