As used in sections 77-1244 to 77-1246:

(1) The term air carrier means any person, firm, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, association, trustee, receiver, or assignee and all other persons, whether or not in a representative capacity, undertaking to engage in the carriage of persons or cargo for hire by aircraft. Any air carrier as herein defined engaged solely in intrastate transportation, whose flight equipment is based at only one airport within the state, shall be excepted from taxation under this section, but shall be subject to taxation in the same manner as other locally assessed property;

(2) The term aircraft arrivals and departures means (a) the number of scheduled landings and takeoffs of the aircraft of an air carrier, (b) the number of scheduled air pickups and deliveries by the aircraft of such carrier, and (c) in the case of nonscheduled operations, shall include all landings and takeoffs, pickups, and deliveries;

(3) The term flight equipment means aircraft fully equipped for flight and used within the continental limits of the United States;

(4) The term originating revenue means revenue to an air carrier from the transportation of revenue passengers and revenue cargo exclusive of the revenue derived from the transportation of express or mail; and

(5) The term revenue tons handled by an air carrier means the weight in tons of revenue passengers and revenue cargo received and discharged as originating or terminating traffic.

Any tax upon or measured by the value of flight equipment of air carriers incorporated or doing business in this state shall be assessed, collected by the Property Tax Administrator, and disbursed as provided in section 77-1250. The proportion of flight equipment allocated to this state for purposes of taxation shall be the arithmetical average of the following three ratios: (1) The ratio which the aircraft arrivals and departures within this state scheduled by such air carrier during the preceding calendar year bears to the total aircraft arrivals and departures within and without this state scheduled by such carrier during the same period, except that in the case of nonscheduled operations all arrivals and departures shall be substituted for scheduled arrivals and departures; (2) the ratio which the revenue tons handled by such air carrier at airports within this state during the preceding calendar year bears to the total revenue tons handled by such carrier at airports within and without this state during the same period; and (3) the ratio which such air carrier's originating revenue within this state for the preceding calendar year bears to the total originating revenue of such carrier within and without this state for the same period.

If allocation in accordance with the provisions of this section does not fairly represent the proportion of flight equipment properly allocable to this state, the taxpayer may petition for, or the Property Tax Administrator may require, the inclusion of one or more additional ratios or the employment of any other method to effectuate an equitable allocation of the taxpayer's flight equipment for purposes of taxation.

Real property and personal property, except flight equipment, of an air carrier shall be taxed in the political subdivisions of the state in accordance with the applicable laws of this state.

(1) Each air carrier, as defined in section 77-1244, shall on or before June 1 in each year make to the Property Tax Administrator a report, in such form as may be prescribed by the Tax Commissioner, containing the information necessary to determine the value of its flight equipment and the proportion allocated to this state for purposes of taxation as provided in section 77-1246. For good cause shown, the Property Tax Administrator may allow an extension of time in which to file such report. Such extension shall not exceed thirty days after June 1.

(2) For each day's failure to furnish the report required by subsection (1) of this section or for each day's failure to furnish the information as required on the report, the air carrier may be assessed a penalty in the amount of one hundred dollars, except that the penalty shall not exceed ten thousand dollars. Such penalty shall be collected by the Tax Commissioner and credited to the Department of Revenue Property Assessment Division Cash Fund. The Tax Commissioner, in his or her discretion, may waive all or part of the penalty provided in this section.

(1) The Property Tax Administrator shall ascertain from the reports made and from any other information obtained by him or her the taxable value of the flight equipment of air carriers and the proportion allocated to this state for the purposes of taxation as provided in section 77-1245.

(2)(a) In determining the taxable value of the flight equipment of air carriers pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, the Property Tax Administrator shall determine the following ratios:

(i) The ratio of the taxable value of all commercial and industrial depreciable tangible personal property in the state actually subjected to property tax to the market value of all commercial and industrial depreciable tangible personal property in the state; and

(ii) The ratio of the taxable value of flight equipment of air carriers to the market value of flight equipment of air carriers.

(b) If the ratio of the taxable value of flight equipment of air carriers exceeds the ratio of the taxable value of commercial and industrial depreciable tangible personal property by more than five percent, the Property Tax Administrator may adjust the value of such flight equipment of air carriers to the percentage of the taxable commercial and industrial depreciable tangible personal property pursuant to federal law applicable to air carrier transportation property or Nebraska federal court decisions applicable thereto.

(c) For purposes of this subsection, commercial and industrial depreciable tangible personal property means all personal property which is devoted to commercial or industrial use other than flight equipment of air carriers.

(3) For tax years prior to tax year 2020, the Property Tax Administrator shall multiply the valuation of each air carrier by the compensating exemption factor calculated in section 77-1238.

The Property Tax Administrator shall, on or before January 15 each year, establish a tax rate for purposes of taxation against the taxable value as provided in section 77-1248 at a rate which shall be equal to the total property taxes levied in the state divided by the total taxable value of all taxable property in the state as certified pursuant to section 77-1613.01. The date when such tax rate is determined shall be deemed to be the levy date for the property. The Property Tax Administrator shall send to each air carrier a statement showing the taxable value, the tax rate, and the amount of the tax and a statement that the tax is due and payable to the Property Tax Administrator on January 31 next following the levy thereof. If an air carrier feels aggrieved, such carrier may, on or before February 15, file an appeal with the Tax Commissioner. The Tax Commissioner shall act upon the appeal and shall issue a written order mailed to the carrier within seven days after the date of the order. The order may be appealed within thirty days after the date of the order to the Tax Equalization and Review Commission in accordance with section 77-5013.

One-half of the taxes levied and due under sections 77-1249 and 77-1250 shall become delinquent March 1, and the second half on July 1, next following the date the tax has become due.

All delinquent taxes shall draw interest from the date they become delinquent at a rate equal to the maximum rate of interest allowed per annum under section 45-104.01, as such rate may from time to time be adjusted by the Legislature, and the interest shall be collected and distributed the same as the tax on which the interest accrues. If such taxes and interest due thereon shall not have been paid on July 1 following the levy thereof, the Tax Commissioner shall collect the same by distress and sale of any property belonging to such delinquent person in like manner as required of county treasurers and county sheriffs in like cases.

The tax levied pursuant to section 77-1249 shall, on January 31 next following the date of levy, be a first lien from that date on the personal property, both tangible and intangible, of the person assessed until the liability is satisfied or otherwise released or discharged. Such lien shall be filed and enforced pursuant to the Uniform State Tax Lien Registration and Enforcement Act. The Property Tax Administrator shall remit the tax paid to the State Treasurer, and the tax collected, less a three percent collection fee, shall be distributed to the counties to the credit of the county general fund proportionate to the amount the total property taxes levied in the county bears to the total property taxes levied in the state as a whole, as certified pursuant to section 77-1613.01. The collection fee shall be credited by the State Treasurer to the Department of Revenue Property Assessment Division Cash Fund.

The owner, lessee, or manager of any aircraft hangar or land upon which is parked or located any aircraft as defined by section 3-101 shall report by February 1 of each year to the county assessor in the county in which such aircraft hangar or land is located all aircraft as defined by section 3-101 located thereon in such hangar or on such land as of January 1 of each year on a form prescribed by the Tax Commissioner. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars.

If any taxes levied on air carriers as defined in section 77-1244 and interest and penalties due thereon shall not have been paid on July 1, following the levy thereof, the total amount shall be a lien in favor of the State of Nebraska upon all money and credits belonging to such air carriers until the liability therefor is satisfied or otherwise released or discharged, and it shall be lawful for the Tax Commissioner or his or her designated agent to collect such total amount by issuing a distress warrant and making levy upon all money and credits belonging to such air carriers. Such lien shall be filed and enforced pursuant to the Uniform State Tax Lien Registration and Enforcement Act.

Any person or corporation in possession of any such money and credits belonging to air carriers as defined in section 77-1244 upon which levy has been made shall, upon demand of the Tax Commissioner or his or her agent, surrender the same to the Tax Commissioner or his or her agent. If any person or corporation fails or refuses to surrender the same in accordance with the requirements of this section, such person shall be liable to the State of Nebraska in a sum equal to the value of the property or rights not so surrendered but not exceeding the amount of the taxes, interest, and penalties for the collection of which such levy has been made.

The money realized from any levy under sections 77-1250.03 and 77-1250.04 shall be first applied by the Tax Commissioner toward payment of any costs incurred by virtue of such levy and next to the payment of such taxes, interest, and penalties, and any balance remaining shall then be paid over to the person entitled thereto.