Governor Greg Abbott has signed a number of significant bills. These concern taxpayers in the Dallas and Fort Worth area. SB 903 will allow people claiming a tax refund to go to district court without an administrative hearing. HB 2080 lets them file suit without first paying the disputed amounts under protest.
SB 903 gives new access to administrative hearings
Both of these new bills are bound to have a profound effect on the current style and course of tax litigation. SB 903 has been specially designed to give you the ability to lodge a request for a refund hearing.
You can now have your claim heard by the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) without first having to go to district court. This is bound to save you a great deal of time, energy, and money. You will have 60 days after receiving a refund rejection from the Comptroller to file an official notice of bypass.
HB 2080 lets you protest suits without paying
HB 2080 is another bill that has been designed to help end the many tax controversies that have sprung up in recent years. The idea here is to end the trend toward having to “pay to play” in order to file a protest suit.
The effects of this new bill will be immediate. You will no longer be required to prepay the disputed amount before you can file your protest. You will also no longer be subject to collection actions during the process of your suit.
It should be noted that both the Comptroller and Attorney General are still entitled to file liens against you. This can occur while the suit is pending. You may require the aid of a legal expert to explain certain complex details of the process.
