[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Rice Lake as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Finance — See Ch. 25.
Special assessments — See Ch. 78.
[Adopted 12-9-2008 by Ord. No. 08-20.[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Art. I, Hotel/Motel Use Tax, adopted as Title 3, Chapter 5, of the Code of Ordinances, as amended.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
GROSS RECEIPTS
As defined in W.S.A. § 77.51(4)(a), (b) and (c), insofar as applicable.
HOTEL OR MOTEL
A building or group of buildings in which the public may obtain accommodations for a consideration, including, without limitation, such establishments as inns, motels, tourist homes, apartment hotels and any other building or group of buildings in which accommodations are available to the public, except accommodations rented for a continuous period of more than one month and accommodations furnished by any hospitals, sanatoriums or nursing homes or by corporations or associations organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable or educational purposes, provided that no part of the net earnings of such corporations and associations inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.
TRANSIENT
Any person residing for a continuous period of less than one month in a hotel or motel.
Pursuant to W.S.A. § 66.0815, a tax is hereby imposed on the privilege and service of furnishing at retail moms or lodging to transients by hotelkeepers and motel operators. Such tax shall be at the rate of 5.5% of the gross receipts from such retail furnishing of rooms or lodging effective January 1, 2009. Such tax shall not be subject to the selective sales tax imposed by W.S.A. § 77.52(2)(a)1. The proceeds of such tax collected shall be apportioned 2% to the hotel, motel or other person filing the return and 98% to the city for advertising and promotion of hospitality and tourist business, provided that such sum paid to such organization shall not exceed the maximum allowed by statute.
A. 
This article shall be administered by the City Clerk-Treasurer. The tax imposed is due and payable within 30 days of the end of each calendar quarter. A return shall be filed with the City Clerk-Treasurer by those furnishing at retail such rooms and lodging within the city on or before the same date an which such tax is due and payable upon a form approved by the city. Every person required to file such quarterly returns shall file an annual calendar year return. Such annual return shall be filed within 30 days of the close of each calendar year.
B. 
The annual return shall summarize the quarterly returns, reconcile and adjust for errors in the quarterly returns and shall contain copies of the last annual state tax return and any additional information the City Clerk-Treasurer requires. The City Clerk-Treasurer may, for good cause, extend the time for filing any return, but in no event longer than one month from the filing date.
C. 
The Common Council may, for good cause, extend the deadline for paying the tax collected and due to the City for a period not to exceed 90 days past the original deadline.
[Added 4-28-2020 by Ord. No. 20-02]
A. 
Every person furnishing rooms or lodging under § 225-2 shall annually file with the City Clerk-Treasurer an application for a permit for each place of business. Every application for a permit shall be made upon a form prescribed by the City Clerk-Treasurer. At the time of making an application, the applicant shall pay the City Clerk-Treasurer a fee for each permit as set forth in the fee schedule adopted as part of the annual budget document.
B. 
After compliance with Subsection A above and § 225-9 by the applicant, the City Clerk-Treasurer shall grant and issue to each applicant a separate permit for each place of business within the city. Such permit is not assignable and is valid only for the person in whose name it is issued and for the transaction of business at the place designated therein. It shall at all times be conspicuously displayed at the place for which issued.
A. 
When any person fails to comply with this article, the City Clerk-Treasurer may, upon 10 days' notification and after affording such person the opportunity to show cause why his permit should not be revoked, revoke or suspend any or all of the permits held by such person under this article.
B. 
The City Clerk-Treasurer shall give to such person written notice of the suspension or revocation of any of his permits. The City Clerk-Treasurer shall not issue a new permit after the revocation of a permit until said person complies with the provisions of this article. A fee as set forth in the fee schedule adopted as part of the annual budget document shall be imposed for the renewal or issuance of a permit which has been previously suspended or revoked.
If any person liable for any amount of tax under this article sells out his business or stock of goods or quits the business, his successors or assigns shall be responsible for any unpaid tax due under this article.
The City Clerk-Treasurer may, by office or field audit, determine the tax required to be paid to the municipality or the refund due to any person under this article. This determination may be made upon the basis of the facts contained in the return being audited or on the basis of any other information within the City Clerk-Treasurers possession.
A. 
If any person fails to file a return as required by this article, the City Clerk-Treasurer shall make an estimate of the amount of the gross receipts under § 225-2. Such estimate shall be made for the period for which such person failed to make a return and shall be based upon the state sales tax records and memoranda as stated in § 225-7. On the basis of this estimate, the City Clerk-Treasurer shall compute and determine the amount required to be paid to the city, adding to the sum thus arrived at a penalty equal to 10% thereof.
B. 
All unpaid taxes under this article shall bear interest at the rate of 10% per annum from the due date of the return until paid.
C. 
Delinquent tax returns shall be subject to a late filing fee as set forth in the fee schedule adopted as part of the annual budget document. In addition, if due to negligence no return is filed or a return is filed late, the entire tax finally determined shall be subject to a penalty of 25% of the tax, exclusive of any interest or other penalties. If a person fails to file a return when due or files a false or fraudulent return with the intent of either case to defeat or evade the tax imposed by this article, a penalty of 50% shall be added to the tax required to be paid, exclusive of interest and other penalties.
Every person liable for the tax imposed by this article shall keep or cause to be kept such records, receipts, invoices and other pertinent papers in such form as the City Clerk-Treasurer requires.
All tax returns, schedules, exhibits, writing or audit reports relating to such returns on file with the City Clerk-Treasurer are deemed to be confidential, except that the City Clerk-Treasurer may divulge their contents to the following and no others:
A. 
The person who filed the return.
B. 
Officers or agents of the city as may be necessary to enforce collection.
Any person who is subject to the tax imposed by this article who fails to obtain a permit as required in § 225-4 or who fails or refuses to permit the inspection of his state sales tax records by the City Clerk-Treasurer, after such inspection has been duly requested by the City Clerk-Treasurer, or who fails to file a return as provided in this article or who violates any other provision of this article shall be subject to a forfeiture not to exceed $200. Each day, or portion thereof, that such violation continues is hereby deemed to constitute a separate offense.
[Adopted 11-27-2018 by Ord. No. 18-12]
A. 
Authority. This chapter is adopted pursuant to the authority granted by Wis. Stats. § 341.35, as from time to time amended or renumbered.
B. 
Purpose. The purpose of this article is to provide the City of Rice Lake a source of revenue in addition to other revenue sources currently being utilized for the operation and maintenance of public streets, highways, and for all other transportation-related purposes within the City.
C. 
Administration.
(1) 
All moneys under the applicable statute and this section remitted to the City by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation or other applicable agency shall be deposited into the City's general fund to be used only for transportation-related purposes, or as otherwise required to be in conformance with Wis. Stat. § 341.35 as amended from time to time.
(2) 
The City Clerk-Treasurer shall be responsible for the administration of this article.
D. 
Imposition of motor vehicle registration fee.
(1) 
Pursuant to Wis. Stats. § 341.35, an annual flat City registration fee of $20 is hereby imposed on all motor vehicles registered in the state which are customarily kept in the City.
(2) 
In this section, the term "motor vehicle" means an automobile or motor truck registered under Wis. Stats. § 341.25(1)(c), at a gross weight of not more than 8,000 pounds.
(3) 
This fee shall be paid by the registration applicant at the time that a motor vehicle is first registered and at each time of registration renewal.
(4) 
The City registration fee shall be paid as provided in Wis. Stats. § 341.35(5).
(5) 
The City registration fee shall be in addition to state registration fees.
E. 
Exemptions. The following vehicles are exempt from the City vehicle registration fee:
(1) 
All vehicles exempted by Wis. Stats., ch. 341, from payment of a state vehicle registration fee.
(2) 
All vehicles registered by the state under Wis. Stats., § 341.26 for a fee of $5.
F. 
Replacement vehicles. The City vehicle registration fee may not be imposed on a motor vehicle which is a replacement for a motor vehicle for which a current City vehicle registration fee has been paid.
G. 
Effective date. This ordinance shall be effective on April 1, 2019, and shall terminate March 31, 2024.