§1856. Notice of valuation, hearings, appeals

A.(1) The Louisiana Tax Commission shall give notice of the initial determination of the assessed valuation in writing to the company. This notice shall be delivered by certified mail, return receipt requested addressed to, or by personal service upon, the officer or authorized agent of the company responsible for the filing of the annual report. Except as provided in R.S. 47:1856(G), in the event that the company objects to the initial determination by the Louisiana Tax Commission, it may, within thirty days after receipt of the notice of that initial determination, file a protest in writing to the Louisiana Tax Commission which protest shall fully disclose the reason for protesting the initial determination.

(2) The initial determination by the Louisiana Tax Commission shall become final if no protest is filed with the Louisiana Tax Commission within thirty days after receipt by the company of the notice of the initial determination.

(3) In the event that a protest is filed, the Louisiana Tax Commission shall grant a full and complete hearing to the company at a time and place to be determined by the Louisiana Tax Commission, but in no case shall the hearing be scheduled more than one hundred eighty days from the date the company filed its written protest in the case of public service property. Such hearing shall not be consolidated with any other hearing with respect to any other protest filed in a different tax year by the taxpayer or by any other taxpayer of an initial determination of assessed valuation by the Louisiana Tax Commission.

B. At the hearing, the company shall assert all objections to the initial determination by the Louisiana Tax Commission and may file a statement under oath specifying each respect in which the initial determination is contested. The company may also offer full and complete testimony in support of its objections. Within thirty days following the completion of the hearing, the Louisiana Tax Commission shall notify the company, by the method specified in Subsection A of this Section, of its final determination.

C. Should the company not appear for a hearing scheduled pursuant to the provisions of Subsection A, or should the company fail to request a hearing on the initial determination by the Louisiana Tax Commission, the initial determination shall become the final determination of the Louisiana Tax Commission.

D.(1) Any company that is dissatisfied with the final determination of assessed valuation by the Louisiana Tax Commission may institute suit appealing the correctness or legality of such final determination of assessed valuation for taxation by the Louisiana Tax Commission. However, to state a cause of action, the petition instituting such suit shall name the Louisiana Tax Commission as defendant and shall set forth not only the final determination of assessed valuation for taxation made by the Louisiana Tax Commission appealed from, but also the assessed valuation for taxation that the company deems to be correct and legal and the reasons therefor.

(2) The proceedings in such suit shall be tried by preference, whether or not out of term time1, at such time as fixed by the district court. No new trial or rehearing shall be allowed.

(3) Any appeal from a judgment of the district court shall be heard by preference within sixty days of the lodging of the record in the court of appeal. The appeal shall be taken thirty days from the date the judgment of the district court is rendered. If such appeal is timely filed, any amount of taxes that were paid under protest pursuant to Subsection E of this Section shall remain segregated and invested pursuant to Subsection E of this Section and no bond or other security shall be necessary to perfect such appeal.

(4) In the event the supreme court grants a writ of certiorari, the court shall hear the appeal on the next regular docket of the court.

E. Any company instituting suit under the provisions of Subsection D of this Section shall pay the disputed portion of its taxes under protest to the officer or officers designated by law for the collection of such taxes and shall cause notice or notices to issue in such suit to such officer or officers as provided in R.S. 47:2134(B). However, the portion of taxes that are not in dispute by the taxpayer shall be paid without being made subject to the protest.

F.(1) If the assessed valuation finally determined by the court is greater than the company's own assessed valuation, the court shall enter judgment against the company for the additional taxes due together with interest at the actual rate earned on the funds paid under protest, segregated and invested, which interest shall be paid solely from such funds. In any case in which a judgment is entered against the company, each tax recipient body shall remit an amount equal to ten percent of the proceeds received pursuant to the judgment to the Louisiana Tax Commission, which shall then forward such amount directly to the state treasurer.

(2) If the taxpayer prevails, the court shall enter judgment against the officer or officers designated by law for the collection of such taxes ordering such officer or officers to immediately refund to the company the amount of any overpayment of taxes together with interest at the actual rate earned on the funds paid under protest, segregated and invested during the period, from the date such funds were received by such officer or officers to the date of such refund or refunds, which interest shall be paid solely from such funds.

G. Any taxpayer asserting that a law or laws, including the application thereof, related to the valuation or assessment of public service properties is in violation of any act of the Congress of the United States, the Constitution of the United States, or the constitution of the state shall file suit in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 47:2134(C) and (D). The provisions of R.S. 47:1856(E) and (F) shall be applicable to such proceedings; however, the tax commission and all affected assessors and the officers responsible for the collection of any taxes owed pursuant to such assessment shall be made parties to such suit. If such suit affects assessments of property located in more than one parish, such suit may be brought in either the district court for the parish in which the tax commission is domiciled or the district court of any one of the parishes in which the property is located and assessed. No bond or other security shall be necessary to perfect an appeal in such suit. Any appeal from a judgment of the district court shall be heard by preference within sixty days of the lodging of the record in the court of appeal. The appeal shall be taken thirty days from the date the judgment of the district court is rendered.

Added by Acts 1976, No. 703, §1. Amended by Acts 1980, No. 602, §§1, 2; Acts 1984, No. 106, §1; Acts 1986, No. 596, §1, eff. July 2, 1986; Acts 1992, No. 984, §14; H.C.R. No. 88, 1993 R.S., eff. May 30, 1993; H.C.R. No. 1, 1994 R.S., eff. May 11, 1994; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 74, §1, eff. April 17, 2000; Acts 2001, No. 1149, §1; Acts 2003, No. 791, §1, eff. June 30, 2003; Acts 2003, No. 792, §1, eff. June 27, 2003; Acts 2004, No. 461, §1, eff. June 24, 2004, and §3, eff. July 1, 2006; Acts 2004, No. 591, §1, eff. July 1, 2004; Acts 2009, No. 511, §1.

1As appears in enrolled bill.