Does property-tax reform affect you?

Property-tax reform is coming to Iowa, and one of the main components of the reform is the business property tax credit.

“For your purposes, it’s a credit. It’s a rollback. It’s a local payment for that rollback,” said Julie Roisen, property-tax division administrator with Iowa Department of Revenue during a commercial property tax reform luncheon Nov. 21 at Lakeside Casino’s ballroom. “It is (a) reduction in taxable value growth for certain classes — ag(ricultural) and res(idential). It is an exemption for telecom, and it’s a new classification at a very high level.”

The event was hosted by Clarke County Development Corporation.

The credit

According to Iowa Department of Revenue, the business property-tax credit is part of the overall 2013 property-tax reform bill that was enacted by the Iowa Legislature and signed by Gov. Terry Branstad. The credit is applied toward property taxes due on the 2013 property assessment and payable fall 2014 and spring 2015.

The credit is available for certain commercial, industrial and railroad properties. The credit is applicable to individual parcels, as well as “property units.” One credit is available for each qualified parcel or property unit.

According to the department of revenue, a property unit is a new concept specific to the credit. The law defines a property unit as contiguous parcels of the same classification that are owned by the same person, located in the same county and operated by that person for a common use and purpose.

To apply

If people are eligible for the credit, they should contact their county or city assessor for instructions on how to obtain and complete an application form. Across the state, each county assessor may be handling the application process differently.

More information can be found on the website www.iowa-assessors.org.

Roisen said if people want to have the tax credit applied to the 2013 property-tax assessment, applications must be received by their assessor no later than Jan. 15.

Applications received after that date will be applied to the 2014 property-tax assessment.

Roisen said, once an application has been approved, there doesn’t need to be a reapplication in later years, unless something changes with the unit.

Remember the date

However, she wanted to again remind people of the Jan. 15 deadline date for the 2013 property-tax assessment.

“Not postmarked. Not in the mail. In the office,” Roisen said. “... It would be my impression that the reason for this is the first year there is a tremendous volume of applications that have to get through the door and get processed, and lots of background things have to happen.”