Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Revenue
Chapter Tax 18 - Assessment Of Agricultural Property
Section Tax 18.07 - Use-value

1. Beginning in 2006 and in each year thereafter, net rental income per acre for each category of agricultural land in each municipality shall be calculated according to the income attributable to a landowner under a crop-share lease. The department shall assume a lease agreement where the income and direct operating costs are distributed equally between the landowner and farm operator. The department shall adhere to professionally accepted appraisal practices in determining gross income, cost of production, and net income that are attributable to a landowner under a crop-share lease. Net income shall be calculated by subtracting average total cost of production per acre under subd. 3. from average gross income per acre under subd. 2.

2. Beginning in 2006 and in each year thereafter, the landowner's average gross income per acre for each category of agricultural land in each municipality shall be calculated by multiplying the category's 5-year average corn yield per acre, adjusted for the typical productivity of that category, by the 5-year average corn market price per unit of output. The product shall be reduced by 50% to reflect a crop-share lease with equal distribution of income. Yield per acre shall be based on the natural resource conservation service's soil productivity indices and corn market price data shall be obtained from the Wisconsin department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection. If the natural resource conservation service and the Wisconsin department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection are unable to provide, or to provide timely, soil productivity indices and corn market price data, respectively, comparable data shall be obtained from other generally acceptable sources.

3. Beginning in 2006 and in each year thereafter, the landowner's average total cost of production per acre for each category of agricultural land shall be calculated by multiplying the category's 5-year average corn yield per acre, adjusted for the typical productivity of that category, by the 5-year average cost of corn production. In calculating the 5-year average cost of corn production, the department shall include the direct operating costs incurred by the landowner under a crop-share lease, which shall include the cost of seed, fertilizer, lime, manure, chemicals, commercial drying, interest on operating capital, or their equivalent. The total cost of corn production is reduced by 50% to reflect a crop-share lease with equal distribution of direct operating costs. The 5-year average cost of corn production shall not include those costs incurred by a farm operator under a crop-share lease, which includes labor, opportunity cost of unpaid labor, machinery, fuel, repairs, overhead, or their equivalent. An additional landowner cost for operational management, equal to 7.5% of the average gross income determined in subd. 2., shall be subtracted from the average gross income calculation in subd. 2. Property taxes are not a farm expense for purposes of calculating average total cost of production per acre. Yield per acre shall be based on the natural resource conservation service's soil productivity indices and cost of corn production data shall be obtained from the Wisconsin department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection. If the natural resource conservation service and the Wisconsin department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection are unable to provide, or to provide timely, soil productivity indices and cost of corn production data, respectively, comparable data shall be obtained from other generally acceptable sources.

1. The department shall survey each federal land credit association (FLCA) and each agricultural credit association (ACA) in Wisconsin to obtain the interest rate charged by that association for a medium-sized, 1-year adjustable rate mortgage (ARM), as of January 1 of the year prior to the assessment year. In addition, the survey shall obtain each association's stock purchase requirement, if any, for such a mortgage. The 1997 survey shall include each association's 1-year ARM rate and the stock purchase requirement for a medium-sized loan, as of January 1 for the years 1993 to 1997.

Note: If an FLCA and an ACA merge, the combined association's interest rate and stock purchase requirement shall be obtained.

Note: Each FLCA and each ACA divides loans into 3 to 5 tiers based on loan size and sets a 1-year ARM rate for each tier. Although the dollar amount of a medium-sized loan may vary among FLCAs and ACAs, each FLCA and each ACA offers medium-sized or middle tier loans at a specific 1-year ARM rate as of January 1.

2. The effective 1-year ARM rate of each FLCA and ACA for each year shall be calculated by dividing that association's 1-year ARM rate by one minus that association's stock purchase requirement as of January 1 of the same year, expressed as a percentage of the loan.

Example: If an FLCA or an ACA has a 2% stock purchase requirement, a borrower receives $98,000 of a $100,000 loan. If the 1-year ARM rate is 9%, the effective rate of the loan is 9.18% [9 / (1-.02)].

3. The statewide average effective rate for each year shall be calculated by averaging the effective 1-year ARM rates under subd. 2.

4. The statewide average effective rate for the year prior to the assessment year shall be averaged with the statewide average effective rates for the 4 prior years to obtain a statewide 5-year moving average rate.

5. The capitalization rate for each municipality for each assessment year shall be 11% or the sum of the statewide 5-year moving average rate for the year prior to the assessment year and the net tax rate of that municipality for the property tax levy 2 years prior to the assessment year, whichever is greater.

1. Beginning in 2006 and in each year thereafter, increases and decreases in the use values for each category of agricultural land in each municipality shall be limited to the prior year's percentage change in the statewide equalized value. When determining the percentage change in the statewide equalized value, the department shall exclude the value of agricultural land and new construction. New construction shall include increases in land value due to higher land use, new subdivisions, and increases in improvement value due to new construction, completion of improvements partially assessed, remodeling and additions, and land improvements such as addition of curb, gutter, sewer, water, or their equivalent. The amount of new construction shall be reduced by the loss of land utility and loss of property value due to full or partial destruction, removal, contamination, or their equivalent.

2. The department shall calculate the percentage change from the previous year's use-values to the current year's use-values according to the formula in s. Tax 18.07(1) (b). Increases and decreases in the use values for each category of agricultural land in each municipality shall be limited to the percentage change determined in subd. 1. If the increase or decrease is less than the percentage change determined in subd. 1., the use value per acre will equal the value calculated by the department according to the formula in s. Tax 18.07(1) (b).