Repealing Wisconsin’s property tax laws, not a new idea

It’s an idea that
dates back to 1912

Misunderstood. Unfair. Subjectively applied. These are some of the words used to describe Wisconsin’s personal property tax.

They’re also, among the reasons some have called for the repeal of the property tax altogether in the state.

“We get calls every year, probably monthly, especially from businesses that are relocating from other states that don’t have the same exact system that Wisconsin does,” says La Crosse assessor Mark Schlafer.

Local governments around the state collect nearly $300 million yearly in personal property taxes, but it’s a tax law riddled with exemptions that keeps taxpayers guessing.

“Whoever hollers the loudest sometimes gets an exemption or a credit (from the legislature) that causes an unequal playing field,” Schlafer said.

Those exemptions can seem almost arbitrary in enforcement. He blames state lawmakers for that.

“The reason that accessors even do their work is so everybody pays their fair share,” Schlafer said. “When laws come down that give specific exemptions, that’s not good law.”

That’s partially because of the costs of determining and collecting personal property taxes. Some state lawmakers are recommending dumping it and replacing it with something else, which is not a new idea. A commission in 1912 recommended the same thing.