§ 44-34-3. Assessment roll - Rate - Payment - Penalty upon non-payment. (a) The assessor, on the basis of a list of uniform values for motor vehicles prepared by the Rhode Island vehicle value commission pursuant to § 44-34-8, shall make a list containing the value of every vehicle and trailer in the city or town which is subject to the provisions of § 44-34-2, the values to be at the average retail price as determined under § 44-34-2 or at a uniform percentage of these, not to exceed one hundred percent (100%), to be determined by the assessors in each city or town; provided, that every vehicle and trailer in the city of Pawtucket shall be assessed in accordance with §§ 44-5-20.1 and 44-5-20.2; provided, further, that motor vehicles owned, leased, or utilized by rental companies, as those terms are defined in § 31-34.1-1, shall not be valued for excise tax purposes at an amount greater than the National Automobile Dealers Association average retail value for new vehicles for the year and vehicle model in question.

(b) The excise tax levy shall be applied to the excise assessment roll at the rate established by the assessors for all other property except manufacturer's machinery and equipment in accordance with § 44-5-22 and the resulting tax roll shall be certified by the assessors to the city or town clerk, treasurer, or tax collector, as the case may be, not later than June 15 next succeeding. Prior to the resulting tax roll being certified to the Pawtucket city clerk, the excise levy shall be applied to the excise assessment roll in accordance with the property tax classification described in §§ 44-5-20.3 and 44-5-20.5. In the city of Woonsocket, the excise tax levy shall be applied to the excise assessment roll at a rate that will produce no more than nineteen percent (19%) of the total tax levy as prescribed in § 44-5-11.6. In the town of Lincoln, the excise tax levy shall be applied to the excise assessment roll at a rate that produces an amount equal to no more than seventeen percent (17%) of the total real estate tax levy.

(c) If any vehicle or trailer liable to taxation in any city or town has been omitted from the tax roll, the tax assessment shall assess the vehicle or trailer on a supplemental excise assessment roll and shall certify the assessment to the tax collector after June 15, but not later than December 31 next succeeding.

(d) As soon after this as possible, the tax collector shall cause excise bills to be sent by first class mail to all persons, corporations, partnerships, joint stock companies, or associations that have registered vehicles or trailers during the calendar year of proration. The bills shall be paid in accordance with § 44-5-7 at the same time and on the same schedule as property tax bills. Failure to pay the excise at the appropriated time shall bring about a penalty of eighteen percent (18%) per annum, or, in the case of the city of Cranston, a penalty of twelve percent (12%) per annum which applies on the date of the delinquency or, for any city or town fiscal year commencing between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1980, after approval by the proper local authority, at the same rate of interest as that which is applied to delinquent property taxes in the taxing jurisdiction.

(e) Failure by the tax collector to send, or by the taxpayer to receive, a bill shall not excuse the nonpayment of the tax or affect its validity or any proceedings for the collection.

(f) This section does not apply to any and all entities which are exempt from the excise as prescribed in § 44-34-2.

History of Section. (P.L. 1978, ch. 341, § 3; P.L. 1979, ch. 379, § 1; P.L. 1980, ch. 107, § 1; P.L. 1982, ch. 143, § 3; P.L. 1982, ch. 343, § 3; P.L. 1984, ch. 11, § 3; P.L. 1984, ch. 381, art. I, § 1; P.L. 1985, ch. 224, § 1; P.L. 1994, ch. 23, § 1; P.L. 1997, ch. 302, § 1; P.L. 2005, ch. 117, art. 17, § 1.)