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2003 Indiana Attorney General Reports and Opinions 1 (2003)

handle is hein.sag/sagin0001 and id is 1 raw text is: January 30, 2003

OFFICIAL OPINION 2003-1
The Honorable Lawrence M. Borst
Indiana State Senator
Indiana State Senate, 430 State House
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2785
RE:      Distribution of County Option Income Tax
Dear Senator Borst:
You have requested an official opinion on the statutory authority
regarding distribution of County Option Income Taxes (COIT) and
specifically whether the State Budget Agency or the Indiana Department
of Revenue has the statutory authority to intercept a portion of Marion
County's COIT distribution to pay a portion of the past-due debt owed by
Marion County for the cost of juvenile corrections.
BRIEF ANSWER
It is our opinion that the Indiana General Assembly has authorized
County Option Income Taxes as a funding source solely for counties. The
statutes require the Department of Revenue to collect these taxes and
distribute them to the counties. Indiana statutes do not authorize the State
Budget Agency or the Indiana Department of Revenue to intercept County
Option Income Tax funds collected by the Indiana Department of Revenue for
distribution to counties.
BACKGROUND
You have sought this opinion based on a December 2, 2002 letter from
the State Budget Director to the Marion County Auditor stating, in part:
the State of Indiana has subtracted $2,525,243 from Marion
County's December payment for County Option Income Tax ...
to pay a portion of the past-due debt owed by Marion County to
the State for the cost of juvenile corrections.
RELEVANT STATUTES
I.    COUNTY OPTION INCOME TAX
Indiana Code Section 6-3.5-6 authorizes counties to adopt a County
Option Income Tax, and the Consolidated City of Marion County-Indianapolis
has adopted an ordinance authorizing such a tax.
The manner in which the Indiana Department of Revenue must handle the
COIT payments it collects from taxpayers is prescribed by Indiana Code
Section 6-3.5-6-16:
(a) A special account within the state general fund shall be
established for each county that adopts the county option
income tax. Any revenue derived from the imposition of the
county option income tax by a county shall be deposited in

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