TAXATION -- LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES, the official text

H7568 2026 -- H 7568 ======== LC003888 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO TAXATION -- LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES Introduced By: Representatives Noret, Cortvriend, Shallcross Smith, Nardone, Place, Speakman, Costantino, Read, Solomon, and Santucci Date Introduced: February 06, 2026 Referred To: House Municipal Government & Housing It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Section 44-5-8.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 44-5 entitled Levy and 2 Assessment of Local Taxes is hereby amended to read as follows: 3 44-5-8.1. Waiver of interest on overdue quarterly tax payments. 4 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision in this chapter to the contrary, any city or town 5 may, by ordinance duly enacted, authorize a waiver of interest on one quarter’s overdue property 6 tax payment and allow the remaining balance of taxes owed to be paid on a quarterly basis if all of 7 the following conditions are satisfied by the taxpayer: 8 (1) The property subject to the overdue payment is the residence or commercial property 9 of the taxpayer and has been for the five (5) years immediately preceding the tax payment which is 10 overdue. 11 (2) The request for a waiver of interest is in writing, signed and dated by the taxpayer. 12 (3) The taxpayer has made timely payments of taxes to the city or town for the five (5) 13 years immediately preceding the tax payment, which is overdue. The burden of proof of timely 14 payments shall be upon the taxpayer. 15 (4) The bill for which the payment is overdue was issued less than two (2) years prior to 16 the date of the request for a waiver of interest. 17 (b) In no event shall the waiver of interest on a tax bill exceed five hundred dollars ($500). 18 Decisions of the tax collector shall be in writing and contain a notice to the city or town council. If 19 the taxpayer receives an adverse decision from the tax collector, the taxpayer must pay the interest 1 and may file a claim for reimbursement with the city or town council within ten (10) days of the 2 decision. 3 (c) Any request for a waiver of taxes which meets criteria established by this section 4 pursuant to a duly enacted ordinance shall be granted by the city or town. 5 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======== LC003888 ======== LC003888 - Page 2 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO TAXATION -- LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES *** 1 This act would allow the waiver of interest on overdue taxes for commercial properties. 2 This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC003888 ======== LC003888 - Page 3 of 3