(A) An annual this municipality income tax return shall be completed and filed by every individual taxpayer 18 years of age or older, and any taxpayer that is not an individual, for each taxable year for which the taxpayer is subject to the tax, whether or not a tax is due thereon.
(1) The Tax Administrator may accept on behalf of all nonresident individual taxpayers a return filed by an employer, agent of an employer, or other payer under § 36.233 of these rules and regulations when the nonresident individual taxpayer’s sole income subject to the tax is the qualifying wages reported by the employer, agent of an employer, or other payer, and no additional tax is due this municipality.
(2) Retirees having no municipal taxable income for this municipality income tax purposes may file with the Tax Administrator a written exemption from these filing requirements on a form prescribed by the Tax Administrator. The written exemption shall indicate the date of retirement and the entity from which retired. The exemption shall be in effect until such time as the retiree receives municipal taxable income taxable to this municipality, at which time the retiree shall be required to comply with all applicable provisions of this ordinance/chapter.
(B) If an individual is deceased, any return or notice required of that individual shall be completed and filed by that decedent’s executor, administrator or other person charged with the property of that decedent.
(C) If an individual is unable to complete and file a return or notice required by this municipality, the return or notice required of that individual shall be completed and filed by the individual’s duly authorized agent, guardian, conservator, fiduciary or other person charged with the care of the person or property of that individual.
(D) Returns or notices required of an estate or a trust shall be completed and filed by the fiduciary of the estate or trust.
(E) This municipality shall permit spouses to file a joint return. Both spouses are liable jointly and severally for payment of the tax associated with the joint return. A tax return shall be deemed a joint return whenever the facts indicate that the taxpayers intended to have the filed tax return be a joint return. Conclusive indications of such intention include when both spouses have signed the tax return, when the return reports both spouses’ income, or when the return reports both spouses’ income but only one signed the return.
(F) (1) Each return required to be filed under this division (F) shall contain the signature of the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s duly authorized agent and of the person who prepared the return for the taxpayer. The return shall include the taxpayer’s social security number or taxpayer identification number. Each return shall be verified by a declaration under penalty of perjury.
(2) The Tax Administrator shall require a taxpayer who is an individual to include, with each annual return, and amended return, copies of the following documents: all of the taxpayer’s Internal Revenue Service Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statements, including all information reported on the taxpayer’s federal W-2, as well as taxable wages reported or withheld for any municipal corporation; the taxpayer’s Internal Revenue Service Form 1040; and, with respect to an amended tax return, any other documentation necessary to support the adjustments made in the amended return. An individual taxpayer who files the annual return required by this section electronically is not required to provide paper copies of any of the foregoing to the Tax Administrator unless the Tax Administrator requests such copies after the return has been filed.
(3) (a) The Tax Administrator may require a taxpayer that is not an individual to include, with each annual net profit return, amended net profit return or request for refund required under this section, copies of only the following documents: the taxpayer’s Internal Revenue Service Form 1041; Form 1065; Form 1120; Form 1120-REIT; Form 1120F; or Form 1120S, and, with respect to an amended tax return or refund request, any other documentation necessary to support the refund request or the adjustments made in the amended return.
(b) A taxpayer that is not an individual and that files an annual net profit return electronically through the Ohio Business Gateway or in some other manner shall either mail the documents required under this division (E) to the Tax Administrator at the time of filing or, if electronic submission is available, submit the documents electronically through the Ohio Business Gateway.
(4) After a taxpayer files a tax return, the Tax Administrator may request, and the taxpayer shall provide, any information, statements or documents required by this municipality to determine and verify the taxpayer’s municipal income tax liability. The requirements imposed under division (F) of this section apply regardless of whether the taxpayer files on a generic form or on a form prescribed by the Tax Administrator.
(G) (1) (a) Except as otherwise provided in these rules and regulations, each individual income tax return required to be filed under this section shall be completed and filed as required by the Tax Administrator on or before the date prescribed for the filing of state individual income tax returns under R.C. § 5747.08(G). The taxpayer shall complete and file the return or notice on forms prescribed by the Tax Administrator or on generic forms, together with remittance made payable to this municipality. No remittance is required if the net amount due is $10 or less.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this municipality’s ordinance, each annual net profit return required to be filed under this section by a taxpayer that is not an individual shall be completed and filed as required by the Tax Administrator on or before the fifteenth day of the fourth month following the end of the taxpayer’s taxable year. The taxpayer shall complete and file the return or notice on forms prescribed by the Tax Administrator or on generic forms, together with remittance made payable to this municipality. No remittance is required if the net amount due is $10 or less.
(2) Any taxpayer that has duly requested an automatic six-month extension for filing the taxpayer’s federal income tax return shall automatically receive an extension for the filing of this municipality’s income tax return. The extended due date of this municipality’s income tax return shall be the fifteenth day of the tenth month after the last day of the taxable year to which the return relates. An extension of time to file under this division (G) is not an extension of the time to pay any tax due unless the Tax Administrator grants an extension of that date.
(a) A copy of the federal extension request shall be included with the filing of this municipality’s income tax return.
(b) A taxpayer that has not requested or received a six-month extension for filing the taxpayer’s federal income tax return may submit a written request that the Tax Administrator grant the taxpayer a six-month extension of the date for filing the taxpayer’s this municipality income tax return. If the request is received by the Tax Administrator on or before the date this municipality income tax return is due, the Tax Administrator shall grant the taxpayer’s requested extension.
(3) If the State Tax Commissioner extends for all taxpayers the date for filing state income tax returns under R.C. § 5747.08(G), a taxpayer shall automatically receive an extension for the filing of this municipality’s income tax return. The extended due date of this municipality’s income tax return shall be the same as the extended due date of the state income tax return.
(4) If the Tax Administrator considers it necessary in order to ensure the payment of the tax imposed by this municipality, the Tax Administrator may require taxpayers to file returns and make payments otherwise than as provided in this division (G), including taxpayers not otherwise required to file annual returns.
(5) To the extent that any provision in this division (G) conflicts with any provision in divisions (N), (O), (P) or (Q) of this section, the provisions in divisions (N), (O), (P) or (Q) of this section will prevail.
(6) The failure of any taxpayer to receive or procure a return, declaration or other required form shall not excuse him or her from making any information return, declaration of return, from filing such form or from paying the tax.
(H) (1) For taxable years beginning after 2015, this municipality shall not require a taxpayer to remit tax with respect to net profits if the net amount due is $10 or less.
(2) Any taxpayer not required to remit tax to this municipality for a taxable year pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section shall file with this municipality an annual net profit return under division (F)(3) of this section.
(I) The date or prescribed period or filed by which payments or other documents shall be considered as having been made timely are as follows.
(1) If a payment is required to be made by electronic funds transfer, the payment is considered to be made when the payment is credited to an account designated by the Tax Administrator for the receipt of tax payments, except that, when a payment made by electronic funds transfer is delayed due to circumstances not under the control of the taxpayer, the payment is considered to be made when the taxpayer submitted the payment. This division (I) shall not apply to payments required to be made under § 36.233(B)(1)(a) or provisions for semi-monthly withholding.
(2) If any payment required to be made, and/or any report, claim, statement or other document required to be filed, within a prescribed period or on or before a prescribed date, is delivered after that period or that date by United States mail to the Tax Administrator or other municipal official to which the payment is required to be made, and/or to which the report, claim, statement or other document is required to be filed, the date of the postmark stamped on the cover in which the payment, report, claim, statement or other document, is mailed shall be deemed to be the date of delivery or the date of payment. “The date of postmark” means, in the event there is more than one date on the cover, the earliest date imprinted on the cover by the postal service.
(J) Taxes withheld for this municipality by an employer, the agent of an employer, or other payer as described in § 36.233 shall be allowed to the taxpayer as credits against payment of the tax imposed on the taxpayer by this municipality, unless the amounts withheld were not remitted to this municipality and the recipient colluded with the employer, agent, or other payer in connection with the failure to remit the amounts withheld.
(K) (1) Each return required by this municipality to be filed in accordance with this division (K) shall include a box that the taxpayer may check to authorize another person, including a tax return preparer who prepared the return, to communicate with the Tax Administrator about matters pertaining to the return.
(2) The return or instructions accompanying the return shall indicate that by checking the box the taxpayer authorizes the Tax Administrator to contact the preparer or other person concerning questions that arise during the examination or other review of the return and authorizes the preparer or other person only to provide the Tax Administrator with information that is missing from the return, to contact the Tax Administrator for information about the examination or other review of the return or the status of the taxpayer’s refund or payments, and to respond to notices about mathematical errors, offsets or return preparation that the taxpayer has received from the Tax Administrator and has shown to the preparer or other person.
(3) When income tax returns, reports or other documents include the signature of a tax return preparer, the Tax Administrator shall accept a facsimile of such a signature in lieu of a manual signature.
(L) The Tax Administrator shall accept for filing a generic form of any income tax return, report, or document required by this municipality, provided that the generic form, once completed and filed, contains all of the information required by ordinance, resolution, or rules and regulations adopted by this municipality or the Tax Administrator, and provided that the taxpayer or tax return preparer filing the generic form otherwise complies with the provisions of these rules and regulations and of this municipality’s ordinance, resolution, or rules and regulations governing the filing of returns, reports, or documents.
(M) (1) Filing via Ohio Business Gateway: subject to the eligibility requirements of the Ohio Business Gateway, any taxpayer subject to municipal income taxation with respect to the taxpayer’s net profit from a business or profession may file this municipality’s income tax return, estimated municipal income tax return, or extension for filing a municipal income tax return, and may make payment of amounts shown to be due on such returns, by using the Ohio Business Gateway.
(2) Any employer, agent of an employer or other payer may report the amount of municipal income tax withheld from qualifying wages, and may make remittance of such amounts, by using the Ohio Business Gateway.
(3) Nothing in this section affects the due dates for filing employer withholding tax returns.
(4) This municipality shall not be required to pay any fee or charge for the operation or maintenance of the Ohio Business Gateway.
(5) The use of the Ohio Business Gateway by municipal corporations, taxpayers or other persons pursuant to this division (M) does not affect the legal rights of this municipality or taxpayers as otherwise permitted by law. This state shall not be a party to the administration of this municipality income taxes or to an appeal of this municipality income tax matters, except as otherwise specifically provided by law.
(6) (a) The State Tax Commissioner shall adopt rules establishing:
1. The format of documents to be used by taxpayers to file returns and make payments through the Ohio Business Gateway; and
2. a. The information taxpayers must submit when filing municipal income tax returns through the Ohio Business Gateway.
b. The State Tax Commissioner shall not adopt rules under this division (M) that conflict with the requirements of R.C. § 718.05.
(b) The State Tax Commissioner shall consult with the Ohio Business Gateway steering committee before adopting the rules described in division (M)(6)(a) of this section.
(7) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting or removing the authority of this municipality to administer, audit and enforce the provisions of its municipal income tax.
(N) Extension for service in or for the armed forces. Each member of the national guard of any state and each member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States called to active duty pursuant to an executive order issued by the President of the United States or an act of the Congress of the United States, and each civilian serving as support personnel in a combat zone or contingency operation in support of the armed forces, may apply to the Tax Administrator of this municipality for both an extension of time for filing of the return and an extension of time for payment of taxes required by this municipality during the period of the member’s or civilian’s duty service, and for 180 days thereafter. The application shall be filed on or before the one hundred eightieth day after the member’s or civilian’s duty terminates. An applicant shall provide such evidence as the Tax Administrator considers necessary to demonstrate eligibility for the extension.
(O) (1) If the Tax Administrator ascertains that an applicant is qualified for an extension under this section, the Tax Administrator shall enter into a contract with the applicant for the payment of the tax in installments that begin on the one-hundred and eighty-first day after the applicant’s active duty or service terminates. The Tax Administrator may prescribe such contract terms as the Tax Administrator considers appropriate.
(2) If the Tax Administrator determines that an applicant is qualified for an extension under this section, the applicant shall neither be required to file any return, report or other tax document nor be required to pay any tax otherwise due this municipality before the one-hundred and eighty-first day after the applicant’s active duty or service terminates.
(3) Taxes paid pursuant to a contract entered into under (O)(1) of this section are not delinquent. The Tax Administrator shall not require any payments of penalties or interest in connection with those taxes for the extension period.
(P) (1) Nothing in this division (P) denies to any person described in this division (P) the application of divisions (N) and (O) of this section.
(2) (a) A qualifying taxpayer who is eligible for an extension under the Internal Revenue Code shall receive both an extension of time in which to file any return, report or other tax document and an extension of time in which to make any payment of taxes required by a municipal corporation in accordance with these rules and regulations. The length of any extension granted under division (P)(2)(a) of this section shall be equal to the length of the corresponding extension that the taxpayer receives under the Internal Revenue Code. As used in this division (P), QUALIFYING TAXPAYER means a member of the national guard or a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States called to active duty pursuant to either an executive order issued by the President of the United States or an act of the Congress of the United States, or a civilian serving as support personnel in a combat zone or contingency operation in support of the armed forces.
(b) Taxes whose payment is extended in accordance with division (P)(2)(a) of this section are not delinquent during the extension period. Such taxes become delinquent on the first day after the expiration of the extension period if the taxes are not paid prior to that date. The Tax Administrator shall not require any payment of penalties or interest in connection with those taxes for the extension period. The Tax Administrator shall not include any period of extension granted under division (P)(2)(a) of this section in calculating the penalty or interest due on any unpaid tax.
(Q) For each taxable year to which division (N), (O) or (P) of this section applies to a taxpayer, the provisions of divisions (O)(2) and (O)(3) of this section, as applicable, apply to the spouse of that taxpayer if the filing status of the spouse and the taxpayer is married filing jointly for that year.
(R) Consolidated municipal income tax return: as used in this section:
(1) AFFILIATED GROUP OF CORPORATIONS means an affiliated group as defined in § 1504 of the Internal Revenue Code, except that, if such a group includes at least one incumbent local exchange carrier that is primarily engaged in the business of providing local exchange telephone service in this state, the affiliated group shall not include any incumbent local exchange carrier that would otherwise be included in the group.
(2) CONSOLIDATED FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURN means a consolidated return filed for federal income tax purposes pursuant to § 1501 of the Internal Revenue Code.
(3) CONSOLIDATED FEDERAL TAXABLE INCOME means the consolidated taxable income of an affiliated group of corporations, as computed for the purposes of filing a consolidated federal income tax return, before consideration of net operating losses or special deductions. CONSOLIDATED FEDERAL TAXABLE INCOME does not include income or loss of an incumbent local exchange carrier that is excluded from the affiliated group under division (R)(1) of this section.
(4) INCUMBENT LOCAL EXCHANGE CARRIER has the same meaning as in R.C. § 4927.01.
(5) LOCAL EXCHANGE TELEPHONE SERVICE has the same meaning as in R.C. § 5727.01.
(S) (1) For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2016, a taxpayer that is a member of an affiliated group of corporations may elect to file a consolidated municipal income tax return for a taxable year if at least one member of the affiliated group of corporations is subject to this municipality’s income tax in that taxable year, and if the affiliated group of corporations filed a consolidated federal income tax return with respect to that taxable year. The election is binding for a five-year period beginning with the first taxable year of the initial election unless a change in the reporting method is required under federal law. The election continues to be binding for each subsequent five-year period unless the taxpayer elects to discontinue filing consolidated municipal income tax returns under division (S)(2) of this section or a taxpayer receives permission from the Tax Administrator. The Tax Administrator shall approve such a request when, within the Tax Administrator’s sole discretion, there is good cause shown by the taxpayer.
(2) An election to discontinue filing consolidated municipal income tax returns under this section must be made in the first year following the last year of a five-year consolidated municipal income tax return election period in effect under division (S)(1) of this section. The election to discontinue filing a consolidated municipal income tax return is binding for a five-year period beginning with the first taxable year of the election.
(3) An election made under division (S)(1) or (S)(2) of this section is binding on all members of the affiliated group of corporations subject to a municipal income tax.
(T) A taxpayer that is a member of an affiliated group of corporations that filed a consolidated federal income tax return for a taxable year shall file a consolidated this municipality income tax return for that taxable year if the Tax Administrator determines, by a preponderance of the evidence, that intercompany transactions have not been conducted at arm’s length and that there has been a distortive shifting of income or expenses with regard to allocation of net profits to this municipality. A taxpayer that is required to file a consolidated this municipality income tax return for a taxable year shall file a consolidated this municipality income tax return for all subsequent taxable years, unless the taxpayer requests and receives written permission from the Tax Administrator to file a separate return or a taxpayer has experienced a change in circumstances. A change in circumstances means any substantial alteration, including liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy or merger.
(U) A taxpayer shall prepare a consolidated West Alexandria income tax return in the same manner as is required under the United States Department of Treasury regulations that prescribe procedures for the preparation of the consolidated federal income tax return required to be filed by the common parent of the affiliated group of which the taxpayer is a member.
(V) (1) Except as otherwise provided in divisions (V)(2), (V)(3) and (V)(4) of this section, corporations that file a consolidated municipal income tax return shall compute adjusted federal taxable income, as defined in § 36.231, by substituting “consolidated federal taxable income” for “federal taxable income” wherever “federal taxable income” appears in that division and by substituting “an affiliated group of corporation’s” for “a C corporation’s” wherever “a C corporation’s” appears in that division.
(2) No corporation filing a consolidated West Alexandria income tax return shall make any adjustment otherwise required under § 36.231(C)(1) to the extent that the item of income or deduction otherwise subject to the adjustment has been eliminated or consolidated in the computation of consolidated federal taxable income.
(3) If the net profit or loss of a pass-through entity having at least 80% of the value of its ownership interest owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by an affiliated group of corporations is included in that affiliated group’s consolidated federal taxable income for a taxable year, the corporation filing a consolidated West Alexandria income tax return shall do one of the following with respect to that pass-through entity’s net profit or loss for that taxable year:
(a) Exclude the pass-through entity’s net profit or loss from the consolidated federal taxable income of the affiliated group and, for the purpose of making the computations required in § 36.234(R) through (Y), exclude the property, payroll, and gross receipts of the pass-through entity in the computation of the affiliated group’s net profit sitused to West Alexandria. If the entity’s net profit or loss is so excluded, the entity shall be subject to taxation as a separate taxpayer on the basis of the entity’s net profits that would otherwise be included in the consolidated federal taxable income of the affiliated group; and
(b) Include the pass-through entity’s net profit or loss in the consolidated federal taxable income of the affiliated group and, for the purpose of making the computations required in divisions (R) through (Y) of this section, include the property, payroll, and gross receipts of the pass-through entity in the computation of the affiliated group’s net profit sitused to West Alexandria. If the entity’s net profit or loss is so included, the entity shall not be subject to taxation as a separate taxpayer on the basis of the entity’s net profits that are included in the consolidated federal taxable income of the affiliated group.
(4) If the net profit or loss of a pass-through entity having less than 80% of the value of its ownership interest owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by an affiliated group of corporations is included in that affiliated group’s consolidated federal taxable income for a taxable year, all of the following shall apply:
(a) The corporation filing the consolidated municipal income tax return shall exclude the pass-through entity’s net profit or loss from the consolidated federal taxable income of the affiliated group and, for the purposes of making the computations required in § 36.234(R) through (Y), exclude the property, payroll, and gross receipts of the pass-through entity in the computation of the affiliated group’s net profit sitused to West Alexandria; and
(b) The pass-through entity shall be subject to West Alexandria’s income taxation as a separate taxpayer in accordance with these rules and regulations on the basis of the entity’s net profits that would otherwise be included in the consolidated federal taxable income of the affiliated group.
(W) Corporations filing a consolidated West Alexandria income tax return shall make the computations required under divisions (R) through (Y) of this section by substituting “consolidated federal taxable income attributable to” for “net profit from” wherever “net profit from” appears in that section and by substituting “affiliated group of corporations” for “taxpayer” wherever “taxpayer” appears in that section.
(X) Each corporation filing a consolidated West Alexandria income tax return is jointly and severally liable for any tax, interest, penalties, fines, charges or other amounts imposed by West Alexandria in accordance with these rules and regulations on the corporation, an affiliated group of which the corporation is a member for any portion of the taxable year, or any one or more members of such an affiliated group.
(Y) Corporations and their affiliates that made an election or entered into an agreement with West Alexandria before January 1, 2016, to file a consolidated or combined tax return with West Alexandria may continue to file consolidated or combined tax returns in accordance with such election or agreement for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2016.
(Z) (1) Application of payments; currency and checks: if any taxpayer or other debtor owes multiple debts and makes any single, partial payment to West Alexandria with respect to such debts, such municipality shall apply such payment in accordance with the debtor’s directions. Otherwise, West Alexandria shall apply partial payments to the taxpayer’s oldest unpaid tax debt, then to his or her oldest interest debt, and then to his or her oldest penalty debt.
(2) Payments must be made in U.S. currency.
(3) Checks:
(a) The term CHECKS shall include personal checks, bank checks, money orders and other such instruments for the payment of money which may be handled as cash items by the Federal Reserve Banks. The payment must be drawn on a solvent savings and loan or commercial bank or other recognized financial institution located within one of the 12 U.S. Federal Reserve Districts.
(b) If any check or money order in payment of any amount receivable under these rules and regulations, other than those provided for under division (Z)(3)(c) of this section, is not duly paid, there shall be charged to the person who tendered such check, upon notice and demand by the Tax Administrator, an amount equal to the processing fee(s) incurred due to the bad check.
(c) If any check in payment of any amount receivable under rules and regulations, is drawn on a financial institution not located within one of the 12 Federal Reserve Districts and results in a processing fee charged to RITA, there shall be charged to the person who tendered such check, upon notice and demand by the Tax Administrator, in the same manner as tax, an amount equal to such processing fee.
(Ord. 917, passed 7-19-2021)