The year 2000 Conservation Use (current use) valuation tables
for
land have been developed by the Georgia Department of
Revenue.
The benefit of conservation use valuation to the Georgia public
is land preserved in farms and forests.
That’s good news for Georgians craving more open, green areas.
Bob Izlar, director of the W.B. Warnell School of Forest
Resources’ Center for Forest Business, says the advantage to
qualified landowners entering the program is land value more
reflective of farm and forest uses.
Lower Property Tax Bill
Current use valuation also may result in a lower county ad
valorem property tax bill.
In return for a covenant with the county, landowners agree to
maintain the land for agricultural or forest use for 10 years.
Covenants are between qualified landowners and county
governments. The covenants have qualifying agricultural and
forest lands in Georgia valued for county ad valorem taxes based
on current use (conservation use). The are usually assessed at
fair market value.
Maps Available
Two Georgia maps with an accompanying table for each that give
the Conservation Use land values are available from the school
at
http://www.forestry.uga.edu
Look under “Public Service” then “Extension Forest Resources”
then “Economics and Taxes” to find the Year 2000 Conservation
Use
Tables of Values in Forest Resource Notes No. 79, along with
other property tax-related publications.
Maps and tables are also available in your county tax assessor
office, along with program details and sign-up procedures. These
tables show dollars per acre for class 1-9 land (1 is most- and
9
is least-productive land).
One map shows the nine Conservation Use Valuation Areas (CUVA’s)
by county, with a table containing values to be used for the
more
than 50,000 1993-style covenants entered after 1992 under rules
prescribed by Georgia House Bill (H.B.) 66.
Qualified landowners with these Conservation Use covenants earn
more than $33 million annually in ad valorem property tax
savings.
The other map shows the 28 CUVA’s by county, with a table
containing values to be used for the 10,000-plus 1992-style
covenants entered during 1992 under rules prescribed by H.B.
283.
Yearly Valuation
Each year the Department of Revenue revises its tables of values
for qualifying conservation use property following guidelines
detailed by H.B. 283 (1992-Style) and H.B. 66 (1993-Style).
Details of the programs can be found Georgia Extension Service
Bulletin 1089, Tax Incentives for the Georgia Landowner. The
bulletin is available though your county Extension Service agent
or on the Web at www.ces.uga.edu under publications.
Bulletin 1089 discusses the ’91 timber tax law that appeared to
offer tax breaks to large timber companies and commercial
farmers. The bulletin covers the ad valorem tax issues of the
new
conservation use valuation program for agricultural, forest and
environmentally sensitive land.
Included is the one-time county ad valorem tax on timber at
harvest or sale for harvest.
Also covered are the issues of fair market value for property
and
the Agricultural Preferential Assessment program for
agricultural
and forest land.
Qualified landowners in Georgia are entered in more than 24,000
Agricultural Preferential Covenants. They save more than $6
million in property taxes each year.
Find more useful ad valorem property tax information on the
Georgia Department of Revenue’s Property Tax Division Web page
at
http://www2.state.ga.us/Departments/DOR/ptd/
Sign-up for the program is through the County Tax Assessor
Office
prior to the property tax return filing deadline, March 1 or
April 1 depending on the county.
See your local County Extension agent for further information.
