S-3660.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 6545
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State of Washington 56th Legislature 2000 Regular Session
By Senators Snyder, Hargrove, Honeyford, Rasmussen, Gardner and Haugen
Read first time 01/19/2000. Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.
AN ACT Relating to the current use valuation of agricultural land; and amending RCW 84.34.065.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 84.34.065 and 1998 c 320 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
The
true and fair value of farm and agricultural land((, including land
classified under section 2, chapter 320, Laws of 1998,)) shall be the
lesser of two-thirds of fair market value or an amount determined by
consideration of the earning or productive capacity of comparable lands from
crops grown most typically in the area averaged over not less than five years,
capitalized at indicative rates. The earning or productive capacity of farm
and agricultural lands shall be the "net cash rental", capitalized at
a "rate of interest" charged on long term loans secured by a mortgage
on farm or agricultural land plus a component for property taxes. The current
use value of land under RCW 84.34.020(2)(d) shall be established as: The prior
year's average value of open space farm and agricultural land used in the
county plus the value of land improvements such as septic, water, and power
used to serve the residence. This shall not be interpreted to require the
assessor to list improvements to the land with the value of the land.
For the purposes of the above computation:
(1) The term "net cash rental" shall mean the average rental paid on an annual basis, in cash, for the land being appraised and other farm and agricultural land of similar quality and similarly situated that is available for lease for a period of at least three years to any reliable person without unreasonable restrictions on its use for production of agricultural crops. There shall be allowed as a deduction from the rental received or computed any costs of crop production charged against the landlord if the costs are such as are customarily paid by a landlord. If "net cash rental" data is not available, the earning or productive capacity of farm and agricultural lands shall be determined by the cash value of typical or usual crops grown on land of similar quality and similarly situated averaged over not less than five years. Standard costs of production shall be allowed as a deduction from the cash value of the crops.
The current "net cash rental" or "earning capacity" shall be determined by the assessor with the advice of the advisory committee as provided in RCW 84.34.145, and through a continuing internal study, assisted by studies of the department of revenue. This net cash rental figure as it applies to any farm and agricultural land may be challenged before the same boards or authorities as would be the case with regard to assessed values on general property.
(2) The term "rate of interest" shall mean the rate of interest charged by the farm credit administration and other large financial institutions regularly making loans secured by farm and agricultural lands through mortgages or similar legal instruments, averaged over the immediate past five years.
The "rate of interest" shall be determined annually by a rule adopted by the department of revenue and such rule shall be published in the state register not later than January 1 of each year for use in that assessment year. The department of revenue determination may be appealed to the state board of tax appeals within thirty days after the date of publication by any owner of farm or agricultural land or the assessor of any county containing farm and agricultural land.
(3) The "component for property taxes" shall be a figure obtained by dividing the assessed value of all property in the county into the property taxes levied within the county in the year preceding the assessment and multiplying the quotient obtained by one hundred.
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