The state tax commission shall be the state board of equalization. In addition to other powers and duties vested in it, the state tax commission shall have the power and duty:
(1)To supervise and coordinate the work of the several county boards of equalization.
(2)To secure, tabulate and keep records of valuations of all classes of property throughout the state and, for that purpose, to have access to all records and files of state offices and departments and county and municipal offices, and to require all public officers and employees whose duties make it possible to ascertain valuations, including valuations of public utilities for ratemaking purposes, to file reports with the state tax commission, giving such information as to valuation and the source thereof. The nature and kind of
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The state tax commission shall be the state board of equalization. In addition to other powers and duties vested in it, the state tax commission shall have the power and duty:
(1) To supervise and coordinate the work of the several county boards of equalization.
(2) To secure, tabulate and keep records of valuations of all classes of property throughout the state and, for that purpose, to have access to all records and files of state offices and departments and county and municipal offices, and to require all public officers and employees whose duties make it possible to ascertain valuations, including valuations of public utilities for ratemaking purposes, to file reports with the state tax commission, giving such information as to valuation and the source thereof. The nature and kind of the tabulations, records of valuations and requirements from public officers as stated herein shall be in such form and cover such valuations as the state tax commission may prescribe.
(3) To coordinate and direct a system of property taxation throughout the state.
(4) To require all assessments of property in this state to be made according to law; and for that purpose to correct, when it finds the same to be erroneous, any assessments made in any county and require correction of the county assessment records accordingly.
(5) To prescribe forms and to specify and require information with relation to any duty or power of the state tax commission except as provided in section 63-219, Idaho Code.
(6) To instruct, guide, direct and assist the county assessors and county boards of equalization as to the methods best calculated to secure uniformity in the assessment and equalization of property taxes, to the end that all property shall be assessed and taxed as required by law.
(7) To reconvene, whenever the state tax commission may deem necessary, any county board of equalization, notwithstanding the limitations of chapter 5, title 63, Idaho Code, for equalization purposes and for correction of errors. The county board of equalization, when so reconvened, shall have no power to transact any business except that for which it is specially reconvened, or such as may be brought before it by the state tax commission.
(8) To require prosecuting attorneys to institute and prosecute actions and proceedings in respect to penalties, forfeitures, removals and punishments for violations of law in connection with the assessment and taxation of property. It shall be the duty of such officers to comply promptly with the requirements of the state tax commission in that relation.
(9) To require individuals, partnerships, companies, associations and corporations to furnish such information as the state tax commission may require concerning their capital, funded or other debt, current assets and liabilities, value of property, earnings, operating and other expenses, taxes and all other facts that may be needed to enable the state tax commission to ascertain the value and the relative tax burden borne by all kinds of property in the state, and to require from all state and local officers such information as may be necessary to the proper discharge of the duties of the state tax commission.
(10) To visit, as a state tax commission or by individual members or agents thereof whenever the state tax commission shall deem it necessary, each county of the state, for the investigation and direction of the work and methods of assessment and equalization, and to ascertain whether or not the provisions of law requiring the assessment of all property not exempt from taxation and just equalization of the same have been or are being properly administered and enforced.
(11) To carefully examine all cases where evasion or violation of the laws of assessment and taxation of property is alleged, complained of, or discovered, and to ascertain wherein existing laws are defective or are improperly or negligently administered.
(12) To correct its own errors in property assessment at any time before the third Monday in October and report such correction to the county auditor and county tax collector, who shall thereupon enter the correction upon the operating property roll.
(13) To apportion annually to the state and the respective counties any moneys received by the state from the United States or any agency thereof, as payments in lieu of property taxes; provided, that said moneys shall be apportioned in the same amounts, and to the same governmental divisions as the property taxes, in lieu of which payments are made, would be apportioned, if they were levied. The state treasurer and the state controller shall be bound, in making distribution of moneys so received, by the apportionment ordered by the state tax commission.
(14) To make administrative construction of property tax law whenever necessary or requested by any officer acting under such laws, and until judicially overruled, such administrative construction shall be binding upon the inquiring officer and all others acting under such laws.
(15) To require the attendance of any assessor in the state at such time and place as may be designated by the commission, and the actual and necessary expenses of any assessor in attending any such meeting shall be a legal claim against his county.
(16) To analyze the work of county assessors at any time and to have and possess all rights and powers of such assessors for the examination of persons and property, and for the discovery of property subject to taxation; and if it shall ascertain that any taxable property is omitted from the property rolls or is not assessed or valued according to law, it shall bring the same to the attention of the assessor of the proper county in writing, and if such assessor shall neglect or refuse to comply with the request of the state tax commission to place such property on the property rolls, or correct such incorrect assessment or valuation, the state tax commission shall have the power to prepare a supplemental roll, which supplemental roll shall include all property required by the state tax commission to be placed on the property roll and all corrections to be made. Such supplement shall be filed with the assessor’s property roll, and shall thereafter constitute an integral part thereof to the exclusion of all portions of the original property rolls inconsistent therewith, and shall be submitted therewith to the county board of equalization.
(17) To provide a program of education and an annual appraisal school for its employees, for county commissioners and for the assessors of the various counties of this state. Additionally, the state tax commission shall provide for the establishment of a property tax appraiser and cadastral certification program. Such program shall include, at a minimum, a written examination prepared, administered and graded under the supervision and control of an examination committee; such committee is to be composed as the state tax commission may provide by rule. The state tax commission’s rules shall include, but need not be limited to, the following:
(a) The composition of the examination committee, provided however, that the committee shall include a representative of the counties, an agent of the state tax commission and a representative of a professional appraisal association within this state. The representative of the counties together with the representatives of such professional appraisal association shall constitute a majority of the committee.
(b) The frequency with which the examination shall be given.
(c) A reasonable review procedure by which examinees having complaints may seek review of the examination committee.
(d) The establishment of a reasonable period of time within which a county appraiser must meet the certification requirements as a condition to continued employment by the county as a certified property tax appraiser.
(18) To report at least quarterly to the revenue and taxation committee of the house of representatives and to the joint senate finance-house appropriations committee on its program to assist the counties with the property tax assessments.
(19) To transmit to the governor and to the legislature an annual report, with the state tax commission’s recommendations as to such legislation as will correct or eliminate defects in the operations of the property tax laws and will equalize taxation within the state. Said annual report shall include a comprehensive study of the property tax laws and detailed statistical information concerning the operation of the property tax laws of this state. Said report shall be submitted prior to the meeting of any regular session of the legislature.
(20) To maintain a forest land and forest product tax section to perform the functions and duties of the state tax commission under the provisions of chapter 17, title 63, Idaho Code.