The Use Value Program is a state mandated program designed to give tax relief to landowners who use property for the production of an agricultural, horticultural, or forestry commodity. The purpose is to consider the “use value” rather than the “market value” in determining a tax assessment. The intent of the law is to give relief to farm and forest tracts held by families and protect these tracts from being sold because of higher taxes brought by appreciating land values and higher market assessments. When property is removed from the program, the last three years of deferred taxes are due and payable within 30 days. To qualify there are four requirements that must be met: ownership, acreage, income and sound management.

 

To comply with the ownership test the property must be owned for four full years or the owners must live on the property; the owner must be a natural person and meet income requirements.

 

The acreage guidelines are that the property must have at least ten acres for agriculture, five acres for horticulture or twenty acres for forestry. They must have at least one qualifying tract that meets the acreage requirements.

 

Owners of the property in the program must produce $1000 gross for the past three years except for forestry applications. In order to determine if the property is producing the maximum income potential, the Assessor requests three years of income verification when making an application on agriculture and horticulture. For forestry applications, a copy of an approved forestry management plan is mandatory.

 

 

 

For questions concerning the Use Value Program please email:

Barbara Laney – Use Value & Land Records Coordinator