Sec. 21.
(1) If a taxpayer fails or refuses to make a return or payment as required, in whole or in part, or if the department has reason to believe that a return made or payment does not supply sufficient information for an accurate determination of the amount of tax due, the department may obtain information on which to base an assessment of the tax. By its duly authorized agents, the department may examine the books, records, and papers and audit the accounts of a person or any other records pertaining to the tax. A taxpayer who has been audited by the department or its agent or a taxpayer whose books, records, and papers have been examined by the department shall, upon request, be provided a complete copy in printed or electronic format of the complete audit work papers and the audit report of findings. Any audit performed by the department or its duly authorized agents under section 3(a) shall be performed in accordance with auditing standards which shall include, but are not limited to, confidentiality, technical training, independence, due professional care, planning, supervision, understanding of the entity audited including internal control and an assessment of risk, audit evidence and documentation, sampling and sampling projections, and elements of the audit report of findings. The department shall promulgate administrative rules on audit standards within 1 year of the date of enactment of the amendatory act that added this sentence.
(2) In carrying out this section, the department and the taxpayer shall comply with the following procedure:
(a) The department shall send to the taxpayer a letter of inquiry stating, in a courteous and nonintimidating manner, the department's opinion that the taxpayer needs to furnish further information or owes taxes to the state, and the reason for that opinion. A letter of inquiry shall also explain the procedure by which the person may initiate communication with the department to resolve any dispute. This subdivision does not apply in any of the following circumstances:
(i) The taxpayer files a return showing a tax due and fails to pay that tax.
(ii) The deficiency resulted from an audit of the taxpayer's books and records by this state.
(iii) The taxpayer otherwise affirmatively admits that a tax is due and owing.
(b) If the dispute is not resolved within 30 days after the department sends the taxpayer a letter of inquiry or if a letter of inquiry is not required pursuant to subdivision (a), the department, after determining the amount of tax due from a taxpayer, shall give notice to the taxpayer of its intent to assess the tax. The notice shall include the amount of the tax the department believes the taxpayer owes, the reason for that deficiency, and a statement advising the taxpayer of a right to an informal conference, the requirement of a written request by the taxpayer for the informal conference that includes the taxpayer's statement of the contested amounts and an explanation of the dispute, and the 60-day time limit for that request.
(c) If the taxpayer serves written notice upon the department within 60 days after the taxpayer receives a notice of intent to assess, remits the uncontested portion of the liability, and provides a statement of the contested amounts and an explanation of the dispute, the taxpayer is entitled to an informal conference on the question of liability for the assessment.
(d) Upon receipt of a taxpayer's written notice, the department shall set a mutually agreed upon or reasonable time and place for the informal conference and shall give the taxpayer reasonable written notice not less than 20 days before the informal conference. The notice shall specify the intent to assess, type of tax, and tax year that is the subject of the informal conference. The informal conference provided for by this subdivision is not subject to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328, but is subject to the rules governing informal conferences as promulgated by the department in accordance with the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328. The taxpayer may appear or be represented by any person before the department at an informal conference, and may present testimony and argument. At the party's own expense and with advance notice to the other party, a taxpayer or the department, or both, may make an audio recording of an informal conference. A taxpayer who has made a timely request for an informal conference may at any time withdraw that request by filing written notice with the department. Upon receipt of the request for withdrawal from the informal conference process, the department shall issue a decision and order of determination and, where appropriate, a final assessment, from which a taxpayer may seek an appeal as provided under section 22.
(e) After the informal conference, the department shall render a decision and order in writing, setting forth the reasons and authority, and shall assess the tax, interest, and penalty found to be due and payable. The decision and order are limited to the subject of the informal conference as included in the notice under subdivision (d).
(f) If the taxpayer does not protest the notice of intent to assess within the time provided in subdivision (c), the department may assess the tax and the interest and penalty on the tax that the department believes are due and payable. An assessment under this subdivision or subdivision (e) is final and subject to appeal as provided in section 22. The final notice of assessment shall include a statement advising the person of a right to appeal.
(3) If as a result of an audit it is determined that a taxpayer is owed a refund, the department shall send a notice to the taxpayer stating the amount of the refund the department believes is owed to the taxpayer as a result of the audit. The notice shall inform the taxpayer of his or her appeal rights. If the taxpayer disputes the findings of the audit, the taxpayer may serve written notice upon the department in the same manner as provided for in subsection (2)(c) and the taxpayer is entitled to the same informal conference and subsequent appeals as provided for in this section.
(4) If a protest to the notice of intent to assess the tax is determined by the department to be a frivolous protest or a desire by the taxpayer to delay or impede the administration of taxes administered under this act, a penalty of $25.00 or 25% of the amount of tax under protest, whichever is greater, shall be added to the tax.
(5) During the course of the informal conference under subsection (2)(d), the taxpayer by written notice may convert his or her contest of the assessment to a claim for a refund. The written notice shall be accompanied by payment of the contested amount. The informal conference shall continue and the department shall render a decision and issue an order regarding the claim for refund.
(6) For audits commenced after September 30, 2014, the department must complete fieldwork and provide a written preliminary audit determination for any tax period no later than 1 year after the period provided for in section 27a(2) without regard to the extension provided for in section 27a(3). The limitation described in this subsection does not apply to any tax period in which the department and the taxpayer agreed in writing to extend the statute of limitations described in section 27a(2).
(7) For audits commenced after September 30, 2014, unless otherwise agreed to by the department and the taxpayer, the final assessment issued under subsection (2)(f) must be issued within 9 months of the date that the department provided the taxpayer with a written preliminary audit determination unless the taxpayer, for any reason, requests reconsideration of the preliminary audit determination or the taxpayer requests an informal conference under subsection (2)(c). A request for reconsideration by a taxpayer permits, but does not require, the department to delay the issuance of a final assessment under subsection (2)(f).
History: Add. 1980, Act 162, Eff. Sept. 17, 1980 ;-- Am. 1986, Act 58, Eff. May 1, 1986 ;-- Am. 1991, Act 83, Imd. Eff. July 18, 1991 ;-- Am. 1993, Act 13, Imd. Eff. Apr. 1, 1993 ;-- Am. 2002, Act 657, Imd. Eff. Dec. 23, 2002 ;-- Am. 2006, Act 8, Eff. Oct. 1, 2006 ;-- Am. 2006, Act 9, Eff. Oct. 1, 2006 ;-- Am. 2006, Act 10, Eff. Oct. 1, 2006 ;-- Am. 2006, Act 11, Eff. Oct. 1, 2006 ;-- Am. 2014, Act 3, Imd. Eff. Feb. 6, 2014 ;-- Am. 2014, Act 35, Imd. Eff. Mar. 20, 2014
Last modified: October 10, 2016