Wis. Stat. § 139.44 — WI Code / Chapter 139 / Section 139.44
Interest and penalties.
Status: in_force

(1) Any person who falsely or fraudulently makes, alters or counterfeits any stamp or procures or causes the same to be done, or who knowingly utters, publishes, passes or tenders as true any false, altered or counterfeit stamp, or who affixes the same to any package or container of cigarettes, or who possesses with the intent to sell any cigarettes in containers to which false, altered or counterfeit stamps have been affixed is guilty of a Class G felony.

(1m) Any person who falsely or fraudulently tampers with a cigarette meter in order to evade the tax under s. 139.31 is guilty of a Class G felony.

(2) Any person who makes or signs any false or fraudulent report may be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than 9 months or both.

(2m) Any person who evades or attempts to evade, or who aids or abets the evasion or attempted evasion of, a tax imposed under s. 139.31 or 139.76 is guilty of the following:

(a) A Class A misdemeanor if the amount of the tax is no more than $2,500.

(b) A Class I felony if the amount of the tax is more than $2,500, but no more than $5,000.

(c) A Class H felony if the amount of the tax is more than $5,000, but no more than $10,000.

(d) A Class G felony if the amount of the tax is more than $10,000, but no more than $100,000.

(e) A Class F felony if the amount of the tax is more than $100,000.

(3) Any permittee who fails to keep the records required by ss. 139.30 to 139.42 or 139.77 to 139.82 shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500 or imprisoned not more than 6 months or both.

(4) Any person who refuses to permit the examination or inspection authorized in s. 139.39 (2) or 139.83 may be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned not more than 90 days or both. Such refusal shall be cause for immediate suspension or revocation of permit by the secretary.

(5) Any person who violates any of the provisions of ss. 139.30 to 139.41 or 139.75 to 139.83 for which no other penalty is prescribed shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 or imprisoned not less than 10 days nor more than 90 days or both.

(6) Any person who violates any of the rules of the department shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500 or be imprisoned not more than 6 months or both.

(7) In addition to the penalties imposed for violation of ss. 139.30 to 139.41 or 139.75 to 139.83 or any of the rules of the department, the permit of any person convicted shall be automatically revoked and he or she shall not be granted another permit for a period of 2 years following such revocation.

(8) Penalties for violation of s. 139.321 (1) shall be as follows:

(a) If the number of cigarettes does not exceed 200, the person may be fined not more than $200 or imprisoned for not more than 6 months or both.

(am) If the number of cigarettes exceeds 200 but does not exceed 3,000, the person may be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year or both.

(b) If the number of cigarettes exceeds 3,000 but does not exceed 5,000, the person is guilty of a Class I felony.

(c) If the number of cigarettes exceeds 5,000 but does not exceed 10,000, the person is guilty of a Class H felony.

(d) If the number of cigarettes exceeds 10,000, the person is guilty of a Class F felony.

(9) Unpaid taxes bear interest at the rate of 12 percent per year from the due date of the return until paid or deposited with the department, and all refunded taxes bear interest at the rate of 3 percent per year from the due date of the return to the date on which the refund is certified on the refund rolls.

(10) All nondelinquent payments of additional amounts owed shall be applied in the following order: penalties, interest, tax principal.

(11) Delinquent cigarette taxes bear interest at the rate of 1.5 percent per month until paid. The taxes imposed by this subchapter shall become delinquent if not paid:

(a) In the case of a timely filed return, no return filed or a late return, on or before the due date of the return; or

(b) In the case of a deficiency determination of taxes, within 2 months after the date of demand.

(12) If due to neglect an incorrect return is filed, the entire tax finally determined is subject to a penalty of 25 percent of the tax exclusive of interest or other penalty. A person filing an incorrect return has the burden of proving that the error or errors were due to good cause and not due to neglect.

History: 1981 c. 20 ; 1983 a. 63 ; 1985 a. 302 ; 1987 a. 399 ; 1989 a. 31 ; 1993 a. 16 ; 1997 a. 27 , 283 ; 2001 a. 109 ; 2013 a. 20 ; 2023 a. 73 .