Senate File 175 - Introduced



                                       SENATE FILE       
                                       BY  COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

                                       (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1004)


    Passed Senate, Date                Passed House,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to certain penalties for filing false affidavits
  2    and the time for examining and determining a correct return
  3    under the state inheritance tax and increasing the amount of
  4    property that may be transferred to minors under certain
  5    conditions and including a retroactive applicability date
  6    provision.
  7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  8 TLSB 1077SV 81
  9 mg/sh/8

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 450.22, subsection 4, Code 2005, is
  1  2 amended to read as follows:
  1  3    4.  If a return is not required to be filed pursuant to
  1  4 subsection 3, and if real estate is involved, one of the
  1  5 individuals with an interest in, or succeeding to an interest
  1  6 in, the real estate shall file an affidavit in the county in
  1  7 which the real estate is located setting forth the legal
  1  8 description of the real estate and the fact that an
  1  9 inheritance tax return is not required pursuant to subsection
  1 10 3.  If a false affidavit is filed, the affiant and the
  1 11 personal representative shall be jointly and severally liable
  1 12 for any tax, penalty, and interest that may have been due.
  1 13 Any otherwise applicable statute of limitations on the
  1 14 assessment and collection of the tax, penalty, and interest
  1 15 shall not apply.  Anyone with or succeeding to an interest in
  1 16 real estate who willfully fails to file such an affidavit, or
  1 17 who willfully files a false affidavit, is guilty of a
  1 18 fraudulent practice.
  1 19    Sec. 2.  Section 450.53, subsection 2, Code 2005, is
  1 20 amended to read as follows:
  1 21    2.  a.  A person in possession of assets to be reported for
  1 22 purposes of taxation, including a personal representative or
  1 23 trustee, who willfully makes a false or fraudulent return, or
  1 24 who willfully fails to pay the tax, or who willfully fails to
  1 25 supply the information, necessary to prepare the return or
  1 26 determine if a return is required, or who willfully fails to
  1 27 make, sign, or file the required return within the time
  1 28 required by law, is guilty of a fraudulent practice.  This
  1 29 paragraph subsection does not apply to failure to make, sign,
  1 30 or file a return or failure to pay the tax if a return is not
  1 31 required to be filed pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph "b".
  1 32    b.  If a false affidavit is filed, the affiant and the
  1 33 personal representative shall be jointly and severally liable
  1 34 for any tax, penalty, and interest that may have been due.
  1 35 Any otherwise applicable statute of limitations on the
  2  1 assessment and collection of the tax, penalty, and interest
  2  2 shall not apply.
  2  3    Sec. 3.  Section 450.58, subsection 2, Code 2005, is
  2  4 amended to read as follows:
  2  5    2.  If an inheritance tax return is not required to be
  2  6 filed pursuant to section 450.53, subsection 1, paragraph "b",
  2  7 the personal representative's final settlement of account need
  2  8 not contain an inheritance tax receipt from the department,
  2  9 but shall, instead, contain the personal representative's
  2 10 statement, under oath, certification under section 633.35 that
  2 11 an inheritance tax return is not required to be filed pursuant
  2 12 to section 450.53, subsection 1, paragraph "b".  If a false
  2 13 affidavit is filed, the affiant and the personal
  2 14 representative shall be jointly and severally liable for any
  2 15 tax, penalty, and interest that may have been due.  Any
  2 16 otherwise applicable statute of limitations on the assessment
  2 17 and collection of the tax, penalty, and interest shall not
  2 18 apply.
  2 19    Sec. 4.  Section 450.94, subsection 5, Code 2005, is
  2 20 amended by adding the following new paragraph:
  2 21    NEW PARAGRAPH.  c.  The period for examination and
  2 22 determination of the correct amount of tax to be reported and
  2 23 due under this chapter is unlimited in the case of failure to
  2 24 file a return or the filing of a false or fraudulent return or
  2 25 affidavit.
  2 26    Sec. 5.  Section 565B.7, subsection 3, Code 2005, is
  2 27 amended to read as follows:
  2 28    3.  If no a custodian has not been nominated under section
  2 29 565B.3, or all persons so nominated as custodian die before
  2 30 the transfer or are unable, decline, or are ineligible to
  2 31 serve, a transfer under this section may be made to an adult
  2 32 member of the minor's family or to a trust company unless the
  2 33 property exceeds ten twenty=five thousand dollars in value.
  2 34    Sec. 6.  RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY DATE.  The sections of
  2 35 this Act amending section 450.22, 450.53, and 450.58 apply
  3  1 retroactively to July 1, 2004, for estates of decedents dying
  3  2 on or after that date.
  3  3                           EXPLANATION
  3  4    Code sections 450.22(4), 450.53(2), and 450.58(2) are
  3  5 amended to eliminate the language that provides that if a
  3  6 false affidavit is filed, the affiant and personal
  3  7 representative are jointly and severally liable for the tax,
  3  8 penalty, and interest since Code section 450.5 provides for
  3  9 this.  Code section 450.22(4) is also amended to provide that
  3 10 anyone with or succeeding to an interest in real estate who
  3 11 willfully fails to file an affidavit or files a false
  3 12 affidavit in regard to a return not required to be filed is
  3 13 guilty of a fraudulent practice.  These amendments apply
  3 14 retroactively to July 1, 2004, for estates of decedents dying
  3 15 on or after that date.
  3 16    Code section 450.94(5) is amended to provide that the
  3 17 statute of limitations for the examination of a return or
  3 18 determination of correct amount of tax is unlimited if a false
  3 19 return is filed or no return is filed.
  3 20    Code section 565B.7(3) is amended to increase the amount of
  3 21 property that may be transferred under the transfers to minors
  3 22 law to an adult member of a minor's family or a trust company
  3 23 for the benefit of the minor.  The amount is increased from
  3 24 $10,000 to $25,000.
  3 25 LSB 1077SV 81
  3 26 mg:rj/sh/8