Subscribe to the articles RSS feed2020 Vision: Protecting Your Hospital's Tax-Exempt Status
The manner in which medical services are being provided to patients is rapidly changing. Procedures that used to be performed in hospitals and required overnight stays are now being performed at outpatient clinics. Similarly, technological advances have decentralized hospital administration and the way in which treatment is provided. This should not come as a surprise to anyone that has any level of familiarity with the health care system, which includes just about anyone who goes to a doctor on a regular basis.
It should also come as no surprise that the law often lags behind technological advances and is often in a state of playing "catch up." This trend is readily apparent when it comes to the property tax exemption for Wisconsin hospitals. The good news is that the courts are now taking the advances in hospital care into account when affirming eligibility for property tax exemption, particularly as to clinics and outpatient facilities. That said, hospitals must be vigilant in obtaining and maintaining their exemption.
This Legal Update offers guidance for Wisconsin nonprofit hospitals that may be filing tax exemption applications for calendar year 2020. Later in this Legal Update, we briefly discuss recent developments at the federal level involving hospital exemptions under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
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