TCA § 67-5-2801 — Industrial and commercial personal property taxes, penalties, interest, attorney fees and costs — Waiver of enforcement and collection

The trustee or collector may request the delinquent tax attorney to seek court approval in order to waive the enforcement and collection of all, but not a portion of, industrial and commercial personal property taxes, penalties, interest, attorney fees and costs. All of the following must be determined and attested to by the trustee or collector before a court may approve a waiver: The taxpayer has ceased all business operations; No personal property subject to the tax can be found; and Neither fraud nor an intention to avoid payment of the taxes on the part of the taxpayer caused the circumstances giving rise to such waiver. In order to waive the enforcement and collection of taxes, including penalties, interest, or attorney fees and costs, imposed on public utility personal property or personal property of modern market telecommunications providers, the trustee or collector must first confirm with the comptroller of the treasury that such taxpayer's local assessment only includes personal property and does not include any real property. If such taxpayer is still operating, then no waiver may be requested or approved even if the local assessment only includes personal property and no personal property can be found in the trustee's or the collector's jurisdiction. If such taxpayer has ceased all operations and the local assessment does not include any real property, then the trustee or the collector may request a waiver in accordance with subdivisions (a)(1)-(3). The trustee or collector is required to submit a report to the chief executive officer of the local government and the county assessor of all waivers approved by the court when no delinquent tax lawsuit has been filed. The report shall contain the taxpayer's name and amount of taxes, penalties, interest, attorney fees, and costs waived. The waivers approved by the court under this subsection (c) are to be included and written as a credit in the monthly settlement and annual statement in accordance with § 67-5-1903. With respect to delinquent personal property taxes being waived under this section, for which the delinquent lawsuit has been filed, the court having jurisdiction of the delinquent tax lawsuit may, upon motion by the delinquent tax attorney and a finding that the factors outlined in subdivisions (a)(1)-(3) or subsection (b) exist, order the waiver of enforcement and collection of all, but not a portion of, such personal property taxes, penalties, interest, attorney fees and costs.