SDCL § 10-59-4: Certificate of assessment defined.

For the purposes of this chapter, the term, certificate of assessment, means any certificate issued by the secretary indicating tax, penalty, or interest due. The certificate indicates the type of tax due, the amount of tax due, and the period of time covered by the assessment. The certificate also contains a short statement of the reasons for the assessment. The secretary shall use his or her best judgment in preparing the certificate, but error in the certificate does not relieve a taxpayer of liability for tax, penalty, or interest due under the laws of this state.