Instructions for PI 401-Tax Levies Reporting

Description: This application collects school district tax levy information and replaces all prior paper reporting processes. Levy amounts are entered by fund. Once data is submitted, the program automatically apportions the total levy across municipalities, creates individual municipal tax certification pages, and reports information to both DPI and the Department of Revenue.

Note: The program opens for district entry on October 17, 2005. The due date for the PI-401 is November 6, the same due date for certifying levies to municipalities.

Special Note: Per Wis. Stats. 120.12 (3)(a), prior to November 1, 2005, each school board must vote a levy necessary to operate and maintain the schools of the school district. In addition, by November 6, 2005, the district clerk must deliver to the clerk of each municipality a statement showing the proportion of tax to be collected from the property in the school district lying within that municipality (s.120.17(8)(a) Wis. Stats.)

Introduction: The School Financial Services Team has created a "reporting portal" through which districts will access all required School Financial Service Team reports. These instructions are designed to guide district staff to the PI 401 Tax Levies Reporting program.

1. At the School Financial Services team web page, dpi.wi.us/sfs/index.html, select the link, "School Finance Reporting Portal."
2. Select your school district. You will then see your "district home" page for reporting.
3. There are two ways to go to the PI 401 Tax Levies Report.
   • The first way is to select the link, "Status and Deadlines." See step number 4 below.
   • The second way is to select the "Financial Data Home." See step number 5 below.
   • Either method is acceptable.
4. Select the "Status and Deadlines" link.
   • Scroll down and select the "FY 05-06 Tax Levies" link. This will take you to the Tax Levies (PI-401) report page.
   • On the Tax Levies report page, select the link "2005-2006". You will be prompted for your user id and password.
   • Enter your id and password and you will be taken to the "FY 2005-06 Tax Levies" screen. You are ready to begin.
5. Select the link, "Financial Data Home."
   • Select the link, "Tax Levies (PI 401, Internet)". This will take you to the Tax Levies report page.
   • On the Tax Levies report page, select the link "2005-2006". You will be prompted for your user id and password.
   • Enter your id and password and you will be taken to the "FY 2005-2006 Tax Levies" screen. You are ready to begin.

Instructions: The district should not enter data into this application unless their revenue limit computation has been updated with their 3rd Friday FTE student enrollment, October 1 Tax Apportionment values, and October 15th Aid Certification, thus completing all the information required to ensure the district levies within their revenue limit. Additionally, the school board must have officially voted on levy amounts for the 2005-06 year.

After logging into the program and completing the contact information page, the district should input the tax levy by fund. Review your district’s data carefully. The amounts entered should agree with and total to the amounts on lines 18 (fund 10 levy), 14b (fund 38 non referendum debt), 14c (fund 41 capital expansion), 15a (fund 39 referendum approved debt), 15b (fund 80 community service) and 15c (prior year levy chargeback) of the district’s revenue limit worksheet.

The next step will be to view a reasonability report that compares the current year levy with the prior year levy.

If the reasonability report is correct, the district submits the levy data to the department and then prints out the PI 401 tax levy certification page. The district is required to sign and maintain this page on file in the district. The PI 401 tax levy data is used by the department to determine district compliance with the revenue limit statute, s. 121.92 Wis. Stats.

Note that the levy by municipality has already been calculated. Please review this data for accuracy. This information will be electronically submitted by the Department of Public Instruction to the Department of Revenue on the district’s behalf. There is no longer a paper form that is submitted to the Department of Revenue.

After printing the certification page, the district will then print the PI 1508 Tax Levy Certification forms that have already been populated with the apportioned levy to each of the district’s municipalities. Districts will then sign and send these completed forms to their municipalities.

The due date for the PI 401 is November 6, the same due date for certifying levies to municipalities (s. 120.17(8)(a) Wis. Stats.); however, should the district need to amend their levies, the PI 401 report will remain open until November 15. Should you have questions about this new report, please contact one of the team staff listed below.

Brad Adams	(608) 267-3752	bradley.adams@dpi.wi.gov
Karen Kucharz	(608) 267-9707	karen.kucharz@dpi.wi.gov
Jerry Landmark	(608) 266-3464	jerome.landmark@dpi.wi.gov

For questions about this information, contact dpifin@dpi.wi.gov (608) 267-9114

Last updated on 2/25/2008 12:03:37 PM