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181.10 INTEREST AND PENALTIES.
   (a)    All taxes imposed and all monies withheld or required to be withheld by employers under the provisions of this chapter and remaining unpaid ten days after they become due shall bear interest at the rate at which interest is paid on refunds according to Ohio R.C. 5702.47, and updated annually.
   (b)    In addition to interest as provided in subsection (a) hereof, penalties are hereby imposed as follows based on the tax remaining unpaid ten days after they become due:
      (1)    For failure to pay taxes due, other than taxes withheld; one and one half percent (1 1/2%) per month or fraction thereof.
      (2)    For failure to remit taxes withheld from employees: three percent (3%) per month or fraction thereof, or ten percent (10%), whichever is greater.
      (3)    Where the taxpayer has failed to file a declaration on which he has estimated and paid a tax equal to or greater than the tax paid for the previous year, or has failed to file a declaration on which he was estimated and paid tax equal to or greater than ninety percent (90%) of the actual tax for the year, or has failed to file a final return and pay the total tax on or before the end of the month following the end of his taxable year; ten percent (10%) of the difference, between ninety percent (90%) of the actual tax for the year and the amount paid through withholding or declaration.
      (4)    Except in the case of fraud, the penalty shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the unpaid tax.
      (5)   Twenty-five dollars ($25.00) shall be assessed as an administrative charge for those taxpayers failing to timely file the annual return or failing to pay the taxes due.
   (c)    Exceptions. A penalty shall not be assessed on an additional tax assessment made by the Superintendent when a return has been filed in good faith and the tax paid thereon within the time prescribed by the Superintendent and provided further, that, in the absence of fraud, neither penalty nor interest shall be assessed on any additional tax assessment resulting from a Federal audit, providing an amended return is filed and the additional tax is paid within three months after final determination of the Federal tax liability.
   (d)    Upon recommendation of the Superintendent, the Board of Tax Appeals may abate penalty or interest, or both.
   (e)   Provided, however, that in no case shall penalty and interest charges be levied when the total of such penalty and interest amounts to less than one dollar ($1.00).
   (f)   Any person required to withhold the tax who knowingly fails to withhold such tax, or pay over such tax or knowingly attempts in any manner to evade or defeat such tax or the payment thereof, shall, in addition to other penalties provided by law, be liable to a penalty equal to the total amount of the tax evaded, or not withheld, or not paid over. No other penalty under this section shall be applied to any offense to which this penalty is applied.
   (g)    Interest but no penalty will be assessed where an extension has been granted by the Superintendent and the final tax paid within the period as extended.
(Ord. 01-68. Passed 1-7-02.)
181.11 COLLECTION OF UNPAID TAXES AND REFUND OF OVERPAYMENTS.
   (a)    In addition to any criminal penalties which may be imposed pursuant to Section 181.12, all taxes imposed by Section 181.03 shall be collectible, together with any interest and penalties thereon, by civil suit. Except in the case of fraud, omission of twenty-five percent (25%) or more of income subject to this tax, or failure to file a return, an additional assessment shall not be made after three years from the time the return was due or filed, whichever is later. In the case of fraud, omission of 25% or more of income subject to this tax or failure to file a return, all additional assessments shall be made and all civil actions to recover Municipal income taxes and penalties and interest thereon shall be brought within six (6) years after the tax was due or the return was filed whichever is later. In those cases in which the Commissioner of Internal Revenue and the taxpayer have executed a waiver of the Federal statute of limitation, the period within which an additional assessment may be made by the Superintendent shall be one year form the time of the final determination of the Federal tax liability.
   (b)    Those officers or employees having control or supervision of, or charged with, the responsibility of filing the return and making payments for a corporation or association shall be personally liable for failure to file the return or pay the taxes and penalties and interest due as required. The dissolution, bankruptcy or reorganization of any employer does not discharge the officers' or employees' liability for a prior failure of such business to file a return or pay the taxes due.
   (c)    Taxes erroneously paid shall not be refunded unless a claim for refund is made within three years from the date which such payment was made or the return was due, or within three months after final determination of the Federal tax liability, whichever is later.
   (d)    Additional amounts of less than one dollar ($1.00) shall not be refunded or assessed unless such assessment results from income which the taxpayer has failed to report.
(Ord. 01-68. Passed 1-7-02.)
181.12 VIOLATIONS.
   (a)    No person shall:
      (1)    Fail, neglect or refuse to make any return or declaration required by this chapter;
      (2)    Make any incomplete, false or fraudulent return;
      (3)    Knowingly fail or refuse to pay the tax, penalties or interest imposed by this chapter;
      (4)    Knowingly fail or refuse to withhold the tax from his employees and remit such withholding to the Superintendent;
      (5)    Refuse to permit the Superintendent or any duly authorized agent or employee to examine his or his employer's books, records, papers and copies of Federal income tax returns relating to the income or net profits of a taxpayer;
      (6)    Fail to appear before the Superintendent and to produce his or his employers' books, records, papers or copies of Federal income tax returns relating to the income or net profits of a taxpayer upon order or subpoena of the Superintendent;
      (7)    Refuse to disclose to the Superintendent any information with respect to the income or net profits of a taxpayer;
      (8)    Fail to comply with the provisions of this chapter or any order or subpoena of the Superintendent;
      (9)    Attempt to do anything whatever to avoid the payment of the whole or any part of the tax, penalties or interest imposed by this chapter.
 
   (b)   (1)    Any person subject to the provisions of Section 181.01 through 181.17 inclusive, who has failed to file or has filed an incorrect return or has failed to pay the full amount of tax due, shall not be deemed to have committed an offense punishable under the provisions of this section until the assessment issued against him under the provisions of Section 181.08 has become due and payable.
      (2)    Any person who has filed a return under the provisions of Sections 181.01 through 181.17 inclusive, indicating the amount of tax due, and has failed to pay such tax, together with any penalties or interest that may have accrued thereon, shall not be deemed to have committed an offense for having knowingly failed to pay the tax, penalties or interest due as provided in subsection (a)(3) hereof, until the date of the filing of such return.
   (c)    The term "person" as used in this section shall, in addition to the meaning prescribed in Section 181.02, include in the case of an association or corporation not having any partner, member or officer within Germantown, any employee or agent of such association or corporation who can be found within the corporate limits of Germantown.
   (d)    All prosecutions under this section must be commenced within the time limit as now or hereafter may by provided by the applicable sections of the Ohio Revised Code for the prosecution of violations of Municipal income tax ordinances.
   (e)    The failure of any employer or taxpayer or person to receive or procure a return, declaration or other required form shall not excuse him from making any information return, return or declaration, from filing such forms, or from paying the tax.
(Ord. 01-68. Passed 1-7-02.)
181.13 BOARD OF TAX APPEALS.
   (a)    A Board of Tax Appeals, consisting of a chairman and two other individuals, each to be appointed by Council, and to serve staggered terms of three years, is hereby created. A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum. The Board shall adopt its own procedural rules and shall keep a record of its transactions. Any hearing by the Board shall, at the request of the taxpayer, be conducted privately and the provisions of Section 181.09 with reference to the confidential character of information required to be disclosed by this chapter shall apply to such matters as may be heard before the Board on appeal. Such records are not public records available for the inspection under Section 149.43 of the Ohio Revised Code. Hearings requested by the taxpayer before a Board of Tax Appeals created pursuant to the section are not meetings of a public body subject to Section 121.22 of the Ohio Revised Code.
      (1)    Whenever the Tax Superintendent issues a final decision regarding an income tax obligation that is subject to appeal as provided in this section, or in an ordinance or regulation of the Municipality of Germantown, the Tax Superintendent shall notify the taxpayer at the same time of the taxpayer's right to appeal the decision and of the manner in which the taxpayer may appeal the decision.
      (2)    Any person who is aggrieved by a decision of the Tax Superintendent and who has filed with the Municipality of Germantown the required returns or other documents pertaining to the municipal income tax obligation at issue in the decision may appeal the decision to the Board of Tax Appeals by filing a request with the Board. The request shall be in writing, shall state with particularity why the decision should be deemed incorrect or unlawful, and shall be filed within thirty (30) days after the Tax Superintendent has issued the decision.
      (3)    The imposition of penalty and interest as prescribed in the Codified Ordinances of the Municipality of Germantown is not a sole basis for appeal.
      (4)    The Board of Tax Appeals shall schedule a hearing within forty-five (45) days after receiving the request, unless the taxpayer waives a hearing.
      (5)    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.
 
   (b)    The Board shall hear and pass on appeals from any ruling or decision of the Superintendent, and, at the request of the taxpayer or Superintendent, is empowered to substitute alternate methods of allocation.
      (1)   The Board may affirm, reverse or modify the Tax Superintendent's decision or any part of that decision.
      (2)    The Board shall issue a decision on the appeal within ninety (90) days after the Board's final hearing on the appeal, and send notice of its decision by ordinary mail to the petitioner within fifteen (15) days after issuing the decision.
 
   (c)    As provided in Section 181.08, any person dissatisfied with any ruling or decision of the Superintendent which is made under the authority conferred by this chapter may appeal therefrom to the Board of Tax Appeals and the Board shall, on hearing, have jurisdiction to affirm, reverse or modify any such ruling or decision, or any part thereof. A taxpayer dissatisfied with a decision or filing by the Board of Appeals may appeal to a court of competent jurisdiction within thirty days from the date of filing of the ruling or decision to which exception is taken.
(Ord. 01-68. Passed 1-7-02.)
181.14 ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.
   The funds collected under the provisions of this chapter shall be placed in the General Fund of the City to be used for the purpose of paying all costs of collecting the taxes levied by this chapter and the cost of administering and enforcing the provisions hereof; for the payment of other current operating expenses of the City; and for payment of the costs of making such permanent improvements as Council may determine from time to time.
(Ord. 01-68. Passed 1-7-02.)
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