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If a return required by this chapter is not filed, or if a return when filed is incorrect or insufficient, the commissioner of finance shall determine the amount of tax due from such information as may be obtainable and, if necessary, may estimate the tax on the basis of external indices. Notice of such determination shall be given to the person liable for the payment of the tax. Such determination shall finally and irrevocably fix the tax unless the person against whom it is assessed, within ninety days after the giving of notice of such determination or, if the commissioner of finance has established a conciliation procedure pursuant to section 11-124 of the code and the taxpayer has requested a conciliation conference in accordance therewith, within ninety days from the mailing of a conciliation decision or the date of the commissioner's confirmation of the discontinuance of the conciliation proceeding, both (1) serves a petition upon the conciliation of finance and (2) files a petition with the tax appeals tribunal for a hearing, or unless the commissioner of finance of the commissioner's own motion shall redetermine the same. Such hearing and any appeal to the tax appeals tribunal sitting en banc from the decision rendered in such hearing shall be conducted in the manner and subject to the requirements prescribed by the tax appeals tribunal pursuant to sections one hundred sixty-eight through one hundred seventy-two of the charter. After such hearing the tax appeals tribunal shall give notice of its decision to the person against whom the tax is assessed and to the commissioner of finance. A decision of the tax appeals tribunal sitting en banc shall be reviewable for error, illegality or unconstitutionality or any other reason whatsoever by a proceeding under article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules if application therefor is made to the supreme court by the person against whom the tax was assessed within four months after the giving of the notice of such tax appeals tribunal decision, provided, however, that any such proceeding under article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules shall not be instituted by a taxpayer unless: (a) the amount of any tax sought to be reviewed, with interest and penalties thereon, if any, shall be first deposited and there is filed an undertaking with the commissioner of finance, issued by a surety company authorized to transact business in this state and approved by the superintendent of insurance of this state as to solvency and responsibility, in such amount as a justice of the supreme court shall approve to the effect that if such proceeding be dismissed or the tax confirmed the taxpayer will pay all costs and charges which may accrue in the prosecution of such proceeding or (b) at the option of the taxpayer such undertaking may be in a sum sufficient to cover the taxes, interest and penalties stated in such decision plus the costs and charges which may accrue against it in the prosecution of the proceeding, in which event the taxpayer shall not be required to pay such taxes, interest or penalties as a condition precedent to the application.
a. In the manner provided in this section the commissioner of finance shall refund or credit, without interest, any tax, penalty or interest erroneously, illegally or unconstitutionally collected or paid, if written application to the commissioner of finance for such refund shall be made within eighteen months from the date fixed by this chapter for filing the return on which such payment was based or within six months of the payment thereof, whichever of such periods expire the later. Whenever a refund or credit is made or denied, the commissioner of finance shall state his or her reason therefor and give notice thereof to the taxpayer in writing. The commissioner of finance may, in lieu of any refund required to be made, allow credit therefor on payments due from the applicant.
b. Any determination of the commissioner of finance denying a refund or credit pursuant to subdivision a of this section shall be final and irrevocable unless the applicant for such refund or credit, within ninety days from the mailing of notice of such determination, or, if the commissioner of finance has established a conciliation procedure pursuant to section 11-124 and the applicant has requested a conciliation conference in accordance therewith, within ninety days from the mailing of a conciliation decision or the date of the commissioner's confirmation of the discontinuance of the conciliation proceeding, both (1) serves a petition upon the commissioner of finance and (2) files a petition with the tax appeals tribunal for a hearing. Such petition for a refund or credit, made as herein provided, shall be deemed an application for a revision of any tax, penalty or interest complained of. Such hearing of any appeal to the tax appeals tribunal sitting en banc from the decision rendered in such hearing shall be conducted in the manner and subject to the requirements prescribed by the tax appeals tribunal pursuant to section one hundred sixty-eight through one hundred seventy-two of the charter. After such hearing, the tax appeals tribunal shall give notice of its decision to the applicant and to the commissioner of finance. The applicant shall be entitled to institute a proceeding pursuant to article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules to review a decision of the tax appeals tribunal sitting en banc if application to the supreme court be made therefor within four months after the giving of notice of such decision, and provided, in the case of an application by a taxpayer, that a final determination of tax due was not previously made. Such a proceeding shall not be instituted by a taxpayer unless an undertaking shall first be filed with the commissioner of finance, in such amount and with such sureties as a justice of the supreme court shall approve, to the effect that if such proceeding be dismissed or the tax confirmed, the taxpayer will pay all costs and charges which may accrue in the prosecution of the proceeding.
c. A person shall not be entitled to a revision, refund or credit under this section of a tax, interest or penalty which had been determined to be due pursuant to the provisions of section 11-708 of this chapter where such person has had a hearing or an opportunity for a hearing, as provided in said section, or has failed to avail himself or herself of the remedies therein provided. No refund or credit shall be made of a tax, interest or penalty paid after a determination by the commissioner of finance made pursuant to section 11-708 of this chapter unless it be found that such determination was erroneous, illegal or unconstitutional, or otherwise improper, by the tax appeals tribunal after a hearing, or, if such tax appeals tribunal affirms in whole or in part the determination of the commissioner of finance, in a proceeding under article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules, pursuant to the provisions of said section, in which event refund or credit without interest shall be made of the tax, interest or penalty found to have been overpaid.
The remedies provided by this chapter shall be the exclusive remedies available to any person for the review of tax liability imposed by this chapter; and no determination or proposed determination of tax or determination on any application for refund by the commissioner of finance, nor any decision by the tax appeals tribunal or any of its administrative law judges, shall be enjoined or reviewed by an action for declaratory judgment, an action for money had and received or by any action or proceeding other than, in the case of a decision by the tax appeals tribunal sitting en banc, a proceeding under article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules; provided, however, that a taxpayer may proceed by declaratory judgment if he or she institutes suit within thirty days after a deficiency assessment is made and pays the amount of the deficiency assessment to the commissioner of finance prior to the institution of such suit and posts a bond for costs as provided in section 11-708 of this chapter.
In cases where the taxpayer has applied for a refund and has instituted a proceeding under article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules to review a determination adverse to the taxpayer on his or her application for refund, the comptroller shall set up appropriate reserves to meet any decision adverse to the city.
a. Whenever any person shall fail to pay any tax or penalty or interest imposed by this chapter as herein provided, the corporation counsel shall, upon the request of the commissioner of finance, bring or cause to be brought an action to enforce payment of the same against the person liable for the same on behalf of the city of New York in any court of the state of New York or of any other state or of the United States. If, however, the commissioner of finance in his or her discretion believes that a taxpayer subject to the provisions of this chapter is about to cease business, leave the state or remove or dissipate the assets out of which tax or penalties might be satisfied and that any such tax or penalty will not be paid when due, he or she may declare such tax or penalty to be immediately due and payable and may issue a warrant immediately.
b. As an additional or alternate remedy, the commissioner of finance may issue a warrant, directed to the city sheriff commanding the sheriff to levy upon and sell the real and personal property of such person which may be found within the city, for the payment of the amount thereof, with any penalties and interest, and the cost of executing the warrant, and to return such warrant to the commissioner of finance and to pay to the commissioner the money collected by virtue thereof within sixty days after the receipt of such warrant. The city sheriff shall, within five days after the receipt of the warrant, file with the county clerk a copy thereof, and thereupon such clerk shall enter in the judgment docket the name of the person mentioned in the warrant and the amount of the tax, penalties and interest for which the warrant is issued and the date when such copy is filed. Thereupon the amount of such warrant so docketed shall become a lien upon the title to and interest in real and personal property of the person against whom the warrant is issued. The city sheriff shall then proceed upon the warrant in the same manner and with like effect as that provided by law in respect to executions issued against property upon judgments of a court of record, and for services in executing the warrant the sheriff shall be entitled to the same fees which the sheriff may collect in the same manner. In the discretion of the commissioner of finance a warrant of like terms, force and effect may be issued and directed to any officer or employee of the department of finance, and in the execution thereof such officer or employee shall have all the powers conferred by law upon sheriffs, but he or she shall be entitled to no fee or compensation in excess of the actual expenses paid in the performance of such duty. If a warrant is returned not satisfied in full, the commissioner of finance may from time to time issue new warrants and shall also have the same remedies to enforce the amount due thereunder as if the city had recovered judgment therefor and execution thereon had been returned unsatisfied.
c. Whenever there is made a sale, transfer or assignment in bulk of any part or the whole of a stock of merchandise or of fixtures, or merchandise and of fixtures pertaining to the conducting of the business of the seller, transferor or assignor, otherwise than in the ordinary course of trade and in the regular prosecution of said business, the purchaser, transferee or assignee shall at least ten days before taking possession of such merchandise, fixtures, or merchandise and fixtures, or paying therefor, notify the commissioner of finance by registered mail of the proposed sale and of the price, terms and conditions thereof whether or not the seller, transferor or assignor, has represented to, or informed the purchaser, transferee or assignee that it owes any tax pursuant to this chapter and whether or not the purchaser, transferee or assignee has knowledge that such taxes are owing, and whether any such taxes are in fact owing. Whenever the purchaser, transferee or assignee shall fail to give notice to the commissioner of finance as required by the preceding paragraph, or whenever the commissioner of finance shall inform the purchaser, transferee or assignee that a possible claim for such tax or taxes exists, any sums of money, property or choses in action, or other consideration, which the purchaser, transferee or assignee is required to transfer over to the seller, transferor or assignor shall be subject to a first priority right and lien for any such taxes theretofore or thereafter determined to be due from the seller, transferor or assignor to the city, and the purchaser, transferee or assignee is forbidden to transfer to the seller, transferor or assignor any such sums of money, property or choses in action to the extent of the amount of the city's claim. For failure to comply with the provisions of this subdivision, the purchaser, transferee or assignee, in addition to being subject to the liabilities and remedies imposed under the provisions of section forty-four of the personal property law, shall be personally liable for the payment to the city of any such taxes theretofore or thereafter determined to be due to the city from the seller, transferor or assignor, and such liability may be assessed and enforced in the same manner as the liability for tax under this chapter.
d. The commissioner of finance, if he or she finds that the interests of the city will not thereby be jeopardized, and upon such conditions as the commissioner of finance may require, may release any property from the lien of any warrant or vacate such warrant for unpaid taxes, additions to tax, penalties and interest filed pursuant to subdivision b of this section, and such release or vacating of the warrant may be recorded in the office of any recording officer in which such warrant has been filed. The clerk shall thereupon cancel and discharge as of the original date of docketing the vacated warrant.
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