This article shall be known as and may be cited as the "Amendment
to Real Estate Transfer Tax Ordinance of Third Day of January 1955."
This realty transfer tax is levied under the authority of Article
XI-D, entitled "Local Real Estate Transfer Tax," of the Pennsylvania
Real Estate Transfer Tax Act, which is a new article added by Act
77-1986 (Act of July 2, 1986, No. 77, P.L. 318) to the Pennsylvania
Real Estate Transfer Act, Act 14-1981 (Act of May 5, 1981, No. 14,
P.L. 36), as amended. The Pennsylvania Real Estate Transfer Tax Act
is codified as 72 P.S. § 8101-C et seq. and Article XI-D
is codified as 72 P.S. § 8101-D et seq.
[Amended 11-29-2006 by Ord. No. 06-07]
A. Towamencin Township adopts the provisions of Article XI-D of the
Tax Reform Code of 1971 and imposes a realty transfer tax as authorized
under that Article subject to the rate limitations therein. The tax
imposed under this section shall be at the rate of 1/2 of 1%.
B. The tax imposed under Subsection
A and all applicable interest and penalties shall be administered, collected, and enforced under the Act of December 31, 1965 (P.L. 1257, No. 511, as amended, known as the "Local Tax Enabling Act"), provided that if the correct amount of the tax is not paid by the last date prescribed for timely payment, Towamencin Township, pursuant to Section 1102-D of the Tax Reform Code of 1971 (72 P.S. § 8102-D), authorizes and directs the Department of Revenue of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to determine, collect, and enforce the tax, interest, and penalties.
C. Any tax imposed under Subsection
A that is not paid by the date the tax is due shall bear interest as prescribed for interest on delinquent municipal claims under the Act of May 16, 1923 (P.L. 207, No. 153) (53 P.S. § 7101, et seq.), as amended known as the "Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Act." The interest rate shall be the lesser of the interest rate imposed upon delinquent commonwealth taxes as provided in Section 806 of the Act of April 9, 1929 (P.L. 343, No. 176) (72 P.S. § 806), as amended, known as the "Fiscal Code," or the maximum interest rate permitted under the Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Act for tax claims.
The payment of the tax imposed by this article shall be evidenced
by the collector affixing on the document an official stamp or a writing
setting forth the date of payment of the tax and the amount of tax
paid.
The United States, the commonwealth or any of their instrumentalities,
agencies or political subdivisions shall be exempt from payment of
the tax imposed by this article. The exemption of such governmental
bodies shall not, however, relieve any other party to a transaction
from liability for the tax.
Except as otherwise provided in §
143-27, documents which make, confirm or evidence any transfer or demise of title to real estate between associations or corporations and the members, partners, shareholders or stockholders thereof are fully taxable. For the purposes of this article, corporations and associations are entities separate from their members, partners, stockholders or shareholders.
It shall be unlawful for any person to:
A. Make, execute, deliver, accept or present for recording or cause
to be made, executed, delivered, accepted or presented for recording
any document without the fall amount of the tax thereon being duly
paid.
B. Make use of any documentary stamp to denote payment of any tax imposed
by this article without canceling such stamp as required by this article
or as prescribed by the Department of Revenue of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.
C. Fail, neglect or refuse to comply with or violate other provisions
of this article or any rules and regulations promulgated by the Township
under this article or any rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania
Department of Revenue to the extent they are applicable to the tax
levied hereunder.
D. Fail to record a declaration of acquisition as required by this article.
E. Fraudulently cut, tear or remove from a document any documentary
stamp.
F. Fraudulently affix to any document upon which tax is imposed by this
article any documentary stamp which has been cut, torn or removed
from any other document upon which tax is imposed by this article
or any documentary stamp of insufficient value or any forged or counterfeited
stamp or any impression of any forged or counterfeited stamp, die,
plate or other article.
G. Willfully remove or alter the cancellation marks of any documentary
stamp, or restore any such documentary stamp, with the intent to use
or cause the same to be used after it has already been used, or knowingly
buy, sell, offer for sale or give away any such altered or restored
stamp to any person for use, or knowingly use the same.
H. Knowingly have in his possession any altered or restored documentary
stamp which has been removed from any document upon which tax is imposed
by this article, provided that the possession of such stamps shall
be prima facie evidence of an intent to violate the provisions of
this subsection.
I. Knowingly or willfully prepare, keep, sell, offer for sale or have
in his possession any forged or counterfeited documentary stamps.
The tax herein imposed shall be fully paid and shall have priority
out of the proceeds of any judicial sale of real estate before any
other obligation, claim, lien, judgment, estate or costs of sale and
of the writ upon which the sale is made, and the sheriff or other
officer conducting said sale shall pay the tax herein imposed out
of the first moneys paid to him in connection therewith. If the proceeds
of the sale are insufficient to pay the entire tax herein imposed,
the purchaser shall be liable for the remaining tax.
The Township may promulgate and enforce reasonable rules and
regulations for the interpretation, collection and enforcement of
the tax.