The following words and phrases, when used in this article,
shall have the meaning subscribed to them in this section, except
where the context or language clearly indicates or requires a different
meaning:
BOROUGH OF MANHEIM or BOROUGH
These terms are interchangeable terms and, when used herein,
shall be understood to represent the area within the corporate limits
of the Borough of Manheim.
DCED
The Department of Community and Economic Development of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
EARNED INCOME
Compensation as this term is defined in Section 13 (relating
to earned income taxes) of the Local Tax Enabling Act, the Act of
Dec. 31, 1965, P.L. 1257, § 13, as amended, 53 P.S. § 6913,
as amended.
EMPLOYER
An individual, partnership, limited liability partnership,
limited liability corporation, association, corporation, governmental
body, agency or other entity that engages the services of one or more
individuals and makes payment to said individual whether by salary,
wages, commission or other compensation basis, including a self- employed
person.
HE, HIS or HIM
When used in the singular, shall also apply to the plural
number as well as male, female and neuter genders.
INDIVIDUAL or EMPLOYEE
Any person, male or female, engaged in any occupation, trade,
profession or other activity of any nature, type or kind whatsoever
within the corporate limits of the Borough of Manheim, whether in
the employ of another or self-employed, during the calendar year 2005
or any calendar year thereafter.
NET PROFITS
The net income from the operation of a business, profession;
or other activity as this term is defined in Section 13 (relating
to earned income taxes) of the Local Tax Enabling Act, the Act of
December 31, 1965, P.L. 1251, § 13, as amended, 53 P.S.
§ 6913, as amended.
OCCUPATION
The exercising or carrying on by any manner or means of any
trade, profession, business or undertaking of any type, kind or character,
including services, domestic or other, carried on or performed within
the corporate limits of the Borough of Manheim for which compensation
is charged or received, whether by means of salary, wages, commission
or otherwise, or wherein the individual is self-employed, payment
or fees are provided for services rendered.
RETURN
A form designated, prepared and supplied by the Tax Collector
for reporting the amount of any tax deducted from an employee or otherwise
owed to the Borough of Manheim under this enactment.
TAX
According to the enabling legislation, any amount between
$10 and $52 which may be adopted by a local municipality as a local
services tax in place of the emergency and municipal services tax
and/or the preceding occupational privilege tax.
TAX COLLECTOR or COLLECTOR
The person, public employee or private agency designated
by the Borough Council of the Borough of Manheim by resolution to
administer and enforce or to assist in the administration or enforcement
of the tax herein imposed in the place of the Borough Manager.
TAX YEAR
The period January 1 through December 31 in any year in which
the tax is payable; a calendar year.
For specific revenue purposes, an annual tax known as the "local
services tax" is hereby levied and assessed, replacing taxes previously
known as the "emergency municipal services tax" and/or "occupational
privilege tax." The local services tax shall be collected commencing
January 1, 2008, upon the privilege of engaging in an occupation with
a primary place of employment within the Borough of Manheim during
the tax year. Each individual who exercises such privilege for any
length of time during any tax year shall pay the tax for that year
in the amount not to exceed $52, as it may be adopted and modified
from time to time by resolution of the Borough Council of the Borough
of Manheim, which shall be assessed on a pro rata basis in accordance
with the provisions of this article. This tax may be used solely for
the following purposes as the same may be allocated by the Borough
of Manheim from time to time: 1) emergency services, which shall include
emergency medical services, police services and/or fire services;
2) road construction and/or maintenance; 3) reduction of property
taxes; or 4) property tax relief through implementation of a homestead
and farmstead exclusion in accordance with 53 Pa.C.S.A. Chapter 85,
Subchapter F (relating to homestead property exclusion). The Borough
of Manheim shall use no less that 25% of the funds derived from the
tax for emergency services. This tax is in addition to all other taxes
of any kind or nature heretofore levied by the Borough of Manheim.
The tax shall be no more than $52 on each individual for each tax
year, irrespective of the number of political subdivision within an
individual may be employed.
Beginning on January 1, 2008, each individual engaged in an
occupation within the Borough of Manheim shall be subject to the annual
payment of the tax of $52, said tax to be paid by each individual
exercising the privilege of engaging in any occupation.
For the purpose of this tax the following shall be exempt from
payment during the tax year.
A. Salary/wage exemption. Any individual whose total earned income and
net profits from all sources within the political subdivision is less
that $12,000 for any calendar year in which the tax is levied is exempt
from the payment of the tax for the calendar year. In addition, the
following individuals are also exempt of the tax.
(1) Any individual who has served in any war or armed conflict in which
the United States was engaged and is honorably discharged or release
under honorable circumstances from active service, if as a result
of military service the individual is blind, paraplegic or a double
or quadruple amputee or has a service-connected disability declared
by the United States Veterans' Administration or its successor
to be a total one-hundred-percent disability.
(2) Any individual who serves as a member of a reserve component of the
armed forces and is called to active duty at any time during the tax
year shall be exempt for that tax year. For the purposes of this subparagraph,
"reserve component of the armed forces" shall mean the United States'
Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve,
Air Force Reserve, the Pennsylvania Army National Guard or the Pennsylvania
Air National Guard.
B. Procedures to claim exemption:
(1) An individual seeking to claim an exemption from the tax shall annually
file an exemption certificate with the Borough and with his employer,
affirming that he reasonably expects to receive earned income and
net profits from all sources within the political subdivision of less
than $12,000 in the calendar year for which the exemption certificate
is being filed. The Borough will forward a copy of the exemption certificate
to the Collector. The individual seeking exemption shall attach a
copy of his last pay stub(s) or W-2 forms from the year prior to the
fiscal year for which he is requesting to be exempted from the tax.
Upon receipt of the exemption certificate and until otherwise instructed
by the Borough or its Collector, the employer shall not withhold the
tax from the individual during the calendar year or the remainder
of the calendar year for which the exemption certificate applies.
Exemption certificates will be available from the Borough or its Collector
and will be provided annually to each employer. Employers shall furnish
each new employee with information regarding the tax, including the
exemption provisions, at the time of hiring.
(2) An individual who claimed an exemption from the tax for a given calendar
year and later becomes aware that his earnings will equal or exceed
the $12,000 threshold is at that time responsible for payment of the
full value of the tax for that calendar year. Beginning at that time
the employer shall withhold the tax from the individual in accordance
with the following;
(3) The employer shall withhold the tax beginning with the first payroll
period following notification/realization that the individual has
lost exempt status as noted previously. A lump sum equal to the amount
of tax that was not withheld from the employee due to the prior claimed
exemption shall be withheld in addition to the amount due for the
current payroll period. From that time on, the deductions shall be
withheld in accordance with the standard pro rata previously established.
In the event the employment of the individual subject to the withholding
of the tax is subsequently severed in that calendar year the individual
shall be liable for any outstanding balance of tax due and the Borough
may pursue collection under this article.
(4) Except as provided in Subsection
B(2) of this section, it is the intent that employers shall not be responsible for investigating exemption certificates, monitoring tax exemption eligibility or exempting any employee from the tax.
C. Refunds. The Borough, in consultation with the Collector and DCED,
shall establish procedures for the processing of refund claims for
any tax paid by any person who is eligible for exemption, which procedures
shall be in accord with provisions of the general municipal law relating
to refunds of overpayments and interest on overpayments. Refunds made
within 75 days of a properly submitted and documented refund request
or 75 days after the last day the employer is required to remit the
tax for the last quarter of the calendar/tax year, whichever is later,
shall not be subject to interest. No refunds shall be made for amounts
overpaid in a calendar/tax year that do not exceed $1. The Borough
or the Collector shall determine eligibility for exemption and provide
refunds to exempt persons.
All employers shall prepare and file a return on forms supplied
by the Borough or Collector showing a computation of the tax being
collected and remitted. If an employer fails to file the return and
pay the tax, whether or not the employer makes collection thereof
from the salary, wages or commissions paid by him to an employee,
except as provided hereafter in this article, the employer shall be
responsible for the payment of the tax in full as though the tax had
been originally levied against the employer.
In each tax year each employer shall use his employment records
to determine the number of employees from whom such tax shall be deducted
and paid over to the Collector on or before the 30th day following
the end of each calendar quarter of each tax year.
Every self-employed individual who performs services of any
type or kind or engages in any occupation or profession within a primary
place of employment within the Borough shall be required to comply
with this article and pay the prorate portion of the tax due to the
Collector on or before the 30th day following the end of each calendar
quarter of each tax year.
All employers and self-employed individuals residing or having
their places of business outside of the political subdivision but
who perform services of any type or kind or engage in any occupation
or profession within the Borough of Manheim do, by virtue thereof,
agree to be bound by and subject themselves to the provisions, penalties
and regulations promulgated under this article with the same force
and effect as though they were residents of the Borough of Manheim.
Further, any individual engaged in an occupation within the Borough
of Manheim and an employee of a nonresidential employer may, for the
purpose of this article, be considered a self-employed person, and
in the event his or her tax is not paid, the Borough shall have the
option of proceeding against either the employer or the employee for
the collection of this tax as hereinafter provided.
Whoever makes any false or untrue statement on any return required
by this article, or whoever refuses inspection of the books, records
or accounts in his custody and control setting forth the number of
employees subject to this tax who are in his employment, or whoever
fails or refuses to file any return required by this article shall
be guilty of a violation and, upon conviction thereof, shall be sentenced
to pay a fine of not more than $600 and costs of prosecution and,
in default of payment of such fine and costs, to imprisonment for
not more than 30 days. The action to enforce the penalty herein prescribed
may be instituted against any person in charge of the business of
any employer who shall have failed or who refuses to file a return
required by this article.