76.65 and 76.66 on or before April 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. Every insurer shall make a return for the preceding calendar year on or before March 1 setting forth the information that the commissioner of insurance reasonably requires, on forms prescribed by the commissioner. On or before March 1, the insurer shall pay any additional amount due for the preceding calendar year. Overpayment will be credited on the amount due April 15. History: 1979 c. 102 s. 24; Stats. 1979 s. 76.64; 1981 c. 20; 1985 a. 29; 1989 a. 31.
76.645 Penalties. (1) LATE PAYMENT. An insurer that fails to make quarterly payments under s. 76.64 of at least 25 percent of either the total tax paid for the previous calendar year or 80 percent of the actual tax for the current calendar year is liable, in addition to the amount due, for interest of 1.5 percent of the amount due and unpaid for each month or part of a month that the amount due, together with any interest, remains unpaid. (2) NEGLIGENCE. An insurer that fails to pay an amount due, or file a return required, under s. 76.64, and upon a showing by the department of revenue under s. 73.16 (4), is liable for the greater of the following amounts: (a) Five hundred dollars. (b) Five percent of the amount due for each month or fraction of a month during which the failure continues, but not more than 25 percent of the amount due. History: 1985 a. 29; 2011 a. 68.
76.65 Life insurers; license fee. Every insurer doing a life insurance business within this state, except fraternals as defined in s. 614.01, shall pay into the state treasury as an annual license fee for transacting such business the amounts following: (1) DOMESTIC INSURERS. (a) If such insurer is organized under the laws of this state, it shall pay as an annual license fee 3.5 percent upon its gross income from all sources for the preceding calendar year except interest required to provide and maintain reserves according to the laws of this state, and except premiums collected on policies of insurance and contracts for annuities. No domestic insurer shall, however, in any year pay in the aggregate for license fee as prescribed in this paragraph an amount in excess of the annual license fee which would have been payable by it in such year under sub. (2) had it been operating as a foreign insurer subject to sub. (2). Any domestic insurer having in excess of $750,000,000 of insurance in force as of December 31 of the preceding calendar year, excluding therefrom any reinsurance assumed on which premium taxes are payable by the ceding insurer, shall not pay less in the aggregate for a license fee as prescribed in
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this paragraph than the amount of the annual license fee which would have been payable by it in such year under sub. (2) had it been operating as a foreign insurer subject to sub. (2). Payments under this paragraph shall be made annually on or before March 1. (b) In computing the fee under par. (a), the amount of such gross income shall, after deducting the excepted portions thereof, be multiplied by a fraction the numerator of which is the net investment income applicable to life insurance and annuities and the denominator of which is the total net investment income, as set forth in the annual statement forms for such year as approved by the commissioner of insurance. (2) FOREIGN INSURERS. If any such insurer is organized outside of this state, it shall pay into the state treasury, as such annual license fee, 2 percent upon the excess of the gross premiums received in money or otherwise during the preceding calendar year on all policies or contracts of insurance on the lives of residents of this state after deducting all sums apportioned to premium paying policies on the lives of residents of this state from annual distribution of profits, savings, earnings or surplus which before the expiration of the calendar year next succeeding such apportionment have been either paid in cash or applied in part payment of premiums. History: 1971 c. 215, 289; 1975 c. 373; 1979 c. 102 s. 25; Stats. 1979 s. 76.65; 1981 c. 20. Life insurance policy dividends left with the insurance company to accumulate at interest beyond the expiration of the calendar year are not to be treated as dividends “paid in cash” under s. 76.34 (2) [now s. 76.65]. Because of long-standing administrative construction, current dividends applied to purchase additional paid-up insurance are not reportable as gross premiums and thus, not taxable under s. 76.34 (2). Accumulated dividends so applied are reportable and taxable. 59 Atty. Gen. 152.
76.655 Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan assessments credit. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section, “claimant” means an insurer, as defined in s. 149.10 (5), 2011 stats., who files a claim under this section. (2) FILING CLAIMS. Subject to the limitations provided under this section, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2005, and before January 1, 2015, a claimant may claim as a credit against the fees imposed under ss. 76.60, 76.63, 76.65, 76.66 or 76.67 an amount that is equal to the amount of assessment under s. 149.13, 2011 stats., that the claimant paid in the claimant’s taxable year, multiplied by the percentage determined under sub. (3). (3) LIMITATIONS. (a) The department of revenue, in consultation with the office of the commissioner of insurance, shall determine the percentage under sub. (2) for each claimant for each taxable year. The percentage shall be equal to $5,000,000 divided by the aggregate assessment under s. 149.13, 2011 stats., except that for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2013, and before January 1, 2015, the percentage shall be equal to $1,250,000 divided by the aggregate assessment under s. 149.13, 2011 stats., and shall not exceed 100 percent. The office of the commissioner of insurance shall provide to each claimant that participates in the cost of administering the plan the aggregate assessment at the time that it notifies the claimant of the claimant’s assessment. The aggregate amount of the credit under this subsection and ss. 71.07 (5g), 71.28 (5g), and 71.47 (5g) for all claimants participating in the cost of administering the plan under ch. 149, 2011 stats., shall not exceed $5,000,000 in each fiscal year. (b) The amount of any credits that a claimant is awarded under this section for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2005, and before January 1, 2008, may first be claimed against the fees imposed under ss. 76.60, 76.63, 76.65, or 76.67 for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2007, and in the manner determined by the department of revenue. (4) CARRY-FORWARD. If the credit under sub. (2) is not en-
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tirely offset against the fees imposed under ss. 76.60, 76.63, 76.65, 76.66, or 76.67 that are otherwise due, the unused balance may be carried forward and credited against those fees in the following 15 years to the extent that it is not offset by those fees otherwise due in all the years between the year in which the assessment was paid and the year in which the carry-forward credit is claimed. (5) SUNSET. No credit may be claimed under this section for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2014. Credits under this section for taxable years that begin before January 1, 2015, may be carried forward to taxable years that begin after December 31, 2014. NOTE: This section is repealed eff. 1-1-36 by 2025 Wis. Act 118. History: 2005 a. 74; 2013 a. 20, 116; 2025 a. 118.
76.66 Retaliatory taxation of nondomestic insurers. (1) In this section, “taxes” means the taxes imposed on nondomestic insurers under ss. 76.60, 76.63, 76.65 (2) and 601.93 less offsets allowed against those taxes under s. 646.51 (7) or the amounts imposed on domestic insurers by another state or foreign country for similar purposes. (2) If another state or foreign country requires a domestic insurer doing business in that state or country to pay taxes greater in the aggregate than the aggregate amount of taxes that a nondomestic insurer doing business in this state would pay, each insurer domiciled in that state or foreign country shall pay to this state for the same year the amount that a domestic insurer doing a similar business would be required to pay to the other state or foreign country. History: 1979 c. 102 s. 26; Stats. 1979 s. 76.66; 1983 a. 27; 1989 a. 31. Section 646.51 (7) is applicable to franchise taxes, income taxes, and fire department dues. Only Wisconsin’s assessments are used for offsets against Wisconsin taxes. If assessments are reimbursed, the tax credit should be recaptured. 72 Atty. Gen. 17.
76.67 Reciprocal taxation of foreign insurers. (1) In this section, “taxes” means the taxes imposed on foreign insurers under ss. 76.60, 76.63, 76.65 (2) and 601.93 less offsets allowed against those taxes under s. 646.51 (7) or the amounts imposed on domestic insurers by another state for similar purposes. (2) If any domestic insurer is licensed to transact insurance business in another state, this state may not require similar insurers domiciled in that other state to pay taxes greater in the aggregate than the aggregate amount of taxes that a domestic insurer is required to pay to that other state for the same year less the credits under ss. 76.635, 76.636, 76.637, 76.638, and 76.655, except that the amount imposed shall not be less than the total of the amounts due under ss. 76.65 (2) and 601.93 and, if the insurer is subject to s. 76.60, 0.375 percent of its gross premiums, as calculated under s. 76.62, less offsets allowed under s. 646.51 (7) or under ss. 76.635, 76.636, 76.637, 76.638, 76.639, and 76.655 against that total, and except that the amount imposed shall not be less than the amount due under s. 601.93. NOTE: Sub. (2) is amended eff. 1-1-30 by 2025 Wis. Act 118, section 524, to read: (2) If any domestic insurer is licensed to transact insurance business in another state, this state may not require similar insurers domiciled in that other state to pay taxes greater in the aggregate than the aggregate amount of taxes that a domestic insurer is required to pay to that other state for the same year less the credits under ss. 76.636, 76.637, 76.638, and 76.655, except that the amount imposed shall not be less than the total of the amounts due under ss. 76.65 (2) and 601.93 and, if the insurer is subject to s. 76.60, 0.375 percent of its gross premiums, as calculated under s. 76.62, less offsets allowed under s. 646.51 (7) or under ss. 76.636, 76.637, 76.638, 76.639, and 76.655 against that total, and except that the amount imposed shall not be less than the amount due under s. 601.93. NOTE: Sub. (2) is amended eff. 1-1-36 by 2025 Wis. Act 118, section 525, to read: (2) If any domestic insurer is licensed to transact insurance business in another state, this state may not require similar insurers domiciled in that other state to pay taxes greater in the aggregate than the aggregate amount of taxes
TAXATION OF UTILITIES AND INSURERS
76.80
that a domestic insurer is required to pay to that other state for the same year less the credits under ss. 76.636, 76.637, and 76.638, except that the amount imposed shall not be less than the total of the amounts due under ss. 76.65 (2) and 601.93 and, if the insurer is subject to s. 76.60, 0.375 percent of its gross premiums, as calculated under s. 76.62, less offsets allowed under s. 646.51 (7) or under ss. 76.636, 76.637, 76.638, and 76.639 against that total, and except that the amount imposed shall not be less than the amount due under s. 601.93. NOTE: Sub. (2) is amended eff. 1-1-37 by 2025 Wis. Act 118, section 526, to read: (2) If any domestic insurer is licensed to transact insurance business in another state, this state may not require similar insurers domiciled in that other state to pay taxes greater in the aggregate than the aggregate amount of taxes that a domestic insurer is required to pay to that other state for the same year less the credits under ss. 76.636 and 76.638, except that the amount imposed shall not be less than the total of the amounts due under ss. 76.65 (2) and 601.93 and, if the insurer is subject to s. 76.60, 0.375 percent of its gross premiums, as calculated under s. 76.62, less offsets allowed under s. 646.51 (7) or under ss. 76.636, 76.638, and 76.639 against that total, and except that the amount imposed shall not be less than the amount due under s. 601.93. NOTE: Sub. (2) is amended eff. 1-1-43 by 2025 Wis. Act 118, section 527, to read: (2) If any domestic insurer is licensed to transact insurance business in another state, this state may not require similar insurers domiciled in that other state to pay taxes greater in the aggregate than the aggregate amount of taxes that a domestic insurer is required to pay to that other state for the same year less the credits under s. 76.638, except that the amount imposed shall not be less than the total of the amounts due under ss. 76.65 (2) and 601.93 and, if the insurer is subject to s. 76.60, 0.375 percent of its gross premiums, as calculated under s. 76.62, less offsets allowed under s. 646.51 (7) or under ss. 76.638 and 76.639 against that total, and except that the amount imposed shall not be less than the amount due under s. 601.93. History: 1975 c. 372 s. 41; 1979 c. 34; 1979 c. 102 s. 26; 1979 c. 177; Stats. 1979 s. 76.67; 1983 a. 27; 1989 a. 31; 1999 a. 30; 2005 a. 74, 259; 2009 a. 2, 28; 2017 a. 176; 2025 a. 118.