(1)
Beginning with all ad valorem tax returns received after January 1, 1993, all
taxable real and personal property returned or assessed for county taxation
shall be identified according to the following classifications. Real Property
receiving preferential assessment under O.C.G.A. §
48-5-7.1, 48-5-7.2, 48-5-7.3 or
48-5-7.6 or current use assessment under O.C.G.A. §
48-5-7.4 or
48-5-7.7shall be included in the classification specifically designated for those
properties and not included in the general use classification that might
otherwise be appropriate.
(a) Residential -
This classification shall apply to all land utilized, or best suited to be
utilized as a single family homesite, the residential improvements and other
nonresidential homesite improvements thereon. For the purposes of this
subparagraph, duplexes and triplexes shall also be considered single-family
residential improvements.
1.This
classification shall also apply to all personal property owned by individuals
that has not acquired a business situs elsewhere and is not otherwise utilized
for agricultural, commercial or industrial purposes.
(b) Residential Transitional - This
classification shall apply to the residential improvement and up to no more
than five acres of land underneath the improvement and comprising the homesite
the value of which is influenced by its proximity to or location in a
transitional area and which is receiving a current use assessment under
O.C.G.A. §
48-5-7.4.
(c) Agricultural - This classification shall
apply to all real and personal property currently utilized or best suited to be
utilized as an agricultural unit. It shall include the single family homesite
that is an integral part of the agricultural unit, the residential improvement,
the non-residential homesite improvements, the non-homesite agricultural land,
and the production and storage improvements.
1.This classification shall also apply to all
personal property owned by individuals that is not connected with the
agricultural unit but has not acquired a business situs elsewhere and the
personal property connected with the agricultural unit which shall include the
machinery, equipment, furniture, fixtures, livestock, products of the soil,
supplies, minerals and off-road vehicles.
(d) Preferential - This classification shall
apply to land and improvements primarily used for bona fide agricultural
purposes and receiving preferential assessment under O.C.G.A. §
48-5-7.1.
(e) Conservation Use - This classification
shall apply to all land and improvements primarily used in the good faith
production of agriculture products or timber and receiving current use
assessment under O.C.G.A. §
48-5-7.4.
(f) Environmentally Sensitive - This
classification shall apply to all land certified as environmentally sensitive
property by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and receiving current
use assessment under O.C.G.A. §
48-5-7.4.
(g) Brownfield Property - This classification
shall apply to all land certified "Brownfield Property" by the Environmental
Protections Division of the Department of Natural Resources and receiving
preferential assessment under O.C.G.A. §
48-5-7.6.
(h) Forest Land Conservation Use Property -
This classification shall apply to all land and improvements primarily used in
the good faith production of timber receiving current use assessment under
O.C.G.A. §
48-5-7.7.
(i) Commercial - This classification shall
apply to all real and personal property utilized or best suited to be utilized
as a business unit the primary nature of which is the exchange of goods and
services at either the wholesale or retail level. This classification shall
include multi-family dwelling units having four or more units.
(j) Historic - This classification shall
apply to up to two acres of land and improvements thereon designated as
rehabilitated historic property or landmark historic property and receiving
preferential assessment under O.C.G.A. §
48-5-7.2 or O.C.G.A. §
48-5-7.3.
(k) Industrial - This classification shall
apply to all real and personal property utilized or best suited to be utilized
as a business unit, the primary nature of which is the manufacture or
processing of goods destined for wholesale or retail sale.
(l) Utility - This classification shall apply
to the property of companies that are required to file an ad valorem tax return
with the State Revenue Commissioner, and shall include all the real and
personal property of railroad companies and public utility companies and the
flight equipment of airline companies.
(2) Beginning with all ad valorem tax returns
received after January 1, 1993, all taxable real property returned or assessed
for county taxation shall be further stratified into the following strata:
(a) Improvements - This stratum shall include
all in-ground and above ground improvements that have been made to the land
including lease hold improvements. This stratum excludes all production and
storage improvements utilized in the operation of a farm unit and those
improvements auxiliary to residential or agricultural dwellings included in the
Production/Storage/Auxiliary stratum.
1.The
Board of Tax Assessors are given the option under this regulation to place the
value of residential auxiliary buildings in this stratum or in the
Production/Storage/Auxiliary stratum described in subparagraph (2)(f) of this
Regulation.
2.This stratum does not
include the land.
(b)
Operating Utility - This stratum shall include all real and personal property
of a public utility, tangible and intangible, utilized in the conduct of usual
and ordinary business.
1.Real and personal
property of a public utility not utilized in the conduct of usual and ordinary
business shall be designated non-operating property and shall be included in
the appropriate alternative strata.
(c) Lots - This stratum shall include all
land where the market indicates the site is sold on a front footage or
buildable unit basis rather than by acreage.
(d) Small Tracts - This stratum shall include
all land that is normally described and appraised in terms of small acreage,
which is of such size as to favor multiple uses.
(e) Large Tracts - This stratum shall include
all land that is normally described and appraised in terms of large acreage,
which is of such size as to limit multiple uses, e.g., cultivatable lands,
pasture lands, timber lands, open lands, wastelands and wild lands.
1.The acreage breakpoint between small tracts
and large tracts shall be designated by the Board of Tax Assessors as being
that point where the market price per acre reflects distinct and pronounced
change as the size of the tract changes. In the event this break point cannot
easily be determined, the Board of Tax Assessors shall designate a reasonable
break point not less than five (5) acres but not greater than twenty-five (25)
acres.
(f)
Production/Storage/Auxiliary - This stratum shall include those improvements
auxiliary to residential or agricultural dwellings not included in the
Improvements stratum described in subparagraph (2)(a) of this regulation and
all improvements to land that are utilized by an agricultural unit for the
storage or processing of agricultural products.
(g) Other Real - This stratum shall include
leasehold interests, mineral rights, and all real property not otherwise
defined in this paragraph.
(3) Beginning with all ad valorem tax returns
received after January 1, 1993, all taxable personal property returned or
assessed for county taxation shall be further stratified into the following
strata:
(a) Aircraft - This stratum shall
include all airplanes, rotorcraft and lighter-than-air vehicles, including
airline flight equipment required to be returned to the State Revenue
Commissioner.
(b) Boats - This
stratum shall include all craft that are operated in and upon water. This
stratum shall include the motors, but not the land transport
vehicles.
(c) Inventory - This
stratum shall include all raw materials, goods in process and finished goods.
This stratum shall include all consumable supplies used in the process of
manufacturing, distributing, storing or merchandising of goods and services.
This stratum shall not include inventory receiving freeport exemption under
O.C.G.A. § 48-5-48-2.
This stratum shall also include livestock and other
agricultural products.
(d)
Freeport Inventory - This stratum shall include all inventory receiving the
Freeport exemption under O.C.G.A. Sec. 48-5-48-2 and
48-5-48.6.
(e)
Furniture/Fixtures/Machinery/Equipment-This stratum shall include all fixtures,
furniture, office equipment, computer software and hardware, production
machinery, offroad vehicles, equipment, farm tools and implements, and tools
and implements of trade of manual laborers.
(f) Other Personal - This stratum shall
include all personal property not otherwise defined in this
paragraph.
O.C.G.A. §§
48-2-1, 48-2-7, 48-2-12, 48-5-16, 48-5-105, 48-5-269.