Iowa Code r. 701-110.6 - Industrial property tax exemption

(1) Authority of city council and board of supervisors. A partial exemption ordinance enacted pursuant to Iowa Code section 427B.1 shall be available to all qualifying property. A city council or county board of supervisors does not have the authority to enact an ordinance granting a partial exemption to only certain qualifying properties (1980 O.A.G. 639). As used in this rule, the term "qualifying property" means property classified and assessed as real estate pursuant to 701-subrule 102.1(7), warehouses and distribution centers, research service facilities, and owner-operated cattle facilities. "Warehouse" means a building or structure used as a public warehouse for the storage of goods pursuant to Iowa Code sections 554.7101 to 554.7603, except that it does not mean a building or structure used primarily to store raw agricultural products or from which goods are sold at retail. "Distribution center" means a building or structure used primarily for the storage of goods which are intended for subsequent shipment to retail outlets. Distribution center does not mean a building or structure used primarily to store raw agricultural products, used primarily by a manufacturer to store goods to be used in the manufacturing process, used primarily for the storage of petroleum products, or used for the retail sale of goods. A "research service facility" is one or more buildings devoted primarily to research and development activities or corporate research services. Research and development activities include, but are not limited to, the design and production or manufacture of prototype products for experimental use. A research service facility does not have as its primary purpose the providing of on-site services to the public. "Owner-operated cattle facility" means a building or structure used primarily in the raising of cattle and which is operated by the person owning the facility.

(2) Prior approval. Only upon enactment of a partial property tax exemption ordinance in accordance with Iowa Code section 427B.1 may a city council or board of supervisors enact a prior approval ordinance for pending individual projects in accordance with Iowa Code section 427B.4. To obtain prior approval for a project, a property owner's proposal must be approved by a specific ordinance addressing the proposal and passed by the city council or board of supervisors. The original ordinance providing for the partial exemption does not constitute the granting of prior approval for a project. Also, prior approval for a project can only be granted by ordinance of the city council or board of supervisors; an official or representative of a city or county does not have the independent authority to grant prior approval for a project. If a taxpayer has obtained a prior approval ordinance from a city council or board of supervisors, the partial exemption cannot be obtained until the year in which all value added for the project is first assessed. (1980 O.A.G. 639)

(3) Repeal of ordinance. A new construction project having received prior approval for exemption in accordance with subrule 110.6(2) shall be granted such exemption upon completion of the project even if the city council or board of supervisors subsequently repeals the ordinance passed in accordance with Iowa Code section 427B.1. (1980 O.A.G. 639)

(4) Annexation of property previously granted exemption. A partial property tax exemption which has been granted and is in existence shall not be discontinued or disallowed in the event that the property upon which such exemption has been previously granted is located in an area which is subsequently annexed by a city or becomes subject to the jurisdiction of a county in which an ordinance has not been passed by the city council or county board of supervisors allowing such exemptions within that jurisdiction. The existing exemption shall continue until its expiration.

(5) Eligibility for exemption.

a. The value added by new construction or reconstruction and first assessed prior to January 1 of the calendar year in which an ordinance authorizing a partial property tax exemption becomes effective, and new machinery and equipment assessed as real estate acquired and utilized prior to January 1 of the calendar year in which the ordinance or resolution becomes effective, are not eligible for exemption. However, the value added as of January 1 of the calendar year in which the ordinance becomes effective is eligible for exemption if the ordinance is in effect prior to February 1 of that calendar year and if all other eligibility and application requirements are satisfied.

EXAMPLE 1: A $1,000,000 new construction project on qualifying property is begun in July 1984. $500,000 in value of the partially completed project is completed in 1984 and first assessed as of January 1, 1985. The project is completed in 1985 adding an additional value of $500,000 which is first assessed as of January 1, 1986, bringing the total assessed value of the completed project to $1,000,000 as of the January 1, 1986, assessment.

A city ordinance authorizing the partial exemption program is passed and becomes effective January 15, 1987. This project is not eligible for a property tax exemption for any value added as a result of the new construction project.

EXAMPLE 2: Assuming the same factual situation as in Example 1, except that the ordinance authorizing the partial exemption program becomes effective on January 15, 1986, the $500,000 in assessed value added as of the January 1, 1986, assessment is eligible for the partial exemption if an application is filed with the assessor between January 1 and February 1, 1986, inclusive.

EXAMPLE 3: Assuming the same factual situation as in Example 1, except that the ordinance authorizing the partial exemption program becomes effective on February 15, 1986. Since the statutory application filing deadline is February 1, no value added and first assessed as of January 1, 1986, is eligible for a partial exemption. The project in this example would receive no exemption for any value added as a result of the new construction.

This subrule does not apply to new construction projects having received prior approval in accordance with subrule 110.6(2).

b. New machinery and equipment assessed as real estate shall be eligible for partial exemption only if used primarily in the manufacturing process. For example, computer equipment used primarily to maintain payroll records would not be eligible for exemption, whereas computer equipment utilized primarily to control or monitor actual product assembly would be eligible.

c. If any other property tax exemption is granted for the same assessment year for all or any of the property which has been granted a partial exemption, the partial property tax exemption shall be disallowed for the year in which the other exemption is actually received.

d. Only qualifying property is eligible to receive the partial property tax exemption (O.A.G. 81-2-18).

e. A taxpayer cannot receive the partial property tax exemption for industrial machinery or equipment if the machinery or equipment was previously assessed in the state of Iowa. Industrial machinery and equipment previously used in another state may qualify for the partial exemption if all criteria for receiving the partial exemption are satisfied.

f. Industrial machinery and equipment is eligible to receive the partial property tax exemption if it changes the existing operational status other than by merely maintaining or expanding the existing operational status. This rule applies whether the machinery and equipment is placed in a new building, an existing building, or a reconstructed building. If new machinery is used to produce an existing product more efficiently or to produce merely a more advanced version of the existing product, the existing operational status would only be maintained or expanded and the machinery would not be eligible for the exemption. However, if the new machinery produces a product distinctly different from that currently produced, the existing operational status has been changed.

(6) Application for exemption.

a. An eligible property owner shall file an application for exemption with the assessor between January 1 and February 1, inclusive, of the year for which the value added is first assessed for tax purposes. The amount of "actual value added" shall be the difference between the assessed value of the property on January 1 of the year value is added to the property and the assessed value of the property the following assessment year. An application cannot be filed if a valid ordinance has not been enacted in accordance with Iowa Code section 427B.1 (O.A.G. 82-3-5). If an application is not filed by February 1 of the year for which the value added is first assessed, the taxpayer cannot receive in subsequent years the partial exemption for that value added (O.A.G. 82-1-17). However, if a taxpayer has received prior approval in accordance with Iowa Code section 427B.4 and subrule 110.6(2), the application is to be filed by not later than February 1 of the year for which the total value added is first assessed as the approved completed project.

b. In the event that February 1 falls on either a Saturday or Sunday, applications for the industrial property tax exemption may be filed the following Monday.

c. Applications submitted by mail shall be accepted if postmarked on or before February 1, or in the event that February 1 falls on either a Saturday or Sunday, a postmark date of the following Monday shall be accepted.

(7) Change in use of property. If property ceases to be used as qualifying property, no partial exemption shall be allowed as of January 1 of the year following the calendar year in which the change in use takes place or for subsequent years. If property under construction ceases to be constructed for use as qualifying property, no partial exemption shall be allowed as of January 1 of the year following the calendar year in which this cessation occurs. However, such a change in the use of the property does not affect the validity of any partial exemption received for the property while it was used or under construction as qualifying property.

This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code sections 427B.1 to 427B.7.

Notes

Iowa Code r. 701-110.6

ARC 7726B, IAB 4/22/09, effective 5/27/09; ARC 3804C, IAB 5/9/18, effective 6/13/18; Editorial change: IAC Supplement 11/2/22; Editorial change: IAC Supplement 10/18/23