Use-value Assessment of Rural Land in the United StatesUse-value Assessment of Rural Land in the United States
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eBook, 2014
Current format, eBook, 2014, , All copies in use.eBook, 2014
Current format, eBook, 2014, , All copies in use. Offered in 0 more formats"Explains the origins, key features, and implementation of use-value assessment (UVA) programs in property taxation in the United States during the last half-century. Intended audience consists of academics who study public finance, agricultural and landeconomics, urban economics and regional planning, and environmental economics; and state tax and conservation. Covers theory, practice, criticism, and reform recommendations"--
One tool that local governments use to try to maintain local agriculture against the pressure of lucrative urban development, explain Anderson and England, is to tax farm land at a much lower rate than urban land. They explain how this use-value assessment or current-use assessment came into being and how it works. They also argue that the system is being abused by individuals who claim to be farmers but only sell wood or Christmas trees, and that much protected land should be turned over to developers. Annotation ©2014 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
State and local governments in this country have adopted a number of policies to regulate the conversion of rural land to developed uses. One of the most significant and least understood is preferential assessment of rural land under the real property tax, often called use-value assessment (UVA) or current-use assessment. This book explains and analyzes the critical questions raised by this fiscal tool for farmland preservation.
Under UVA, the assessments of various parcels of land within a given state may vary tremendously from property to property. A tract that is zoned residential with access to a turnpike might be assessed at $7,865 per acre. In the very same neighborhood, though, an even larger tract of vacant land might be assessed at a mere $127 per acre, which is far below the market value.
How can there be such dramatic differences in the assessment of land values within the same community or neighborhood? Has the town assessor failed to treat property owners fairly and equally, as required by state law? Not at all. Nearly all states across the country permit, and even require, local assessors to value some parcels of undeveloped land far below their fair market values for the purpose of levying local property taxes.
Despite their stated purpose of preserving rural lands from urban development, UVA programs can have unintended negative consequences. One is erosion of the legal and constitutional principle of uniformity of taxation; another is shifting of the local tax burden to other property owners, perhaps in a regressive manner. Occasionally UVA programs generate political controversy and even legislative action concerning “fake farmers” who enjoy low property tax bills, but whose land might only be used to sell firewood or Christmas trees to a few friends and neighbors.
This volume explains the origins, key features, impacts, and flaws of use-value assessment programs across the United States. It describes in detail the process and characteristics of UVA programs in 44 states and recommends reforms. This book serves as a road map for public officials, scholars, and journalists concerned with agricultural taxation and land use issues.
This volume explains the origins, key features, impacts, and flaws of use-value assessment programs across the United States. It describes in detail the process and characteristics of UVA programs in 44 states and recommends reforms. This book serves as a road map for public officials, scholars, and journalists concerned with agricultural taxation and land use issues.
One tool that local governments use to try to maintain local agriculture against the pressure of lucrative urban development, explain Anderson and England, is to tax farm land at a much lower rate than urban land. They explain how this use-value assessment or current-use assessment came into being and how it works. They also argue that the system is being abused by individuals who claim to be farmers but only sell wood or Christmas trees, and that much protected land should be turned over to developers. Annotation ©2014 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
State and local governments in this country have adopted a number of policies to regulate the conversion of rural land to developed uses. One of the most significant and least understood is preferential assessment of rural land under the real property tax, often called use-value assessment (UVA) or current-use assessment. This book explains and analyzes the critical questions raised by this fiscal tool for farmland preservation.
Under UVA, the assessments of various parcels of land within a given state may vary tremendously from property to property. A tract that is zoned residential with access to a turnpike might be assessed at $7,865 per acre. In the very same neighborhood, though, an even larger tract of vacant land might be assessed at a mere $127 per acre, which is far below the market value.
How can there be such dramatic differences in the assessment of land values within the same community or neighborhood? Has the town assessor failed to treat property owners fairly and equally, as required by state law? Not at all. Nearly all states across the country permit, and even require, local assessors to value some parcels of undeveloped land far below their fair market values for the purpose of levying local property taxes.
Despite their stated purpose of preserving rural lands from urban development, UVA programs can have unintended negative consequences. One is erosion of the legal and constitutional principle of uniformity of taxation; another is shifting of the local tax burden to other property owners, perhaps in a regressive manner. Occasionally UVA programs generate political controversy and even legislative action concerning “fake farmers” who enjoy low property tax bills, but whose land might only be used to sell firewood or Christmas trees to a few friends and neighbors.
This volume explains the origins, key features, impacts, and flaws of use-value assessment programs across the United States. It describes in detail the process and characteristics of UVA programs in 44 states and recommends reforms. This book serves as a road map for public officials, scholars, and journalists concerned with agricultural taxation and land use issues.
This volume explains the origins, key features, impacts, and flaws of use-value assessment programs across the United States. It describes in detail the process and characteristics of UVA programs in 44 states and recommends reforms. This book serves as a road map for public officials, scholars, and journalists concerned with agricultural taxation and land use issues.
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- Cambridge, Massachusetts : Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 2014., ©2014
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