(A) The municipality shall require a casino facility or a casino operator, as defined in Section 6(C)(9) of Article XV, Ohio Constitution, and R.C. § 3772.01, respectively, or a lottery sales agent conducting video lottery terminals sales on behalf of the state to withhold and remit municipal income tax with respect to amounts other than qualifying wages as provided in this section.
(B) If a person's winnings at a casino facility are an amount for which reporting to the Internal Revenue Service of the amount is required by section 6041 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, the casino operator shall deduct and withhold municipal income tax from the person's winnings at the rate of the tax imposed by the municipal corporation in which the casino facility is located.
(C) Amounts deducted and withheld by a casino operator are held in trust for the benefit of the municipal corporation to which the tax is owed.
(1) On or before the tenth day of each month, the casino operator shall file a return electronically with the Tax Administrator of the municipality, providing the name, address, and social security number of the person from whose winnings amounts were deducted and withheld, the amount of each such deduction and withholding during the preceding calendar month, the amount of the winnings from which each such amount was withheld, the type of casino gaming that resulted in such winnings, and any other information required by the Tax Administrator. With this return, the casino operator shall remit electronically to the municipality all amounts deducted and withheld during the preceding month.
(2) Annually, on or before the 31st day of January, a casino operator shall file an annual return electronically with the Tax Administrator of the municipal corporation in which the casino facility is located, indicating the total amount deducted and withheld during the preceding calendar year. The casino operator shall remit electronically with the annual return any amount that was deducted and withheld and that was not previously remitted. If the name, address, or social security number of a person or the amount deducted and withheld with respect to that person was omitted on a monthly return for that reporting period, that information shall be indicated on the annual return.
(3) Annually, on or before the 31st day of January, a casino operator shall issue an information return to each person with respect to whom an amount has been deducted and withheld during the preceding calendar year. The information return shall show the total amount of municipal income tax deducted from the person's winnings during the preceding year. The casino operator shall provide to the Tax Administrator a copy of each information return issued under this division. The Administrator may require that such copies be transmitted electronically.
(4) A casino operator that fails to file a return and remit the amounts deducted and withheld shall be personally liable for the amount withheld and not remitted. Such personal liability extends to any penalty and interest imposed for the late filing of a return or the late payment of tax deducted and withheld.
(5) If a casino operator sells the casino facility or otherwise quits the casino business, the amounts deducted and withheld along with any penalties and interest thereon are immediately due and payable. The successor shall withhold an amount of the purchase money that is sufficient to cover the amounts deducted and withheld along with any penalties and interest thereon until the predecessor casino operator produces either of the following:
(a) A receipt from the Tax Administrator showing that the amounts deducted and withheld and penalties and interest thereon have been paid;
(b) A certificate from the Tax Administrator indicating that no amounts are due.
If the successor fails to withhold purchase money, the successor is personally liable for the payment of the amounts deducted and withheld and penalties and interest thereon.
(6) The failure of a casino operator to deduct and withhold the required amount from a person's winnings does not relieve that person from liability for the municipal income tax with respect to those winnings.
(D) If a person's prize award from a video lottery terminal is an amount for which reporting to the Internal Revenue Service is required by section 6041 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, the video lottery sales agent shall deduct and withhold municipal income tax from the person's prize award at the rate of the tax imposed by the municipal corporation in which the video lottery terminal facility is located.
(E) Amounts deducted and withheld by a video lottery sales agent are held in trust for the benefit of the municipal corporation to which the tax is owed.
(1) The video lottery sales agent shall issue to a person from whose prize award an amount has been deducted and withheld a receipt for the amount deducted and withheld, and shall obtain from the person receiving a prize award the person's name, address, and social security number in order to facilitate the preparation of returns required by this section.
(2) On or before the tenth day of each month, the video lottery sales agent shall file a return electronically with the Tax Administrator of the municipality providing the names, addresses, and social security numbers of the persons from whose prize awards amounts were deducted and withheld, the amount of each such deduction and withholding during the preceding calendar month, the amount of the prize award from which each such amount was withheld, and any other information required by the Tax Administrator. With the return, the video lottery sales agent shall remit electronically to the Tax Administrator all amounts deducted and withheld during the preceding month.
(3) A video lottery sales agent shall maintain a record of all receipts issued under division (E) of this section and shall make those records available to the Tax Administrator upon request. Such records shall be maintained in accordance with R.C. § 5747.17 and any rules adopted pursuant thereto.
(4) Annually, on or before the 31st day of January, each video lottery terminal sales agent shall file an annual return electronically with the Tax Administrator of the municipal corporation in which the facility is located indicating the total amount deducted and withheld during the preceding calendar year. The video lottery sales agent shall remit electronically with the annual return any amount that was deducted and withheld and that was not previously remitted. If the name, address, or social security number of a person or the amount deducted and withheld with respect to that person was omitted on a monthly return for that reporting period, that information shall be indicated on the annual return.
(5) Annually, on or before the 31st day of January, a video lottery sales agent shall issue an information return to each person with respect to whom an amount has been deducted and withheld during the preceding calendar year. The information return shall show the total amount of municipal income tax deducted and withheld from the person's prize award by the video lottery sales agent during the preceding year. A video lottery sales agent shall provide to the Tax Administrator of the municipal corporation a copy of each information return issued under this division. The Tax Administrator may require that such copies be transmitted electronically.
(6) A video lottery sales agent who fails to file a return and remit the amounts deducted and withheld is personally liable for the amount deducted and withheld and not remitted. Such personal liability extends to any penalty and interest imposed for the late filing of a return or the late payment of tax deducted and withheld.
(F) If a video lottery sales agent ceases to operate video lottery terminals, the amounts deducted and withheld along with any penalties and interest thereon are immediately due and payable. The successor of the video lottery sales agent that purchases the video lottery terminals from the agent shall withhold an amount from the purchase money that is sufficient to cover the amounts deducted and withheld and any penalties and interest thereon until the predecessor video lottery sales agent operator produces either of the following:
(1) A receipt from the Tax Administrator showing that the amounts deducted and withheld and penalties and interest thereon have been paid;
(2) A certificate from the Tax Administrator indicating that no amounts are due. If the successor fails to withhold purchase money, the successor is personally liable for the payment of the amounts deducted and withheld and penalties and interest thereon.
(G) The failure of a video lottery sales agent to deduct and withhold the required amount from a person's prize award does not relieve that person from liability for the municipal income tax with respect to that prize award.
(H) If a casino operator or lottery sales agent files a return late, fails to file a return, remits amounts deducted and withheld late, or fails to remit amounts deducted and withheld as required under this section, the Tax Administrator of a municipal corporation may impose the following applicable penalty:
(1) For the late remittance of, or failure to remit, tax deducted and withheld under this section, a penalty equal to 50% of the tax deducted and withheld;
(2) For the failure to file, or the late filing of, a monthly or annual return, a penalty of $500 for each return not filed or filed late. Interest shall accrue on past due amounts deducted and withheld at the rate prescribed in R.C. § 5703.47.
(I) Amounts deducted and withheld on behalf of a municipal corporation shall be allowed as a credit against payment of the tax imposed by the municipal corporation and shall be treated as taxes paid for purposes of § 36A.07. This division applies only to the person for whom the amount is deducted and withheld.
(J) The Tax Administrator shall prescribe the forms of the receipts and returns required under this section.
(Ord. 15-31, passed 12-29-15)
Statutory reference:
Withholding by casinos and lottery sales agents, see R.C. § 718.031