Taylor v. Conta

316 N.W.2d 814, 106 Wis. 2d 321, 1982 Wisc. LEXIS 2512
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 2, 1982
Docket80-2221
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 316 N.W.2d 814 (Taylor v. Conta) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Taylor v. Conta, 316 N.W.2d 814, 106 Wis. 2d 321, 1982 Wisc. LEXIS 2512 (Wis. 1982).

Opinion

SHIRLEY S. ABRAHAMSON, J.

The question presented on appeal is whether secs. 71.05(1) (a) 5 and 71.05(1) (a)7, Stats. 1975, two provisions of the Wisconsin income tax law, contravene the privileges and immunities clause of the federal constitution. We affirm the judgment of the circuit court for Dane county, William D. Byrne, Circuit Judge, which declared the statutes constitutional and dismissed the action.

I.

The facts are not in dispute. In 1976 the eight taxpayers (four married couples), Mr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Feyereisen, Mr. and Mrs. James McCarville, and Mr. and Mrs. Michael Fairfield, *324 sold their respective Wisconsin residences, purchased new residences outside Wisconsin and moved from the state in connection with each of the husbands’ employment. Each taxpayer realized a gain on the sale of a principal residence located in Wisconsin but qualified for non-recognition of the gain under sec. 1034 of the Internal Revenue Code by purchasing and using a new residence. 1

Additionally, taxpayers Howard Taylor and Michael Fairfield incurred moving expenses in 1976 in connection with the commencement of work at a new principal place of employment outside Wisconsin; these expenses were deductible under sec. 217 of the Internal Revenue Code. 2

Following the law applicable to 1976 federal tax returns, the taxpayers wish to exclude the gains from the sales of their principal residences from their taxable income on their 1976 Wisconsin income tax returns and deduct their moving expenses. 3

*325 Although the Wisconsin income tax laws were “federalized” in 1965, the Wisconsin legislature has departed from the federal code in several respects. For Wisconsin income tax purposes state adjusted gross income is defined as federal adjusted gross income, “with modifications” prescribed in the state statutes. 4 Two statutory modifications of federal adjusted gross income, both relating to persons who “move” outside the state, give rise to this litigation.

Sec. 71.05(1) (a) 5, Stats. 1975, provides that “gain on the sale or exchange of a principal residence, excluded under sec. 1034(a) of the Internal Revenue Code [is included in income taxable in Wisconsin] if the ‘new residence’ referred to therein is located outside the state.” 5 In contrast, under the 1976 Wisconsin tax laws if the new principal residence were located in Wisconsin the gain would be deferred under federal and Wisconsin law.

*326 Sec. 71.05(1) (a)7, Stats. 1975, provides that moving expenses incurred to move from the state of Wisconsin in connection with new employment, deductible under federal tax law, are not deductible for Wisconsin income tax purposes. 6 In contrast, moving expenses incurred to move within or into the state of Wisconsin in connection with new employment, deductible under federal tax law, are deductible for Wisconsin income tax purposes.

Estimates of the additional 1976 income tax owed by the taxpayers to Wisconsin attributable to taxation of the gain realized on the sale of the principal residences are as follows:

Taxpayer Gain Realized Tax

Howard U. Taylor $8,246.00 $366.00

Margaret Taylor 8,246.00 426.00

Wayne T. Feyereisen 6,894.00 150.00

Frances C. Feyereisen 6,894.00 319.00

James W. McCarville 2,126.00 48.00

Karen B. McCarville 2,126.00 48.00

Michael E. Fairfield 6,479.00 300.00

Donna J. Fairfield 6,497.00 307.00

Estimates of the additional 1976 income tax owed by the taxpayers to Wisconsin attributable to the non-de-ductibility of the moving expenses are as follows:

Taxpayer Expenses Tax

Howard U. Taylor $6,488.00 $300.00

Michael Fairfield 419.00 60.00

On June 8, 1977, the taxpayers commenced an action for declaratory relief in Dane county circuit court. They *327 contend that taxation of their gains and denial of their deductions of moving expenses constitute impermissible discrimination against non-residents. They seek a declaration that sec. 71.05(1) (a)5 and sec. 71.05(1) (a)7, Stats. 1975, are in violation of the privileges and immunities clause, Art. IV, sec. 2, of the United States Constitution. 7 Both the taxpayers and the Department of Revenue moved for summary judgment. The circuit court declared the statutes constitutional and dismissed the action. The court of appeals certified the appeal pursuant to sec. (Rule) 809.61, Stats. 1979, and we accepted the certification.

We shall first consider the analytical framework for review under Art. IV, sec. 2, the privileges and immunities clause, and then the constitutionality of each of the statutory provisions challenged.

HH HH

Article IV, sec. 2, clause 1 of the United States Constitution provides: “The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to the Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.” 8 By this clause the constitution ex *328 pressly limits a state’s power to discriminate against inhabitants of other states. 9 The purpose of the clause is “to place the citizens of each State upon the same footing with citizens of other States, so far as the advantages resulting from citizenship in those States are concerned ... it inhibits discriminating legislation against them by other States . . . and it secures to them in other States the equal protection of their laws.” Paul v. Virginia, 8 Wall 168, 180 (1868). The privileges and immunities clause “ ‘establishes a norm of comity, Austin v. New Hampshire, 420 U.S. 656, 660 (1975), that is to prevail among the States with respect to their treatment of each other’s residents.” Hicklin v. Orbeck, 437 U.S. 518, 523-24 (1978). 10

*329 While the privileges and immunities clause speaks in terms of absolute equality between citizen and non-citizen, “it has not been suggested, however, that state citizenship or residency may never be used by a State to distinguish among persons.” Baldwin v. Montana Fish and Game Comm’n, 436 U.S. 371, 383 (1978).

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Bluebook (online)
316 N.W.2d 814, 106 Wis. 2d 321, 1982 Wisc. LEXIS 2512, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/taylor-v-conta-wis-1982.