PRINTER'S NO. 550

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 523 Session of 1981


        INTRODUCED BY McVERRY, LEVIN AND TADDONIO, FEBRUARY 10, 1981

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 10, 1981

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of December 31, 1965 (P.L.1257, No.511),
     2     entitled "An act empowering cities of the second class,
     3     cities of the second class A, cities of the third class,
     4     boroughs, towns, townships of the first class, townships of
     5     the second class, school districts of the second class,
     6     school districts of the third class and school districts of
     7     the fourth class including independent school districts, to
     8     levy, assess, collect or to provide for the levying,
     9     assessment and collection of certain taxes subject to maximum
    10     limitations for general revenue purposes; authorizing the
    11     establishment of bureaus and the appointment and compensation
    12     of officers, agencies and employes to assess and collect such
    13     taxes; providing for joint collection of certain taxes,
    14     prescribing certain definitions and other provisions for
    15     taxes levied and assessed upon earned income, providing for
    16     annual audits and for collection of delinquent taxes, and
    17     permitting and requiring penalties to be imposed and
    18     enforced, including penalties for disclosure of confidential
    19     information, providing an appeal from the ordinance or
    20     resolution levying such taxes to the court of quarter
    21     sessions and to the Supreme Court and Superior Court,"
    22     further restricting the power to levy real estate transfer
    23     taxes on certain transfers between former husbands and wives.

    24     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    25  hereby enacts as follows:
    26     Section 1.  Clause (1) of section 2, act of December 31, 1965
    27  (P.L.1257, No.511), known as "The Local Tax Enabling Act,"
    28  amended October 25, 1979 (P.L.233, No.74), is amended to read:

     1     Section 2.  Delegation of Taxing Powers and Restrictions
     2  Thereon.--The duly constituted authorities of the following
     3  political subdivisions, cities of the second class, cities of
     4  the second class A, cities of the third class, boroughs, towns,
     5  townships of the first class, townships of the second class,
     6  school districts of the second class, school districts of the
     7  third class, and school districts of the fourth class, in all
     8  cases including independent school districts, may, in their
     9  discretion, by ordinance or resolution, for general revenue
    10  purposes, levy, assess and collect or provide for the levying,
    11  assessment and collection of such taxes as they shall determine
    12  on persons, transactions, occupations, privileges, subjects and
    13  personal property within the limits of such political
    14  subdivisions, and upon the transfer of real property, or of any
    15  interest in real property, situate within the political
    16  subdivision levying and assessing the tax, regardless of where
    17  the instruments making the transfers are made, executed or
    18  delivered or where the actual settlements on such transfer take
    19  place. The taxing authority may provide that the transferee
    20  shall remain liable for any unpaid realty transfer taxes imposed
    21  by virtue of this act. Each local taxing authority may, by
    22  ordinance or resolution, exempt any person whose total income
    23  from all sources is less than three thousand two hundred dollars
    24  ($3,200) per annum from the per capita or similar head tax,
    25  occupation tax and occupational privilege tax, or earned income
    26  tax, or any portion thereof, and may adopt regulations for the
    27  processing of claims for exemptions. Such local authorities
    28  shall not have authority by virtue of this act:
    29     (1)  To levy, assess and collect or provide for the levying,
    30  assessment and collection of any tax on the transfer of real
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     1  property when the transfer is by will or mortgage or the
     2  intestate laws of this Commonwealth or on a transfer by the
     3  owner of previously occupied residential premises to a builder
     4  of new residential premises when such previously occupied
     5  residential premises is taken in trade by such builder as part
     6  of the consideration from the purchaser of a new previously
     7  unoccupied single family residential premises or on a transfer
     8  between corporations operating housing projects pursuant to the
     9  housing and redevelopment assistance law and the shareholders
    10  thereof, or on a transfer between nonprofit industrial
    11  development agencies and industrial corporations purchasing from
    12  them, or on transfer to nonprofit industrial development
    13  agencies, or on a transfer between husband and wife, or on a
    14  transfer between persons who were previously husband and wife
    15  but who have since been divorced; provided such transfer is made
    16  within three months of the date of the granting of the final
    17  decree in divorce, or the decree of equitable distribution of
    18  marital property, whichever is later, and the property or
    19  interest therein, subject to such transfer, was acquired by the
    20  husband and wife, or husband or wife, prior to the granting of
    21  the final decree in divorce, or on a transfer between parent and
    22  child or the spouse of such a child, or between parent and
    23  trustee for the benefit of a child or the spouse of such child,
    24  by and between a principal and straw party for the purpose of
    25  placing a mortgage or ground rent upon the premises, or on a
    26  correctional deed without consideration, or on a transfer to the
    27  United States, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or to any of
    28  their instrumentalities, agencies or political subdivisions, by
    29  gift, dedication or deed in lieu of condemnation, or deed of
    30  confirmation in connection with condemnation proceedings, or
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     1  reconveyance by the condemning body of the property condemned to
     2  the owner of record at the time of condemnation which
     3  reconveyance may include property line adjustments provided said
     4  reconveyance is made within one year from the date of
     5  condemnation, leases, or on a conveyance to a trustee under a
     6  recorded trust agreement for the express purpose of holding
     7  title in trust as security for a debt contracted at the time of
     8  the conveyance under which the trustee is not the lender and
     9  requiring the trustee to make reconveyance to the grantor-
    10  borrower upon the repayment of the debt, or in any sheriff sale
    11  instituted by a mortgagee in which the purchaser of said sheriff
    12  sale is the mortgagee who instituted said sale, or on a
    13  privilege, transaction, subject, occupation or personal property
    14  which is now or does hereafter become subject to a State tax or
    15  license fee;
    16     * * *
    17     Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 30 days.









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