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        PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 710                       PRINTER'S NO. 1957

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


SENATE BILL

No. 668 Session of 1997


        INTRODUCED BY ROBBINS, CORMAN, THOMPSON, STOUT AND AFFLERBACH,
           MARCH 12, 1997

        AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, APRIL 28, 1998

                                     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     prohibiting certain fees relating to the collection of the
    23     earned income tax.

    24     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    25  hereby enacts as follows:
    26     Section 1.  Section 10(a) of the act of December 31, 1965      <--
    27  (P.L.1257, No.511), known as The Local Tax Enabling Act, is
    28  amended to read:

     1     Section 10.  Collection of Taxes.--(a)  Administrative
     2  Personnel; Joint Agreements.--
     3     (1)  Any such political subdivision is hereby authorized to
     4  provide by ordinance or resolution for the creation of such
     5  bureaus or the appointment and compensation of such officers,
     6  clerks, collectors, and other assistants and employes, either
     7  under existing departments, or otherwise as may be deemed
     8  necessary, for the assessment and collection of taxes imposed
     9  under authority of this act.
    10     (2)  Any political subdivisions imposing taxes under
    11  authority of this act are authorized to make joint agreements
    12  for the collection of such taxes or any of them. The same person
    13  or agency may be employed by two or more political subdivisions
    14  to collect any taxes imposed by them under authority of this
    15  act. No officer shall charge any fees to the appropriate home
    16  political subdivision for the collection and distribution of
    17  earned income tax revenues.
    18     * * *
    19     Section 2.  Paragraph (h) of Division V of section 13 of the
    20  act, added July 15, 1976 (P.L.1047, No.210), is amended to read:
    21     SECTION 1.  PARAGRAPH (H) OF DIVISION V OF SECTION 13 OF THE   <--
    22  ACT OF DECEMBER 31, 1965 (P.L.1257, NO.511), KNOWN AS THE LOCAL
    23  TAX ENABLING ACT, ADDED JULY 15, 1976 (P.L.1047, NO.210), IS
    24  AMENDED TO READ:
    25     Section 13.  Earned Income Taxes.--On and after the effective
    26  date of this act the remaining provisions of this section shall
    27  be included in or construed to be a part of each tax levied and
    28  assessed upon earned income by any political subdivision levying
    29  and assessing such tax pursuant to this act. The definitions
    30  contained in this section shall be exclusive for any tax upon
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     1  earned income and net profits levied and assessed pursuant to
     2  this act, and shall not be altered or changed by any political
     3  subdivision levying and assessing such tax.
     4                               * * *
     5                  V.  Powers and Duties of Officer
     6     * * *
     7     (h)  The officer shall, at least quarterly, distribute earned
     8  income taxes to the appropriate political subdivisions. No        <--
     9  officer shall charge any fees to the appropriate home political
    10  subdivision for the collection and distribution of earned income
    11  tax revenues. THE OFFICER SHALL ALSO, ON AT LEAST A QUARTERLY     <--
    12  BASIS, RECIPROCATE EARNED INCOME TAXES TO THE APPROPRIATE
    13  POLITICAL SUBDIVISION. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS PROVISION, THE TERM
    14  "RECIPROCATE" SHALL BE DEFINED AS THE DISTRIBUTION, WITHOUT
    15  DEMAND OR CLAIM AS SET FORTH HEREIN, OF TAX REVENUE COLLECTED
    16  AND IDENTIFIED BY ONE TAXING BODY AND/OR ITS TAX COLLECTOR AS
    17  ATTRIBUTABLE TO RESIDENT TAXPAYERS LOCATED WITHIN ANOTHER TAXING
    18  JURISDICTION. The political subdivisions shall not be required
    19  to request the officer to distribute the funds collected [but]    <--
    20  NOR SHALL IT BE REQUIRED TO PAY A FEE OR COMMISSION TO THE OTHER  <--
    21  POLITICAL SUBDIVISION AND/OR ITS TAX OFFICER FOR TAX REVENUE
    22  RECIPROCATED TO IT. THE POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS shall at least
    23  annually reconcile their receipts with the records of the
    24  officer and return to or credit the officer with any
    25  overpayment. If the officer, within one year after receiving a
    26  tax payment, cannot identify the taxing jurisdiction entitled to
    27  [a] THE tax payment, he shall make payment to the municipality    <--
    28  in which the tax was collected. WITHIN THREE YEARS FROM THE DATE  <--
    29  THE TAX WAS DUE, THE TAX OFFICER SHALL MAKE CLAIM OR DEMAND UPON
    30  ANY OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION AND/OR ITS TAX COLLECTOR FOR TAX
    19970S0668B1957                  - 3 -

     1  REVENUE ATTRIBUTABLE TO RESIDENT TAXPAYERS OF THE OFFICER'S
     2  TAXING JURISDICTION FOR WHICH NO RECIPROCAL DISTRIBUTIONS WERE
     3  RECEIVED. THE TAX OFFICER AND/OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISION UPON
     4  WHICH CLAIM OR DEMAND IS MADE SHALL RESPOND TO, HONOR AND/OR PAY
     5  SAID CLAIM WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME NOT TO EXCEED ONE HUNDRED
     6  EIGHTY DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THE CLAIM. NO FEE OR COMMISSION
     7  SHALL BE ASSESSED BY A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION AND/OR ITS TAX
     8  COLLECTOR WHEN DISTRIBUTING TAX REVENUE IN RESPONSE TO A CLAIM
     9  OR DEMAND MADE UPON IT. Within one hundred twenty days of the
    10  passage of this act, any present accumulated funds that are
    11  unclaimed shall be distributed on the same basis.
    12                               * * *
    13     Section 3 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.           <--












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