§ 320.325 — Amounts held in trust; enforcement; joint and several liability

Oregon § 320.325

• Jurisdiction: Oregon
• Vol.: 8
• Title 29: Revenue and Taxation
• Ch. 320: Miscellaneous Taxes

Text

(1) Every transient lodging tax collector is deemed to hold the amount of state transient lodging taxes collected in trust for the State of Oregon and for payment to the Department of Revenue in the manner and at the time provided under ORS 320.315.
(2) At any time that the transient lodging tax collector fails to remit any amount of state transient lodging taxes deemed to be held in trust for the State of Oregon, the department may enforce collection by the issuance of a distraint warrant for the collection of the delinquent amount and all penalties, interest and collection charges accrued on the delinquent amount. The warrant shall be issued, docketed and proceeded upon in the same manner and shall have the same force and effect as warrants for the collection of delinquent income taxes.
(3)(a) In the case of a transient lodging tax collector that is assessed pursuant to the provisions of ORS 305.265 (12) and 314.407 (1), the department may issue a notice of liability to any officer, employee or member of the transient lodging tax collector within three years from the time of assessment. Within 30 days from the date the notice of liability is mailed to the officer, employee or member, the officer, employee or member shall pay the assessment, plus penalties and interest, or advise the department in writing of objections to the liability and, if desired, request a conference. Any conference shall be governed by the provisions of ORS 305.265 pertaining to a conference requested from a notice of deficiency.
(b) After a conference or, if no conference is requested, a determination of the issues considering the written objections, the department shall mail the officer, employee or member a conference letter affirming, canceling or adjusting the notice of liability. Within 90 days from the date the conference letter is mailed to the officer, employee or member, the officer, employee or member shall pay the assessment, plus penalties and interest, or appeal to the tax court in the manner provided for an appeal from a notice of assessment.
(c) If neither payment nor written objection to the notice of liability is received by the department within 30 days after the notice of liability has been mailed, the notice of liability becomes final. In this event, the officer, employee or member may appeal the notice of liability to the tax court within 90 days after it became final in the manner provided for an appeal from a notice of assessment.
(4)(a) In the case of a failure to file a return on the due date, governed by the provisions of ORS 305.265 (10) and 314.400, the department, in addition to the provisions of ORS 305.265 (10) and 314.400, may send notices of determination and assessment to any officer, employee or member any time within three years after the assessment. The time of assessment against the officer, employee or member shall be 30 days after the date the notice of determination and assessment is mailed. Within 30 days from the date the notice of determination and assessment is mailed to the officer, employee or member, the officer, employee or member shall pay the assessment, plus penalties and interest, or advise the department in writing of objections to the assessment and, if desired, request a conference. Any conference shall be governed by the provisions of ORS 305.265 pertaining to a conference requested from a notice of deficiency.
(b) After a conference or, if no conference is requested, a determination of the issues considering the written objections, the department shall mail the officer, employee or member a conference letter affirming, canceling or adjusting the notice of determination and assessment. Within 90 days from the date the conference letter is mailed to the officer, employee or member, the officer, employee or member shall pay the assessment, plus penalties and interest, or appeal in the manner provided for an appeal from a notice of assessment.
(c) If neither payment nor written objection to the notice of determination and assessment is received by the department within 30 days after the notice of determination and assessment has been mailed, the notice of determination and assessment becomes final. In this event, the officer, employee or member may appeal the notice of determination and assessment to the tax court within 90 days after it became final in the manner provided for an appeal from a notice of assessment.
(5)(a) Notwithstanding ORS 320.305, if the transient lodging is owned by more than one person, each and every owner, officer, employee or member may be held jointly and severally liable for any tax imposed under ORS 320.305 with respect to a transient lodging transaction.
(b) Notwithstanding the confidentiality provisions of ORS 320.330, if more than one officer, employee or member of a transient lodging tax collector may be held jointly and severally liable for payment of taxes, the department may require any or all of the officers, employees or members who may be held liable to appear before the department for a joint determination of liability. The department shall notify each officer, employee or member of the time and place set for the determination of liability.
(c) Each person notified of a joint determination under this subsection shall appear and present any information as is necessary to establish that person’s liability or nonliability for payment of taxes to the department. If any person notified fails to appear, the department shall make its determination on the basis of all the information and evidence presented. The department’s determination shall be binding on all persons notified and required to appear under this subsection.
(d)(A) If an appeal is taken to the Oregon Tax Court pursuant to ORS 305.404 to 305.560 by any person determined to be liable for unpaid taxes under this subsection, each person required to appear before the department under this subsection shall be impleaded by the plaintiff. The department may implead any officer, employee or member who may be held jointly and severally liable for the payment of taxes. Each person impleaded under this paragraph shall be made a party to the action before the tax court and shall make available to the tax court any information as was presented before the department, as well as any other information as may be presented to the court.
(B) The court may determine that one or more persons impleaded under this paragraph are liable for unpaid taxes without regard to any earlier determination by the department that an impleaded person was not liable for unpaid taxes.
(C) If any person required to appear before the court under this subsection fails or refuses to appear or bring such information in part or in whole, or is outside the jurisdiction of the tax court, the court shall make its determination on the basis of all the evidence introduced. All such evidence shall constitute a public record and shall be available to the parties and the court notwithstanding ORS 314.835, 314.840 or 314.991. The determination of the tax court shall be binding on all persons made parties to the action under this subsection.
(e) This section may not be construed to preclude a determination by the department or the Oregon Tax Court that more than one officer, employee or member are jointly and severally liable for unpaid taxes.

Legislative History

2003 c.818 §6; 2013 c.610 §8; 2018 c.34 §2; 2021 c.212 §2