Rhode Island § 44-5-15 - Levy and Assessment of Local Taxes

§ 44-5-15. Notice by taxpayer of intent to bring in account for tangible personal property.

(a) Before assessing any valuations of tangible personal property, the assessors of all the cities and towns shall cause printed notices of the requirement to file an account required by subsection (b) to be posted in four (4) public places in their respective city or town, for three (3) weeks in the month of December immediately preceding the tax year, and shall advertise in a newspaper with a statewide circulation jointly, at least once a week for the same space of time. The cost of said advertisement shall be shared equally among all of the cities and towns.

(b) The notices shall require that every person and body corporate liable to taxation of tangible personal property shall be required to bring in to the assessors at the time they may prescribe a true and exact account of all the tangible personal property owned or possessed by that person or body, describing and specifying the value of tangible personal property as of December 31 immediately preceding the tax year, together with the additional information that may be prescribed by the assessors relative to the tangible personal property as may be contained in any corporation or inheritance tax return filed with the state by the person within the year preceding the date of assessment next prior to the bringing in of the account.

(c) Said accounts must be filed with the assessor’s office in the city or town where the property is located between January 2 and January 31 of each year, during regular business hours (excluding weekends and holidays).

(d) If any person or body corporate liable to taxation files with the assessors, on or before January 31 next following the date of assessment, a written notice of that person’s or that body’s intention to bring in an account, the person or body corporate may bring in to the assessors the account at any time before March 15 next following the date of assessment.

(e) The notice of intention to bring in an account is deemed to have been filed with the assessors if the notice is sent to them by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, postmarked before 12:00 A.M. midnight of the last day on which the notice may be filed. The account is deemed to be brought in to the assessors if the account is sent to them by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, postmarked before 12:00 A.M. midnight of the last day on which accounts may be brought in pursuant to the provisions of this section.

(f) In case any person or body corporate fails to file any intention, that person or that body is deemed to have waived that person’s or that body’s right to file the account.

(g) All matters contained within the account filing are available for review only by assessment related personnel.