Occupation tax on coal
Wis. Stat. § 70.42
in effect(1) Every person operating a coal dock in this state, other than a dock used solely in connection with an industry and handling no coal except that consumed by the industry, shall on or before January 31 of each year pay an annual occupation tax of a sum equal to 5 cents per ton upon all bituminous and subbituminous coal, coke and briquettes, and upon all petroleum carbon, coke and briquettes, and 7 cents per ton upon all anthracite coal, coke and briquettes handled by or over such coal dock, during the preceding year ending April 30 except that as of December 15, 1979, such tax shall apply to the year ending on the December 31 which is 2 years prior to the payment due date. Such coal, petroleum carbon, coke and briquettes shall be exempt from all other taxation, either state or municipal.
(2) Every person on whom a tax is imposed by sub. (1) shall on February 1 of each year furnish to the assessor of the town, city or village within which the coal dock is situated, a full and true list or statement of all coal, specifying the respective amounts and different kinds, received in or on, or handled by or over the coal dock during the year immediately preceding January 1 of the year in which the list or statement is to be made. Any operator of a coal dock who fails or refuses to furnish the list or statement or who knowingly makes or furnishes a false or incorrect list or statement, shall be fined not exceeding $1,000.
(3) The tax provided for in this section shall be separately assessed to the person chargeable therewith by the assessor and shall be included in the assessment roll annually submitted by the assessor to the town, village or city clerk and shall be entered by the clerk on the tax roll. The tax is a special tax under ch. 74 and when paid shall be deductible from gross income for income or franchise tax purposes as personal property taxes are deductible by corporations in computing net income under s. 71.26 (2). Taxes collected under this section shall be divided as follows: 10 percent to the state, 20 percent to the county, and 70 percent to the town, city or village in which the taxes are collected, which shall be remitted and accounted for in the same manner as the state and county taxes collected from property are remitted and paid.
(4) If the assessor or board of review has reason to believe that the list or statement made by any person is incorrect, or when any such person has failed or refused to furnish a list or statement as required by law, the assessor or board of review shall place on the assessment roll such taxes against such person as they deem true and just, and in case such change or assessment is made by the assessor, the assessor shall give written notice of the amount of such assessment at least 6 days before the first or some adjourned meeting of the board of review; in case such change or assessment is made by the board of review, notice shall be given in time to allow such person to appear and be heard before the board of review in relation to said assessment; said notice may be served as a circuit court summons is served or by registered mail.
(5) All laws not in conflict with this section relating to the assessment, collection and payment of personal property taxes, the correction of errors in assessment and tax rolls, shall apply to the tax imposed under this section.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/70.42Fetched: 10/7/2026