Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 3, September 1, 2024
RELATES TO: KRS 12.027, Chapter 13B, 49.220, 49.230, 49.240,
49.250, EO 2020-708
NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: Executive Order 2020-708
("Order") requires that the Kentucky Claims Commission be abolished and the
Office of Claims and Appeals be immediately established within the Public
Protection Cabinet, and to include the Board of Tax Appeals. The Order also
sets forth the powers and duties of the Board of Tax Appeals, and authorizes
the board to promulgate regulations necessary to immediately carry out the
provisions and purposes of the Order and the board's statutory authority. KRS 49.020(5) authorizes the board to promulgate administrative regulations that
are necessary to carry out the provisions and purposes of the board's statutory
authority. KRS 49.220(1) authorizes the board, with exclusive jurisdiction, to
hear and determine appeals from final rulings, orders, and determinations of
any agency of state or county government affecting revenue and taxation. This
administrative regulation establishes the procedures governing tax
appeals.
Section 1. Definitions.
(1) "Board" means the Board of Tax Appeals.
(2) "Office" means the Office of
Claims and Appeals.
Section
2. Rules for Filing Tax Appeals with the Board.
(1) Initiation of tax appeal. A party wishing
to appeal a final ruling, order, or determination of any agency of state or
county government affecting revenue or taxation shall file a petition with the
board for a formal hearing in accordance with KRS Chapter 13B.
(2) Timing. The initial petition of appeal
shall be received by the board within thirty (30) days of the date of mailing
of the final ruling, order, or determination of the agency of state or county
government that is the subject of the appeal. If the determination is not
mailed, then the initial petition shall be considered as received by the board
within (30) days of the date of issuance.
(a)
An untimely appeal shall be dismissed.
(b) If the appeal is timely filed, but
deficient, the board, office, or hearing officer shall notify the petitioner of
deficiencies and allow fifteen (15) business days to amend the
petition.
(3) Format and
content. A petition of appeal shall be legibly written, typed, or printed and
contain:
(a) A statement of all relevant
issues of fact and law;
(b) A
statement certifying that the information contained in the petition of appeal
is true and correct to the best knowledge of the petitioner or counsel, if
represented by an attorney;
(c) The
signature of the petitioner or the signature of counsel, if represented by an
attorney;
(d) The petitioner's
mailing address, telephone number, and email address;
(e) If represented by an attorney, the
petitioner's attorney's name, mailing address, telephone number, and email
address; and
(f) A copy of the
final ruling, order, or determination to be reviewed.
(4) Upon receiving a petition of appeal, the
board shall provide notice to:
(a) The
appellee that an action has been filed;
(b) The petitioner that the petition of
appeal has been received; and
(c)
The petitioner's counsel, if represented by an attorney.
(5) Upon receiving a Petition of Appeal, the
appellee or the appellee's attorney shall file an entry of appearance within
thirty (30) days of the date of the notice of appeal provided by the board. The
entry of appearance shall contain the mailing address, telephone number, and
email address of the appellee and the appellee's attorney, if
applicable.
Section 3.
Rules Applicable to All Filings.
(1) Filings.
All documents may be filed:
(a) In person or
by private delivery to Board of Tax Appeals, 500 Mero Street, 2 SC1, Frankfort,
Kentucky 40601;
(b) By mail to the
address listed above; or
(c) By
electronic mail to taxappeals@ky.gov if the document can be sent in one (1)
electronic message.
(2)
Service.
(a) Any party who files a pleading or
motion with the board or hearing officer shall notify all other parties to the
appeal by serving upon each party a copy of the pleading or motion filed. A
filed pleading or motion shall be accompanied by a certification stating:
1. That a copy has been served on each party,
or if the party is represented by counsel, on the party's counsel;
and
2. The method of service
used.
(b) Service upon a
party shall be made by delivering a copy to the attorney or party, by
electronic mail, or by mailing it to the attorney or party at the last known
address. Service is complete upon mailing, unless the serving party learns or
has reason to know that it did not reach the person to be served. Service by
electronic mail shall be considered complete when sent if properly addressed.
Documents filed by electronic mail shall be considered received when sent if
properly addressed.
Section 4. Representation in Proceedings
before the Board.
(1) If the appeal is by an
individual, the individual may proceed without an attorney or engage counsel to
provide representation.
(2) An
individual who is not an attorney shall not be permitted to represent any other
individual or legal entity who is a party to an appeal.
(3) In accordance with Supreme Court Rule
3.020, if the appealing party is a corporation, joint venture, partnership,
LLC, estate, or any entity other than an individual as identified in subsection
(1) of this section, the entity shall be represented by an attorney on all
matters before the board, including the filing of the appeal.
(4) An attorney licensed to practice in
another state, but not the Commonwealth of Kentucky, shall be permitted to
represent a party before the board if the attorney complies with Supreme Court
Rule 3.030(2).
Section
5. Discovery.
(1) Discovery may
be obtained without prior order of the board or hearing officer. Except to the
extent the provisions of this section differ, the Kentucky Rules of Civil
Procedure (CR) governing depositions and discovery shall apply.
(2) In addition to the provisions of CR 26
addressing opinions and use of expert witnesses:
(a) Absent a stipulation between the parties
or an order issued by the board providing otherwise, and at least ninety (90)
days before the date set for the hearing, a party shall disclose to the other
party or parties the identity of any witness qualified as an expert by
knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education the party may use at the
hearing to provide expert testimony; or
(b) If the evidence is intended solely to
contradict or rebut evidence on the same subject matter of a witness identified
by another party, within thirty (30) days after the other party's
disclosure.
(3) The
board or hearing officer may deny, limit, or require discovery.
(4) If a party fails to comply with an order
regarding discovery, the board or hearing officer may order that the:
(a) Matters that the requesting party was
seeking to establish through discovery shall be taken as having been
established for the purposes of the hearing;
(b) Noncomplying party shall be prohibited
from introducing related documents or testimony at the hearing;
(c) Appeal be dismissed or relief be granted
as requested by the opposing party;
(d) Appeal be stayed until the order is
obeyed; or
(e) Noncomplying party,
the advising attorney, or both pay the reasonable costs, including attorney's
fees, caused by the failure to comply.
(5) A response to discovery under subsection
(1) of this section shall not be filed with the board unless required by order
of the board or hearing officer.
Section 6. Prehearing or Status Conference
and Hearing Schedule.
(1) In any appeal
assigned to a board member or hearing officer, the board or hearing officer may
schedule a prehearing or status conference. The prehearing or status conference
may be conducted by telephone or other electronic means upon reasonable notice
to all parties, which consists of prior notice of not less than five (5) days,
unless otherwise agreed to by the parties.
(2) A prehearing or status conference may be
used to set a hearing date, discuss jurisdictional matters, settlement
possibilities, discovery, preparation of stipulations, clarification of issues,
rulings on witnesses, taking of evidence, issuance of subpoenas, mediation, and
other matters that will promote the orderly and prompt conduct of the
hearing.
(3) If the board member or
hearing officer and parties cannot agree upon a hearing date, the board member
or hearing officer shall set the matter for hearing no later than six (6)
months from the date of the conference.
(4) Upon conclusion of the prehearing or
status conference, the board member or hearing officer shall issue an order
including all matters determined at the prehearing or status
conference.
Section 7.
Prehearing Filings.
(1) At least thirty (30)
days prior to the hearing, a party shall file with the board or hearing officer
a:
(a) Prehearing summary that contains a:
1. Summary of the party's position on any
issue of fact in dispute;
2.
Summary of the party's position on any issue of law raised by the appeal;
and
3. Written statement of facts
to which the party agrees and any facts which a party does not
dispute;
(b) List of the
names, addresses, and phone numbers (if known) of all witnesses the party
expects to call to testify as a witness at the hearing;
(c) Copy of all exhibits that the party
intends to introduce at the hearing;
(d) Proposed findings of fact and conclusions
of law; and
(e) Proposed final
order if the appeal is heard by the board, or a proposed recommended order if
the appeal is heard by a hearing officer.
(2) The prehearing filings required by this
section shall satisfy the requirements under KRS 13B.090(3) establishing a
party's right to inspect a list of witnesses and documentary or tangible
evidence at least five (5) days prior to the hearing. The board may issue a
prehearing order modifying discovery procedures or deadlines, or mandating
additional requirements for prehearing filings.
Section 8. Motion Practice.
(1) Any party may file a motion. Any party
affected by a motion or pleading may file a response to the motion or pleading
within thirty (30) days from the date on which the motion or pleading was
served.
(2) A moving party may file
a reply to another party's response. The reply shall be filed within fifteen
(15) days from the date the response was served. Other replies or responses
shall not be filed, unless prior approval is granted by the board or hearing
officer.
Section 9.
Briefs. A party shall file with the board or hearing officer any brief required
by order of the board or hearing officer. The board or hearing officer may
require a party to file a post-hearing brief or to supplement at any time a
brief already filed to assist in adjudicating the hearing. A brief shall
include the signature of the party, or the party's counsel.
Section 10. Summary Disposition.
(1) At any time after the commencement of an
appeal, a party may move for a summary disposition of the whole or a part of
the appeal by filing a motion that:
(a)
Asserts that there are no disputed material facts as to one (1) or more of the
issues before the board or hearing officer;
(b) Includes a statement specifying which
material facts are undisputed. Assertions of a material undisputed fact or
facts may be submitted to the board or hearing officer through affidavits or
responses made by another party to any discovery request, including answers to
interrogatories, admissions, and depositions. Facts stated in the petition of
appeal, including exhibits attached to the petition, may be relied upon as
undisputed material facts by the appellee; and
(c) States that any issue before the board or
hearing officer for which summary disposition is sought is a matter of legal,
and not factual, interpretation.
(2)
(a)
Within twenty (20) days after a party moves for summary disposition, any other
party may file a response presenting the party's position on issues of law and
fact, which shall include any affidavit, written response to discovery
requests, deposition testimony, or statements in the Petition of Appeal,
demonstrating the party's assertion that a material fact or facts are
disputed.
(b) Failure of a
nonmoving party to respond within twenty (20) days to the motion for summary
disposition or to request additional time to respond to the motion may result
in the board or hearing officer finding there are no disputed factual issues to
be considered in deciding the legal issues.
(3) If the nonmoving party files a response
to the motion for summary disposition, the moving party shall have ten (10)
days to file a reply to the response.
(4) The board or hearing officer may grant a
motion for summary disposition in whole or in part. If the board or hearing
officer grants a summary disposition as to one (1) or more issues, but not all
issues, then the remaining issues shall be heard by the board or hearing
officer in accordance with this administrative regulation and KRS Chapter
13B.
Section 11. Other.
Except as otherwise stated in KRS Chapter 49 or this administrative regulation,
the conduct of hearings shall be governed by the procedures established in KRS
Chapter 13B.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 49.020,
49.220(1)