Ind. Code § 6-8.1-9-1 – Filing of claim; time limitation; considerations and hearing; decision; appeal

(a) If a person has paid more tax than the person determines is legally due for a particular taxable period, the person may file a claim for a refund with the department. Except as provided in subsections (j) and (k), in order to obtain the refund, the person must file the claim with the department within three (3) years after the latter of the following:
1. (1) The due date of the return.
2. (2) The date of payment.
  For purposes of this section, the due date for a return filed for the state gross retail or use tax, the gasoline tax, the special fuel tax, the motor carrier fuel tax, the oil inspection fee, or the petroleum severance tax is the end of the calendar year which contains the taxable period for which the return is filed. The claim must set forth the amount of the refund to which the person is entitled and the reasons that the person is entitled to the refund.
(b) After considering the claim and all evidence relevant to the claim, the department shall issue a decision on the claim, stating the part, if any, of the refund allowed and containing a statement of the reasons for any part of the refund that is denied. The department shall mail a copy of the decision to the person that filed the claim. If the person disagrees with a part of the decision on the claim, the person may file a protest and request a hearing with the department. If the department allows the full amount of the refund claim, a warrant for the payment of the claim is sufficient notice of the decision.
(c) The tax court shall hear the appeal de novo and without a jury, and after the hearing may order or deny any part of the appealed refund. The court may assess the court costs in any manner that it feels is equitable. The court may enjoin the collection of any of the listed taxes under IC 33-26-6-2 . The court may also allow a refund of taxes, interest, and penalties that have been paid to and collected by the department.
(d) The decision on the claim must state that the person has sixty
(60) days from the date the decision is mailed to file a written protest. If the person files a protest and requests a hearing on the protest, the department shall:
(1) set the hearing at the department's earliest convenient time; and
(2) notify the person by United States mail of the time, date, and location of the hearing.
(e) The department may hold the hearing at the location of its choice within Indiana if that location complies with IC 6-8.1-3-8.5 .
(f) After conducting a hearing on a protest, or after making a decision on a protest when no hearing is requested, the department shall issue a memorandum of decision or order denying a refund and shall send a copy of the decision through the United States mail to the person that filed the protest. If the department allows the full amount of the refund claim, a warrant for the payment of the claim is sufficient notice of the decision. The department may continue the hearing until a later date if the taxpayer presents additional information at the hearing or the taxpayer requests an opportunity to present additional information after the hearing.
(g) A person that disagrees with any part of the department's decision in a memorandum of decision or order denying a refund may request a rehearing not more than thirty (30) days after the date on which the memorandum of decision or order denying a refund is issued by the department. The department shall consider the request and may grant the rehearing if the department reasonably believes that a rehearing would be in the best interests of the taxpayer and the state.
(h) If the person disagrees with any part of the department's decision, the person may appeal the decision, regardless of whether or not the person protested the tax payment or whether or not the person has accepted a refund. The person must file the appeal with the tax court. The tax court does not have jurisdiction to hear a refund appeal if:
1. (1) the appeal is filed more than ninety (90) days after the later of the dates on which:
  1. (A) the memorandum of decision or order denying a refund is issued by the department, if the person does not make a timely request for a rehearing under subsection (g) on the letter of findings; or
  2. (B) the department issues a denial of the person's timely request for a rehearing under subsection (g) on the memorandum of decision or order denying a refund; or
2. (2) the appeal is filed both before the decision is issued and before the one hundred eighty-first day after the date the person files the claim for a refund with the department.
  The ninety (90) day period may be extended according to the terms of a written agreement signed by both the department and the person. The agreement must specify a date upon which the extension will terminate and include a statement that the person agrees to preserve the person's records until that specified termination date. The specified termination date agreed upon under this subsection may not be more than ninety
3. (90) days after the expiration of the period otherwise specified by this subsection.
(i) With respect to the vehicle excise tax, this section applies only to penalties and interest paid on assessments of the vehicle excise tax. Any other overpayment of the vehicle excise tax is subject to IC 6-6-5 .
(j) If a taxpayer's federal taxable income, federal adjusted gross income, or federal income tax liability for a taxable year is modified by the Internal Revenue Service, and the modification would result in a reduction of the tax legally due, the due date by which the taxpayer must file a claim for refund with the department is the later of:
1. (1) the date determined under subsection (a); or
2. (2) the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days after the date of the modification by the Internal Revenue Service as provided under:
  1. (A) IC 6-3-4-6 (c) and IC 6-3-4-6 (d) (for the adjusted gross income tax); or
  2. (B) IC 6-5.5-6-6 (c) and IC 6-5.5-6-6 (d) (for the financial institutions tax).
(k) If an agreement to extend the assessment time period is entered into under IC 6-8.1-5-2 (h), the period during which a person may file a claim for a refund under subsection (a) is extended to the same date to which the assessment time period is extended.
As added by Acts 1980, P.L.61, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.291-1985, SEC.12; P.L.335-1989(ss), SEC.22; P.L.71-1993, SEC.25; P.L.119-1998, SEC.19; P.L.98-2004, SEC.74; P.L.2-2005, SEC.22; P.L.211-2007, SEC.42; P.L.131-2008, SEC.30; P.L.182-2009(ss), SEC.256; P.L.172-2011, SEC.89; P.L.137-2012, SEC.109; P.L.242-2015, SEC.39; P.L.256-2017, SEC.88.