HF 350

as introduced - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 01:36am

A bill for an act
relating to taxation; agricultural property; modifying the Minnesota agricultural
property tax law; amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 273.111,
subdivisions 3, 3a, 4; 273.13, subdivision 23.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 273.111, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Requirements.

(a) Real estate consisting of ten acres or more or a nursery
or greenhouse, and qualifying for classification as class 2a under section 273.13, shall be
entitled to valuation and tax deferment under this section if it is primarily devoted to
agricultural deleted text begin use deleted text end new text begin purposes, as defined in section 273.13, subdivision 23 new text end , and either:

(1) is the homestead of the owner, or of a surviving spouse, child, or sibling of the
owner or is real estate which is farmed with the real estate which contains the homestead
property; or

(2) has been in possession of the applicant, the applicant's spouse, parent, or sibling,
or any combination thereof, for a period of at least seven years prior to application for
benefits under the provisions of this section, or is real estate which is farmed with the
real estate which qualifies under this clause and is within four townships or cities or
combination thereof from the qualifying real estate; or

(3) is the homestead of an individual who is part of an entity described in paragraph
(b), clause (1), (2), or (3); or

(4) is in the possession of a nursery or greenhouse or an entity owned by a proprietor,
partnership, or corporation which also owns the nursery or greenhouse operations on the
parcel or parcels, provided that only the acres used to produce nursery stock qualify
for treatment under this section.

(b) Valuation of real estate under this section is limited to parcels owned by
individuals except for:

(1) a family farm entity or authorized farm entity regulated under section 500.24;

(2) a poultry entity other than a limited liability entity in which the majority of the
members, partners, or shareholders are related and at least one of the members, partners,
or shareholders either resides on the land or actively operates the land; and

(3) corporations that derive 80 percent or more of their gross receipts from the
wholesale or retail sale of horticultural or nursery stock.

The terms in this paragraph have the meanings given in section 500.24, where
applicable.

(c) Land that previously qualified for tax deferment under this section and no longer
qualifies because it is not primarily used for agricultural purposes but would otherwise
qualify under Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 273.111, subdivision 3, for a period of at
least three years will not be required to make payment of the previously deferred taxes,
notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision 9. Sale of the land prior to the expiration
of the three-year period requires payment of deferred taxes as follows: sale in the year
the land no longer qualifies requires payment of the current year's deferred taxes plus
payment of deferred taxes for the two prior years; sale during the second year the land
no longer qualifies requires payment of the current year's deferred taxes plus payment of
the deferred taxes for the prior year; and sale during the third year the land no longer
qualifies requires payment of the current year's deferred taxes. Deferred taxes shall be
paid even if the land qualifies pursuant to subdivision 11a. When such property is sold or
no longer qualifies under this paragraph, or at the end of the three-year period, whichever
comes first, all deferred special assessments plus interest are payable in equal installments
spread over the time remaining until the last maturity date of the bonds issued to finance
the improvement for which the assessments were levied. If the bonds have matured, the
deferred special assessments plus interest are payable within 90 days. The provisions of
section 429.061, subdivision 2, apply to the collection of these installments. Penalties are
not imposed on any such special assessments if timely paid.

deleted text begin (d) Land that is enrolled in the reinvest in Minnesota program under sections
103F.501 to 103F.535, the federal Conservation Reserve Program as contained in Public
Law 99-198, or a similar state or federal conservation program does not qualify for
valuation and assessment deferral under this section. This paragraph applies to land that
has not qualified under this section for taxes payable in 2009 or previous years.
deleted text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for taxes payable in 2010 and
thereafter.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 273.111, subdivision 3a, is amended to read:

Subd. 3a.

Property new text begin that new text end no longer deleted text begin eligible for deferment deleted text end new text begin qualifies as agricultural
under 2008 law changes new text end .

(a) Real estate receiving the tax deferment under this section
for assessment year 2008, but that deleted text begin does not qualify for the 2009 assessment year due to
changes in qualification requirements under Laws 2008, chapter 366, deleted text end new text begin is not classified as
class 2a in a subsequent assessment year, new text end shall continue to qualify until deleted text begin any part of deleted text end the
land is sold deleted text begin , deleted text end new text begin or otherwise new text end transferred deleted text begin , or subdivided deleted text end , provided that the property continues
to meet the requirements of Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 273.111, subdivision 3. new text begin
Property described under this paragraph that is sold or transferred to a qualifying owner
may be reenrolled in the program, provided that the property continues to meet the
requirements of Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 273.111, subdivision 3, and if reenrolled,
is not subject to the additional taxes provided under subdivision 9 at the time of transfer.
new text end

(b) new text begin Property described in paragraph (a) that is withdrawn from the program prior to
January 2, 2010, is not subject to the additional taxes provided under subdivision 9.
new text end

deleted text begin When property assessed under this subdivision is withdrawn from the program or
becomes ineligible, the property shall be subject to additional taxes, in the amount equal
to the average difference between the taxes determined in accordance with subdivision
4, and the amount determined under subdivision 5, for the current year and the two
preceding years, multiplied by (1) three, in the case of class 2a property under section
273.13, subdivision 23, or any property withdrawn before January 2, 2009, or (2) seven, in
the case of property withdrawn after January 2, 2009, that is not class 2a property. The
number of years used as the multiplier must not exceed the number of years during which
the property was subject to this section. The amount determined under subdivision 5 shall
not be greater than it would have been had the actual bona fide sale price of the real
property at an arm's-length transaction been used in lieu of the market value determined
under subdivision 5. The additional taxes shall be extended against the property on the
tax list for the current year, provided that no interest or penalties shall be levied on the
additional taxes if timely paid.
deleted text end

new text begin (c) For the purposes of this subdivision, "qualifying owner" means someone that is
the mother, father, sister, brother, daughter, or son of the current owner. This relationship
may be by blood or by marriage.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for property transfers and program
withdrawals occurring after May 1, 2008, and for taxes payable in 2010 and thereafter.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 273.111, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Determination of value.

(a) The value of any real estate described
in subdivision 3 shall upon timely application by the owner, in the manner provided
in subdivision 8, be determined solely with reference to its appropriate agricultural
classification and value notwithstanding sections 272.03, subdivision 8, and 273.11.
Furthermore, the assessor shall not consider any added values resulting from
nonagricultural factors. In order to account for the presence of nonagricultural influences
that may affect the value of agricultural land, the commissioner of revenue shall develop a
fair and uniform method of determining agricultural values for each county in the state
that are consistent with this subdivision. The commissioner shall annually assign the
resulting values to each county, and these values shall be used as the basis for determining
the agricultural value for all properties in the county qualifying for tax deferment under
this section.

(b) In the case of property qualifying for tax deferment only under subdivision 3a,
the deleted text begin value shall be based on the value in effect for assessment year 2008, multiplied by
the ratio of the total taxable market value of all property in the county for the current
assessment year divided by the total taxable market value of all property in the county
for assessment year 2008 deleted text end new text begin commissioner of revenue shall undertake a study of the
relationship between the taxable value and the estimated market value of these enrolled
properties across the state, and based on that study, shall develop a uniform methodology
for determining taxable values for these properties. This study must be completed and
the methodology developed by December 31, 2009, in order to affect property valuations
for assessment year 2010 and thereafter new text end .

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 273.13, subdivision 23, is amended to read:

Subd. 23.

Class 2.

(a) An agricultural homestead consists of class 2a agricultural
land that is homesteaded, along with any class 2b rural vacant land that is contiguous to
the class 2a land under the same ownership. The market value of the house and garage
and immediately surrounding one acre of land has the same class rates as class 1a or 1b
property under subdivision 22. The value of the remaining land including improvements
up to the first tier valuation limit of agricultural homestead property has a net class rate
of 0.5 percent of market value. The remaining property over the first tier has a class rate
of one percent of market value. For purposes of this subdivision, the "first tier valuation
limit of agricultural homestead property" and "first tier" means the limit certified under
section 273.11, subdivision 23.

(b) Class 2a agricultural land consists of parcels of property, or portions thereof, that
are agricultural land and buildings. Class 2a property has a net class rate of one percent of
market value, unless it is part of an agricultural homestead under paragraph (a). Class 2a
property may contain property that would otherwise be classified as 2b, including but not
limited to sloughs, wooded wind shelters, acreage abutting ditches, and other similar land
impractical for the assessor to value separately from the rest of the property.

An assessor may classify the part of a parcel described in this subdivision that is used
for agricultural purposes as class 2a and the remainder in the class appropriate to its use.

(c) Class 2b rural vacant land consists of parcels of property, or portions thereof,
that are unplatted real estate, rural in character and not used for agricultural purposes,
including land used for growing trees for timber, lumber, and wood and wood products,
that is not improved with a structure. The presence of a minor, ancillary nonresidential
structure as defined by the commissioner of revenue does not disqualify the property from
classification under this paragraph. Any parcel of 20 acres or more improved with a
structure that is not a minor, ancillary nonresidential structure must be split-classified, and
ten acres must be assigned to the split parcel containing the structure. Class 2b property
has a net class rate of one percent of market value unless it is part of an agricultural
homestead under paragraph (a), or qualifies as class 2c under paragraph (d).

(d) Class 2c managed forest land consists of no less than 20 and no more than 1,920
acres statewide per taxpayer that is being managed under a forest management plan that
meets the requirements of chapter 290C, but is not enrolled in the sustainable forest
resource management incentive program. It has a class rate of .65 percent, provided that
the owner of the property must apply to the assessor to receive the reduced class rate and
provide the information required by the assessor to verify that the property qualifies for
the reduced rate. The commissioner of natural resources must concur that the land is
qualified. The commissioner of natural resources shall annually provide county assessors
verification information on a timely basis.

(e) Agricultural land as used in this section means contiguous acreage of ten acres
or more, used during the preceding year for agricultural purposes. new text begin Agricultural land also
includes any contiguous land required to be maintained in a nonproductive state under
applicable setback or similar requirements. new text end "Agricultural purposes" as used in this section
means the raising, cultivation, drying, or storage of agricultural products for sale, or the
storage of machinery or equipment used in support of agricultural production by the
same farm entity. For a property to be classified as agricultural based only on the drying
or storage of agricultural products, the products being dried or stored must have been
produced by the same farm entity as the entity operating the drying or storage facility.
"Agricultural purposes" also includes enrollment in the Reinvest in Minnesota program
under sections 103F.501 to 103F.535 or the federal Conservation Reserve Program as
contained in Public Law 99-198 or a similar state or federal conservation program if
the property was classified as agricultural (i) under this subdivision for the assessment
year 2002 or (ii) in the year prior to its enrollment. Agricultural classification shall not
be based upon the market value of any residential structures on the parcel or contiguous
parcels under the same ownership.

(f) Real estate of less than ten acres, which is exclusively or intensively used for
raising or cultivating agricultural products, shall be considered as agricultural land. To
qualify under this paragraph, property that includes a residential structure must be used
intensively for one of the following purposes:

(i) for drying or storage of grain or storage of machinery or equipment used to
support agricultural activities on other parcels of property operated by the same farming
entity;

(ii) as a nursery, provided that only those acres used to produce nursery stock are
considered agricultural land;

(iii) for livestock or poultry confinement, provided that land that is used only for
pasturing and grazing does not qualify; or

(iv) for market farming; for purposes of this paragraph, "market farming" means the
cultivation of one or more fruits or vegetables or production of animal or other agricultural
products for sale to local markets by the farmer or an organization with which the farmer
is affiliated.

(g) Land shall be classified as agricultural even if all or a portion of the agricultural
use of that property is the leasing to, or use by another person for agricultural purposes.

Classification under this subdivision is not determinative for qualifying under
section 273.111.

(h) The property classification under this section supersedes, for property tax
purposes only, any locally administered agricultural policies or land use restrictions that
define minimum or maximum farm acreage.

(i) The term "agricultural products" as used in this subdivision includes production
for sale of:

(1) livestock, dairy animals, dairy products, poultry and poultry products, fur-bearing
animals, horticultural and nursery stock, fruit of all kinds, vegetables, forage, grains,
bees, and apiary products by the owner;

(2) fish bred for sale and consumption if the fish breeding occurs on land zoned
for agricultural use;

(3) the commercial boarding of horses if the boarding is done in conjunction with
raising or cultivating agricultural products as defined in clause (1);

(4) property which is owned and operated by nonprofit organizations used for
equestrian activities, excluding racing;

(5) game birds and waterfowl bred and raised for use on a shooting preserve licensed
under section 97A.115;

(6) insects primarily bred to be used as food for animals;

(7) trees, grown for sale as a crop, including short rotation woody crops, and not
sold for timber, lumber, wood, or wood products; and

(8) maple syrup taken from trees grown by a person licensed by the Minnesota
Department of Agriculture under chapter 28A as a food processor.

(j) If a parcel used for agricultural purposes is also used for commercial or industrial
purposes, including but not limited to:

(1) wholesale and retail sales;

(2) processing of raw agricultural products or other goods;

(3) warehousing or storage of processed goods; and

(4) office facilities for the support of the activities enumerated in clauses (1), (2),
and (3),

the assessor shall classify the part of the parcel used for agricultural purposes as class
1b, 2a, or 2b, whichever is appropriate, and the remainder in the class appropriate to its
use. The grading, sorting, and packaging of raw agricultural products for first sale is
considered an agricultural purpose. A greenhouse or other building where horticultural
or nursery products are grown that is also used for the conduct of retail sales must be
classified as agricultural if it is primarily used for the growing of horticultural or nursery
products from seed, cuttings, or roots and occasionally as a showroom for the retail sale of
those products. Use of a greenhouse or building only for the display of already grown
horticultural or nursery products does not qualify as an agricultural purpose.

The assessor shall determine and list separately on the records the market value of
the homestead dwelling and the one acre of land on which that dwelling is located. If any
farm buildings or structures are located on this homesteaded acre of land, their market
value shall not be included in this separate determination.

(k) Class 2d airport landing area consists of a landing area or public access area of
a privately owned public use airport. It has a class rate of one percent of market value.
To qualify for classification under this paragraph, a privately owned public use airport
must be licensed as a public airport under section 360.018. For purposes of this paragraph,
"landing area" means that part of a privately owned public use airport properly cleared,
regularly maintained, and made available to the public for use by aircraft and includes
runways, taxiways, aprons, and sites upon which are situated landing or navigational aids.
A landing area also includes land underlying both the primary surface and the approach
surfaces that comply with all of the following:

(i) the land is properly cleared and regularly maintained for the primary purposes of
the landing, taking off, and taxiing of aircraft; but that portion of the land that contains
facilities for servicing, repair, or maintenance of aircraft is not included as a landing area;

(ii) the land is part of the airport property; and

(iii) the land is not used for commercial or residential purposes.

The land contained in a landing area under this paragraph must be described and certified
by the commissioner of transportation. The certification is effective until it is modified,
or until the airport or landing area no longer meets the requirements of this paragraph.
For purposes of this paragraph, "public access area" means property used as an aircraft
parking ramp, apron, or storage hangar, or an arrival and departure building in connection
with the airport.

(l) Class 2e consists of land with a commercial aggregate deposit that is not actively
being mined and is not otherwise classified as class 2a or 2b. It has a class rate of one
percent of market value. To qualify for classification under this paragraph, the property
must be at least ten contiguous acres in size and the owner of the property must record with
the county recorder of the county in which the property is located an affidavit containing:

(1) a legal description of the property;

(2) a disclosure that the property contains a commercial aggregate deposit that is not
actively being mined but is present on the entire parcel enrolled;

(3) documentation that the conditional use under the county or local zoning
ordinance of this property is for mining; and

(4) documentation that a permit has been issued by the local unit of government
or the mining activity is allowed under local ordinance. The disclosure must include a
statement from a registered professional geologist, engineer, or soil scientist delineating
the deposit and certifying that it is a commercial aggregate deposit.

For purposes of this section and section 273.1115, "commercial aggregate deposit"
means a deposit that will yield crushed stone or sand and gravel that is suitable for use
as a construction aggregate; and "actively mined" means the removal of top soil and
overburden in preparation for excavation or excavation of a commercial deposit.

(m) When any portion of the property under this subdivision or subdivision 22
begins to be actively mined, the owner must file a supplemental affidavit within 60 days
from the day any aggregate is removed stating the number of acres of the property that is
actively being mined. The acres actively being mined must be (1) valued and classified
under subdivision 24 in the next subsequent assessment year, and (2) removed from the
aggregate resource preservation property tax program under section 273.1115, if the
land was enrolled in that program. Copies of the original affidavit and all supplemental
affidavits must be filed with the county assessor, the local zoning administrator, and the
Department of Natural Resources, Division of Land and Minerals. A supplemental
affidavit must be filed each time a subsequent portion of the property is actively mined,
provided that the minimum acreage change is five acres, even if the actual mining activity
constitutes less than five acres.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for assessment year 2009 and
thereafter.
new text end