Taxation of railroad equipment companies doing business in state; exemption of railroad company operating railroad; collecting and remitting taxes; execution for failure to make return.

(c) For the purposes of this Code section, a railroad company operating a railroad is not a railroad equipment company.

(d) (1) The commissioner shall collect all taxes levied by this Code section and shall remit all taxes collected to the authorities entitled thereto, less 1 percent of the amount collected, which shall be paid into the general fund of the state treasury in order to defray the costs of collection.

(2) The commissioner may submit tax bills to railroad equipment companies in one or more stages each year; and the taxes reflected in each bill shall be due 60 days after the commissioner mails the bill to the company and, if not so paid, shall bear interest at the rate specified in Code Section 48-2-40 and become subject to penalty in accordance with Code Section 48-2-44. The commissioner shall remit the taxes collected at least once each year. In arriving at the amount to be billed in each instance, the commissioner shall utilize the millage rate established by each taxing jurisdiction for the year in question unless no such rate has been finally established at the time the bill in question is prepared, in which case the commissioner may decline to include such jurisdiction in the billing or may utilize a millage rate established by court order.

(3) All taxes collected under a millage rate which is later changed shall be collected subject to adjustment upward or downward, as the case may be. Such adjustments may be billed or refunded separately or may be made by offset the following year, in the discretion of the commissioner. If any refunds are made separately, they shall be made by the local taxing jurisdiction.

(4) This subsection shall apply to all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 1981.

(e) (1) If any chief executive officer of a railroad equipment company required to make a return to the commissioner by this Code section fails to return the taxable property or pay to the state all taxes for which such company may be liable by reason of the return, the commissioner shall issue an execution for the amount of taxes due, according to the law, together with costs and penalties.

(2) The executions issued by the commissioner against any such company shall be directed to all sheriffs, constables, and other lawful officers of this state with directions to levy the execution on the property of the corporation or company and with the authority to issue and serve garnishments upon the debtors of the corporation or company. History. Ga. L. 1927, p. 99, § 9; Code 1933, § 92-2606; Ga. L. 1935, p. 11, § 9; Code 1933, § 91A-2209, enacted by Ga. L. 1978, p. 309, § 2; Ga. L. 1980, p. 1735, § 1; Ga. L. 1980, p. 1737, § 1; Ga. L. 1981, p. 1857, §§ 20, 21; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1568, § 9; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1337, § 4; Ga. L. 2012, p. 318, § 7/HB 100. Editor’s notes. Ga. L. 1988, p. 1568, § 15, not codified by the General Assembly, provided that the Act “shall apply to all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 1989.” Ga. L. 2012, p. 318, § 16(b)/HB 100, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: “Sections 1 through 14 of this Act shall become effective on January 1, 2013, provided that cases pending on January 1, 2013, shall continue to be governed by the law in effect on December 31, 2012, until the conclusion of the case.” RESEARCH REFERENCES C.J.S. 84 C.J.S., Taxation, §§ 459 et seq., 648 et seq. ALR. Tax on corporations as affected by fact that corporation is not actually engaged in or carrying on business for which it was incorporated, 124 A.L.R. 1109. Situs of aircraft, rolling stock, and vessels for purposes of property taxation, 3 A.L.R.4th 837.