HF 4090

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 03/10/2022 05:20pm

A bill for an act
relating to taxation; property; making changes to agricultural homestead
determinations; amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 273.124, subdivision
8; Minnesota Statutes 2021 Supplement, section 273.124, subdivision 14.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 273.124, subdivision 8, is amended to read:

Subd. 8.

Homestead owned by or leased to family farm corporation, joint farm
venture, limited liability company, or partnership.

(a) Each family farm corporation;
each joint family farm venture; and each limited liability company or partnership which
operates a family farm; is entitled to class 1b under section 273.13, subdivision 22, paragraph
(b), or class 2a assessment for one homestead occupied by a shareholder, member, or partner
thereof who is residing on the land, and actively engaged in farming of the land owned by
the family farm corporation, joint family farm venture, limited liability company, or
partnership. Homestead treatment applies even if:

(1) legal title to the property is in the name of the family farm corporation, joint family
farm venture, limited liability company, or partnership, and not in the name of the person
residing on it; or

(2) the family farm is operated by a family farm corporation, joint family farm venture,
partnership, or limited liability company other than the family farm corporation, joint family
farm venture, partnership, or limited liability company that owns the land, provided that:

(i) the shareholder, member, or partner residing on and actively engaged in farming the
land is a shareholder, member, or partner of the family farm corporation, joint family farm
venture, partnership, or limited liability company that is operating the farm and;

(ii) more than half of the shareholders, members, or partners of each family farm
corporation, joint family farm venture, partnership, or limited liability company are persons
or spouses of persons who are a qualifying relative under section 273.124, subdivision 1,
paragraphs (c) and (d).

"Family farm corporation," "family farm," and "partnership operating a family farm"
have the meanings given in section 500.24, except that the number of allowable shareholders,
members, or partners under this subdivision shall not exceed 12. "Limited liability company"
has the meaning contained in sections 322C.0102, subdivision 12, and 500.24, subdivision
2, paragraphs (l) and (m). "Joint family farm venture" means a cooperative agreement among
two or more farm enterprises authorized to operate a family farm under section 500.24.

(b) In addition to property specified in paragraph (a), any other residences owned by
family farm corporations, joint family farm ventures, limited liability companies, or
partnerships described in paragraph (a) which are located on agricultural land and occupied
as homesteads by its shareholders, members, or partners who are actively engaged in farming
on behalf of that corporation, joint farm venture, limited liability company, or partnership
must also be assessed as class 2a property or as class 1b property under section 273.13.

(c) Agricultural property that is owned by a member, partner, or shareholder of a family
farm corporation or joint family farm venture, limited liability company operating a family
farm, or by a partnership operating a family farm and leased to the family farm corporation,
limited liability company, partnership, or joint farm venture, as defined in paragraph (a), is
eligible for classification as class 1b or class 2a under section 273.13, if the owner is actually
residing on the property, and is actually engaged in farming the land on behalf of that
corporation, joint farm venture, limited liability company, or partnership. This paragraph
applies without regard to any legal possession rights of the family farm corporation, joint
family farm venture, limited liability company, or partnership under the lease.

(d) deleted text begin Nonhomestead deleted text end new text begin (1) new text end Agricultural property that is owned by a family farm corporation,
joint farm venture, limited liability company, or partnership; and located not farther than
four townships or cities, or combination thereof, from agricultural land that is owned, and
used for the purposes of a homestead by an individual who is a shareholder, member, or
partner of the corporation, venture, company, or partnership; new text begin is eligible for classification
as class 2a under section 273.13.
new text end

new text begin (2) Notwithstanding clause (1), the agricultural property that is owned by a family farm
corporation, joint farm venture, limited liability company, or partnership; and located not
farther than four townships or cities, or a combination thereof, from the agricultural land
that is owned, and used for the purposes of a homestead by an individual who is a
shareholder, member, or partner of the corporation, venture, company, or partnership, new text end is new text begin
only new text end entitled to receive the first tier homestead classification rate on any remaining market
value in the first homestead class tier that is in excess of the market value of the shareholder's,
member's, or partner's class 2 agricultural homestead property, if the owner, or someone
acting on the owner's behalf notifies the county assessor by July 1 that the property may be
eligible under this paragraph for the current assessment year, for taxes payable in the
following year. As used in this paragraph, "agricultural property" means property classified
as 2a under section 273.13, along with any contiguous property classified as 2b under section
273.13, if the contiguous 2a and 2b properties are under the same ownership.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective beginning with assessment year 2023.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2021 Supplement, section 273.124, subdivision 14, is amended
to read:

Subd. 14.

Agricultural homesteads; special provisions.

(a) Real estate of less than ten
acres that is the homestead of its owner must be classified as class 2a under section 273.13,
subdivision 23, paragraph (a), if:

(1) the parcel on which the house is located is contiguous on at least two sides to (i)
agricultural land, (ii) land owned or administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service, or (iii) land administered by the Department of Natural Resources on which in lieu
taxes are paid under sections 477A.11 to 477A.14 or section 477A.17;

(2) its owner also owns a noncontiguous parcel of agricultural land that is at least 20
acres;

(3) the noncontiguous land is located not farther than four townships or cities, or a
combination of townships or cities from the homestead; and

(4) the agricultural use value of the noncontiguous land and farm buildings is equal to
at least 50 percent of the market value of the house, garage, and one acre of land.

Homesteads initially classified as class 2a under the provisions of this paragraph shall
remain classified as class 2a, irrespective of subsequent changes in the use of adjoining
properties, as long as the homestead remains under the same ownership, the owner owns a
noncontiguous parcel of agricultural land that is at least 20 acres, and the agricultural use
value qualifies under clause (4). Homestead classification under this paragraph is limited
to property that qualified under this paragraph for the 1998 assessment.

(b)(i) Agricultural property shall be classified as the owner's homestead, to the same
extent as other agricultural homestead property, if all of the following criteria are met:

(1) the agricultural property consists of at least 40 acres including undivided government
lots and correctional 40's;

(2) the owner, the owner's spouse, or a grandchild, child, sibling, or parent of the owner
or of the owner's spouse, is actively farming the agricultural property, either on the person's
own behalf as an individual or on behalf of a partnership operating a family farm, family
farm corporation, joint family farm venture, or limited liability company of which the person new text begin
actively engaged in farming the agricultural land new text end is a partner, shareholder, or member;

(3) both the owner of the agricultural property and the person who is actively farming
the agricultural property under clause (2), are Minnesota residents;

(4) neither the owner nor the spouse of the owner claims another agricultural homestead
in Minnesota; and

(5) neither the owner nor the person actively farming the agricultural property lives
farther than four townships or cities, or a combination of four townships or cities, from the
agricultural property, except that if the owner or the owner's spouse is required to live in
employer-provided housing, the owner or owner's spouse, whichever is actively farming
the agricultural property, may live more than four townships or cities, or combination of
four townships or cities from the agricultural property.

The relationship under this paragraph may be either by blood or marriage.

(ii) Property containing the residence of an owner who owns qualified property under
clause (i) shall be classified as part of the owner's agricultural homestead, if that property
is also used for noncommercial storage or drying of agricultural crops.

(iii) As used in this paragraph, "agricultural property" means class 2a property and any
class 2b property that is contiguous to and under the same ownership as the class 2a property.

(c) Noncontiguous land shall be included as part of a homestead under section 273.13,
subdivision 23, paragraph (a), only if the homestead is classified as class 2a and the detached
land is located in the same township or city, or not farther than four townships or cities or
combination thereof from the homestead. Any taxpayer of these noncontiguous lands must
notify the county assessor that the noncontiguous land is part of the taxpayer's homestead,
and, if the homestead is located in another county, the taxpayer must also notify the assessor
of the other county.

(d) Agricultural land used for purposes of a homestead and actively farmed by a person
holding a vested remainder interest in it must be classified as a homestead under section
273.13, subdivision 23, paragraph (a). If agricultural land is classified class 2a, any other
dwellings on the land used for purposes of a homestead by persons holding vested remainder
interests who are actively engaged in farming the property, and up to one acre of the land
surrounding each homestead and reasonably necessary for the use of the dwelling as a home,
must also be assessed class 2a.

(e) Agricultural land and buildings that were class 2a homestead property under section
273.13, subdivision 23, paragraph (a), for the 1997 assessment shall remain classified as
agricultural homesteads for subsequent assessments if:

(1) the property owner abandoned the homestead dwelling located on the agricultural
homestead as a result of the April 1997 floods;

(2) the property is located in the county of Polk, Clay, Kittson, Marshall, Norman, or
Wilkin;

(3) the agricultural land and buildings remain under the same ownership for the current
assessment year as existed for the 1997 assessment year and continue to be used for
agricultural purposes;

(4) the dwelling occupied by the owner is located in Minnesota and is within 30 miles
of one of the parcels of agricultural land that is owned by the taxpayer; and

(5) the owner notifies the county assessor that the relocation was due to the 1997 floods,
and the owner furnishes the assessor any information deemed necessary by the assessor in
verifying the change in dwelling. Further notifications to the assessor are not required if the
property continues to meet all the requirements in this paragraph and any dwellings on the
agricultural land remain uninhabited.

(f) Agricultural land and buildings that were class 2a homestead property under section
273.13, subdivision 23, paragraph (a), for the 1998 assessment shall remain classified
agricultural homesteads for subsequent assessments if:

(1) the property owner abandoned the homestead dwelling located on the agricultural
homestead as a result of damage caused by a March 29, 1998, tornado;

(2) the property is located in the county of Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, LeSueur,
Nicollet, Nobles, or Rice;

(3) the agricultural land and buildings remain under the same ownership for the current
assessment year as existed for the 1998 assessment year;

(4) the dwelling occupied by the owner is located in this state and is within 50 miles of
one of the parcels of agricultural land that is owned by the taxpayer; and

(5) the owner notifies the county assessor that the relocation was due to a March 29,
1998, tornado, and the owner furnishes the assessor any information deemed necessary by
the assessor in verifying the change in homestead dwelling. For taxes payable in 1999, the
owner must notify the assessor by December 1, 1998. Further notifications to the assessor
are not required if the property continues to meet all the requirements in this paragraph and
any dwellings on the agricultural land remain uninhabited.

(g) Agricultural property of a family farm corporation, joint family farm venture, family
farm limited liability company, or partnership operating a family farm as described under
subdivision 8 shall be classified homestead, to the same extent as other agricultural homestead
property, if all of the following criteria are met:

(1) the property consists of at least 40 acres including undivided government lots and
correctional 40's;

(2) a shareholder, member, or partner of that entity is actively farming the agricultural
property;

(3) that shareholder, member, or partner who is actively farming the agricultural property
is a Minnesota resident;

(4) neither that shareholder, member, or partner, nor the spouse of that shareholder,
member, or partner claims another agricultural homestead in Minnesota; and

(5) that shareholder, member, or partner does not live farther than four townships or
cities, or a combination of four townships or cities, from the agricultural property.

Homestead treatment applies under this paragraph even if:

(i) the shareholder, member, or partner of that entity is actively farming the agricultural
property on the shareholder's, member's, or partner's own behalf; or

(ii) the family farm is operated by a family farm corporation, joint family farm venture,
partnership, or limited liability company other than the family farm corporation, joint family
farm venture, partnership, or limited liability company that owns the land, provided that:

(A) the shareholder, member, or partner of the family farm corporation, joint family
farm venture, partnership, or limited liability company that owns the land who is actively
farming the land is a shareholder, member, or partner of the family farm corporation, joint
family farm venture, partnership, or limited liability company that is operating the farm;
and

(B) more than half of the shareholders, members, or partners of each family farm
corporation, joint family farm venture, partnership, or limited liability company are persons
or spouses of persons who are a qualifying relative under section 273.124, subdivision 1,
paragraphs (c) and (d).

Homestead treatment applies under this paragraph for property leased to a family farm
corporation, joint farm venture, limited liability company, or partnership operating a family
farm if legal title to the property is in the name of an individual who is a member, shareholder,
or partner in the entity.

(h) To be eligible for the special agricultural homestead under this subdivision, an initial
full application must be submitted to the county assessor where the property is located.
Owners and the persons who are actively farming the property shall be required to complete
only a one-page abbreviated version of the application in each subsequent year provided
that none of the following items have changed since the initial application:

(1) the day-to-day operation, administration, and financial risks remain the same;

(2) the owners and the persons actively farming the property continue to live within the
four townships or city criteria and are Minnesota residents;

(3) the same operator of the agricultural property is listed with the Farm Service Agency;

(4) a Schedule F or equivalent income tax form was filed for the most recent year;

(5) the property's acreage is unchanged; and

(6) none of the property's acres have been enrolled in a federal or state farm program
since the initial application.

The owners and any persons who are actively farming the property must include the
appropriate Social Security numbers, and sign and date the application. If any of the specified
information has changed since the full application was filed, the owner must notify the
assessor, and must complete a new application to determine if the property continues to
qualify for the special agricultural homestead. The commissioner of revenue shall prepare
a standard reapplication form for use by the assessors.

(i) Agricultural land and buildings that were class 2a homestead property under section
273.13, subdivision 23, paragraph (a), for the 2007 assessment shall remain classified
agricultural homesteads for subsequent assessments if:

(1) the property owner abandoned the homestead dwelling located on the agricultural
homestead as a result of damage caused by the August 2007 floods;

(2) the property is located in the county of Dodge, Fillmore, Houston, Olmsted, Steele,
Wabasha, or Winona;

(3) the agricultural land and buildings remain under the same ownership for the current
assessment year as existed for the 2007 assessment year;

(4) the dwelling occupied by the owner is located in this state and is within 50 miles of
one of the parcels of agricultural land that is owned by the taxpayer; and

(5) the owner notifies the county assessor that the relocation was due to the August 2007
floods, and the owner furnishes the assessor any information deemed necessary by the
assessor in verifying the change in homestead dwelling. For taxes payable in 2009, the
owner must notify the assessor by December 1, 2008. Further notifications to the assessor
are not required if the property continues to meet all the requirements in this paragraph and
any dwellings on the agricultural land remain uninhabited.

(j) Agricultural land and buildings that were class 2a homestead property under section
273.13, subdivision 23, paragraph (a), for the 2008 assessment shall remain classified as
agricultural homesteads for subsequent assessments if:

(1) the property owner abandoned the homestead dwelling located on the agricultural
homestead as a result of the March 2009 floods;

(2) the property is located in the county of Marshall;

(3) the agricultural land and buildings remain under the same ownership for the current
assessment year as existed for the 2008 assessment year and continue to be used for
agricultural purposes;

(4) the dwelling occupied by the owner is located in Minnesota and is within 50 miles
of one of the parcels of agricultural land that is owned by the taxpayer; and

(5) the owner notifies the county assessor that the relocation was due to the 2009 floods,
and the owner furnishes the assessor any information deemed necessary by the assessor in
verifying the change in dwelling. Further notifications to the assessor are not required if the
property continues to meet all the requirements in this paragraph and any dwellings on the
agricultural land remain uninhabited.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective beginning with assessment year 2023.
new text end