2004 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 800 – Property tax, agriculture land

HOUSE BILL NO. 800

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Bill Status



H0800aa.............................................by REVENUE AND TAXATION
PROPERTY TAX - AGRICULTURAL LAND - Amends existing law to revise criteria
as to how land can be classified as land actively devoted to agriculture
for property tax purposes; and to define "for-profit.
                                                                        
03/02    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
03/03    Rpt prt - to Rev/Tax
03/16    Rpt out - to Gen Ord
    Rpt out amen - to engros
03/17    Rpt engros - 1st rdg - to 2nd rdg as amen
03/18    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg as amen
03/19    3rd rdg as amen - PASSED - 62-1-7
      AYES -- Andersen, Barraclough, Barrett, Bayer, Bell, Black, Block,
      Bolz, Bradford, Campbell, Cannon, Clark, Collins, Cuddy, Denney,
      Douglas, Eberle, Edmunson, Ellsworth, Eskridge, Field(18), Field(23),
      Gagner, Garrett, Harwood, Henbest, Jaquet, Kellogg, Kulczyk, Lake,
      Langford, Langhorst, McGeachin, McKague, Meyer, Miller, Mitchell,
      Moyle, Naccarato, Nielsen, Pasley-Stuart, Raybould, Ridinger, Ring,
      Ringo, Roberts, Robison, Rydalch, Sali, Sayler, Schaefer, Shepherd,
      Shirley, Skippen, Smith(30), Smith(24), Smylie, Snodgrass, Stevenson,
      Wills, Wood, Mr. Speaker
      NAYS -- Martinez
      Absent and excused -- Bauer, Bedke, Boe, Crow, Deal, Jones, Trail
    Floor Sponsor - Roberts
    Title apvd - to Senate
03/19    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to Loc Gov

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-seventh Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 2004
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 800
                                                                        
                             BY REVENUE AND TAXATION COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO PROPERTY TAXATION; AMENDING SECTION 63-604, IDAHO CODE, TO  REVISE
  3        CRITERIA  AS  TO  HOW LAND CAN BE LAND ACTIVELY DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE AND
  4        APPRAISED, ASSESSED AND TAXED AS AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY  FOR  PROPERTY  TAX
  5        PURPOSES AND TO PROVIDE APPLICATION OF LEASE OR SALE OF HUNTING OR FISHING
  6        RIGHTS; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING RETROACTIVE APPLICATION.
                                                                        
  7    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  8        SECTION  1.  That  Section  63-604, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
  9    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 10        63-604.  LAND ACTIVELY DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE DEFINED.  (1)  For  property
 11    tax  purposes,  land  which  is  actively devoted to agriculture as part of an
 12    agricultural enterprise shall be eligible for appraisal, assessment and  taxa-
 13    tion  as  agricultural property each year it meets one (1) or more of the fol-
 14    lowing qualifications:
 15        (a)  The total area of such land, including the  homesite,  is  more  than
 16        five  (5)  contiguous  acres, and is actively devoted to agriculture which
 17        means:
 18             (i)   It is used to produce field crops including,  but  not  limited
 19             to, grains, feed crops, fruits and vegetables; or
 20             (ii)  It  is  used  to  produce  nursery  stock as defined in section
 21             22-2302(11), Idaho Code; or
 22             (iii) It is used by the owner for the grazing of livestock to be sold
 23             as part of a net profit-making for-profit enterprise, or is leased by
 24             the owner to a bona fide lessee for grazing purposes livestock to  be
 25             sold or used in a for-profit enterprise; or
 26             (iv)  It is in a cropland retirement or rotation program.
 27        (b)  The  area  of such land is five (5) contiguous acres or less and such
 28        land has been actively devoted to agriculture within the meaning  of  sub-
 29        section  (1)(a) of this section during the last three (3) growing seasons;
 30        and
 31             (i)  It agriculturally produces for  sale  or  home  consumption  the
 32             equivalent  of  fifteen  percent  (15%)  or  more  of  the owner's or
 33             lessee's annual gross income; or
 34             (ii) It agriculturally produced gross  revenues  in  the  immediately
 35             preceding  year  of  one  thousand dollars ($1,000) or more. When the
 36             area of land is five (5) contiguous acres or less, such land shall be
 37             presumed to be nonagricultural land until it is established that  the
 38             requirements of this subsection have been met.
 39        (2)  Land  shall not be classified or valued as agricultural land which is
 40    part of a platted subdivision with stated restrictions prohibiting its use for
 41    agricultural purposes, whether within or without a city.
 42        (3)  Land utilized for the grazing of a horse or other animals  kept  pri-
 43    marily for personal use or pleasure rather than as part of a bona fide profit-
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1    making  for-profit  agricultural enterprise shall not be considered to be land
  2    which is actively devoted to agriculture.
  3        (4)  Land actively devoted to agriculture, having previously qualified for
  4    exemption under this section in the preceding year, or which would have quali-
  5    fied under this section during the current year, shall not lose such  qualifi-
  6    cation due to the owner's or lessee's absence in the current year by reason of
  7    active military service in a designated combat zone, as defined in section 112
  8    of  the Internal Revenue Code. If an owner fails to timely apply for exemption
  9    as required in this section solely by reason of active duty  in  a  designated
 10    combat  zone,  as defined in section 112 of the Internal Revenue Code, and the
 11    land would otherwise qualify for exemption under this section, then the  board
 12    of  county  commissioners  of the county in which the land actively devoted to
 13    agriculture is located shall refund property taxes, if previously paid, in  an
 14    amount equal to the exemption which would otherwise have applied.
 15        (5)  As  used in this section "contiguous" shall mean being in actual con-
 16    tact or touching along a boundary or at a point, except no area of land  shall
 17    be  considered not contiguous solely by reason of a roadway or other right-of-
 18    way.
 19        (6)  The lease or sale of hunting or fishing rights shall  not  jeopardize
 20    the  status  of  land that otherwise would qualify as land actively devoted to
 21    agriculture.
                                                                        
 22        SECTION 2.  An emergency existing  therefor,  which  emergency  is  hereby
 23    declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its
 24    passage and approval, and retroactively to January 1, 2004.

Amendment


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-seventh Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 2004
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                     Moved by    Wood                
                                                                        
                                                     Seconded by Barrett             
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                              HOUSE AMENDMENT TO H.B. NO. 800
                                                                        
  1                               AMENDMENTS TO SECTION 1
  2        On page 1 of the printed bill, delete lines 24 and 25,  and  insert:  "the
  3    owner to a bona fide lessee for grazing purposes; or".
  4        On  page  2,  delete  line  1, and insert: "making agricultural for-profit
  5    enterprise shall not be considered to be land"; and delete  lines  19  through
  6    21, and insert:
  7        "(6)  As used in this section, "for-profit" means the enterprise will over
  8    some  period  of  time  make  or  attempt to make a return of income exceeding
  9    expenses.".
                                                                        
 10                                 CORRECTION TO TITLE
 11        On page 1, delete lines 5 and 6, and insert: "PURPOSES AND TO  DEFINE  THE
 12    TERM  "FOR-PROFIT";  DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING RETROACTIVE APPLICA-
 13    TION.".

Engrossed Bill (Original Bill with Amendment(s) Incorporated)


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-seventh Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 2004
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                               HOUSE BILL NO. 800, As Amended
                                                                        
                             BY REVENUE AND TAXATION COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO PROPERTY TAXATION; AMENDING SECTION 63-604, IDAHO CODE, TO  REVISE
  3        CRITERIA  AS  TO  HOW LAND CAN BE LAND ACTIVELY DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE AND
  4        APPRAISED, ASSESSED AND TAXED AS AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY  FOR  PROPERTY  TAX
  5        PURPOSES  AND  TO DEFINE THE TERM "FOR-PROFIT"; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND
  6        PROVIDING RETROACTIVE APPLICATION.
                                                                        
  7    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  8        SECTION 1.  That Section 63-604, Idaho Code, be, and the  same  is  hereby
  9    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 10        63-604.  LAND  ACTIVELY  DEVOTED  TO AGRICULTURE DEFINED. (1) For property
 11    tax purposes, land which is actively devoted to  agriculture  as  part  of  an
 12    agricultural  enterprise shall be eligible for appraisal, assessment and taxa-
 13    tion as agricultural property each year it meets one (1) or more of  the  fol-
 14    lowing qualifications:
 15        (a)  The  total  area  of  such land, including the homesite, is more than
 16        five (5) contiguous acres, and is actively devoted  to  agriculture  which
 17        means:
 18             (i)   It  is  used  to produce field crops including, but not limited
 19             to, grains, feed crops, fruits and vegetables; or
 20             (ii)  It is used to produce  nursery  stock  as  defined  in  section
 21             22-2302(11), Idaho Code; or
 22             (iii) It is used by the owner for the grazing of livestock to be sold
 23             as part of a net profit-making for-profit enterprise, or is leased by
 24             the owner to a bona fide lessee for grazing purposes; or
 25             (iv)  It is in a cropland retirement or rotation program.
 26        (b)  The  area  of such land is five (5) contiguous acres or less and such
 27        land has been actively devoted to agriculture within the meaning  of  sub-
 28        section  (1)(a) of this section during the last three (3) growing seasons;
 29        and
 30             (i)  It agriculturally produces for  sale  or  home  consumption  the
 31             equivalent  of  fifteen  percent  (15%)  or  more  of  the owner's or
 32             lessee's annual gross income; or
 33             (ii) It agriculturally produced gross  revenues  in  the  immediately
 34             preceding  year  of  one  thousand dollars ($1,000) or more. When the
 35             area of land is five (5) contiguous acres or less, such land shall be
 36             presumed to be nonagricultural land until it is established that  the
 37             requirements of this subsection have been met.
 38        (2)  Land  shall not be classified or valued as agricultural land which is
 39    part of a platted subdivision with stated restrictions prohibiting its use for
 40    agricultural purposes, whether within or without a city.
 41        (3)  Land utilized for the grazing of a horse or other animals  kept  pri-
 42    marily for personal use or pleasure rather than as part of a bona fide profit-
 43    making  agricultural  for-profit enterprise shall not be considered to be land
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1    which is actively devoted to agriculture.
  2        (4)  Land actively devoted to agriculture, having previously qualified for
  3    exemption under this section in the preceding year, or which would have quali-
  4    fied under this section during the current year, shall not lose such  qualifi-
  5    cation due to the owner's or lessee's absence in the current year by reason of
  6    active military service in a designated combat zone, as defined in section 112
  7    of  the Internal Revenue Code. If an owner fails to timely apply for exemption
  8    as required in this section solely by reason of active duty  in  a  designated
  9    combat  zone,  as defined in section 112 of the Internal Revenue Code, and the
 10    land would otherwise qualify for exemption under this section, then the  board
 11    of  county  commissioners  of the county in which the land actively devoted to
 12    agriculture is located shall refund property taxes, if previously paid, in  an
 13    amount equal to the exemption which would otherwise have applied.
 14        (5)  As  used in this section "contiguous" shall mean being in actual con-
 15    tact or touching along a boundary or at a point, except no area of land  shall
 16    be  considered not contiguous solely by reason of a roadway or other right-of-
 17    way.
 18        (6)  As used in this section, "for-profit" means the enterprise will  over
 19    some  period  of  time  make  or  attempt to make a return of income exceeding
 20    expenses.
                                                                        
 21        SECTION 2.  An emergency existing  therefor,  which  emergency  is  hereby
 22    declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its
 23    passage and approval, and retroactively to January 1, 2004.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                             RS 14171

This legislation clarifies the taxation of agricultural property
when that land is leased for the grazing of livestock.  The new
language defines a bona fide lessee as a for-profit business that
grazes livestock that will be sold or used in their business.

Additional language puts into statute that any sale or lease of
hunting or fishing rights on the property does not change the tax
status of the land if it meets the definitions of 63-604, land
actively devoted to agriculture.

An emergency clause is added in Section 2 and is retroactive to
January 1, 2004 to make the changes fit the property tax year.


                          FISCAL IMPACT

There is no fiscal impact to the state or to the counties in the
collection of property taxes.


Contact
Name: Brad Hoaglun, Idaho Outfitters & Guides Assoc. 
Phone: 383-4100




STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                       H 800