Personal Property

Please Read This Carefully!

Wisconsin law requires every person, firm, or corporation owning or leasing business personal property to file a Statement of Personal Property by March 1st on an annual basis.

If you fail to file the return, the assessor is required by law to estimate an assessed value for taxable personal property associated with the business.  You forfeit any right of appeal if you fail to file the return.

Avoiding Problems
Each December, a number of personal property tax payers request changes in their tax bills claiming incorrect assessed values. In some cases, they request cancellation of the entire tax because the business has moved, ceased operations, or has been sold.  However, in almost every case it is too late to correct valuation issues for property owners at tax bill time.

If you neglect to file the Statement of Personal Property timely or fail to report your business ceased operations, it is virtually guaranteed the assessor's estimated value will be incorrect simply due to insufficient information.  There is no legal appeal remedy if the return is not filed before the Board of Review closes.

How to Eliminate Personal Property Confusion

1. If your business is not operating as of January 1, 2023:

  • ceased operations and is no longer in business
  • sold to another owner still operating in this municipality
  • moved out of this municipality, but is still operating
  • re-incorporated under another name

Please file a final Statement of Personal Property by March 1, 2023 to avoid a potentially incorrect estimated assessment. Complete the portion of the return relating to changes of ownership or business status.  This will give us the information needed to update our records or cancel your account.

Note: Even if your business has ceased day-to-day operations: Business related personal property owned or leased by the business is taxable if it remains in the municipality as of January 1, 2023.

2. If your business is in operation as of January 1, 2023:

Avoid an incorrect estimated assessed value. Please file your Statement of Personal Property accurately and completely by March 1, 2023 if your business owns or leases property located in this municipality.

3. If you are a Leasing Company:

Your company may have prior year lease accounts that are now expired. We have no way of knowing that your accounts are closed unless you tell us.  Therefore, even if all your lease accounts in 'our municipality no longer exist, file a final Statement of Personal Property by March 1, 2023 to avoid estimated assessments.  Just attach a short note telling us that all leases in this municipality are closed.  It requires far less effort and cost to inform us of lease status changes than to attempt cancelling an estimated assessed value or tax after the legal appeal period is closed.

Types of Electronic Files
We would prefer to receive your statement via Email.  This provides both you and our office with a digital copy of the form.
Send email with a delivery receipt so you have a record of what you completed and when it was sent.
Email form or submit questions to Personal Property.  If sending by regular mail, please make a copy for your records before sending in the original.