Ag Exempt? Protest?

[TexasBoy]

Our county has removed the agriculture tax exemption from our property. And we are protesting.

We have had the exempt for 10 years, and have always had cattle or goats on the land. As of now we have both. Can anybody tell me what the requirements are for the ag exemt in central TX? :help: It would be most helpful... :help:
Thanks...

:cboy:

 

[novatech]

Every county is different. Go to your tax office and ask for a copy.

 

[Lammie]

I thought that as long as you ran cattle you were exempted. In some places there is a minimum amount of acerage, but I would protest it in a big big way. Get ahold of your county commissioner. Have him come out to your place and get to know you, if he does not already. That is what I would do.

 

[sidney411]

Like was said - every county is different and some have min amts for acreage and min amts for livestock stocking rates. You need to get on the ball and make some phone calls. If you lose your exemp it will be tough and time consuming to get it back!

 

[novatech]

In most counties in Texas you can pull tax records up on line. Call your local tax office get the web address. It is very interesting to find out what local higher ups pay in taxes and what their exemptions are. You may gain sum ammunition this way.
It is also a good place to find out what is coming up for delinquent tax sales, if you are interested in buying more property.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Texas law requires a minimum of 5 acres for hay production and 10 for livestock or timber.
That does not include acreage with the home. The key word is production.

 

[Lammie]

Seems to me that if you been able to take the exemption in the past and now you could not, it would be pretty quick to find out why. Someone must have made that call. And yes, I thought you had to have sales of livestock or whatever, to get the exemption. And a minimum amount of acreage.I do think that every county is different. That is another good reason to keep records.

 

[Matt Schiel]

Every county will have a differnt concentration of animal units that you must carry on your property to have an agriculture excemptions. Lets say you have 100 acres of pasture land but only had 5 cows and a bull, you would not quality for an excemption due to that your concentration of animals do not meet the requirments for that county. Same thing is true if you had 5 acres and five cows, not enough land even though your concentration is high. Usually the county extension agent, ag. appraiser and other ranchers/farmers will meet one time a year to go over those requirements. All rules for getting an agriculture excemption is detailed by the comptrollers office and have specific rules on how it is determined. It does not matter if you know the county commissioner of judge. It is "almost" black and white, if you qualify or not. You must prove that you have the amount of animal units that required for your county. Showing sale tickets of cattle that you have sold to an auction barn, fertilizer receipts, any vet bills might be required to show that you are actively engaged in agriculture.

Their are groups of people, mostly from urban areas that want to do away with agriculutre excemptions espically timber and wildlife. If you need more info call your agriculture appraiser and see what he has to say first and then you can go ahead and protest for loss of an excemption.

Matt

 

[Caustic Burno]

Pretty good article I stumbled upon.
http://recenter.tamu.edu/pdf/1361.pdf

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

Good article Caustic. Did you also know that in Texas you may be held liable for any flood damage due to neglect of maintaing a spillway or dam on a stock tank,lake or any other body of water on your property? Damage not limited to death of livestock,crop damage,homes,other buildings etc.

 

[TheBullLady]

What county are you in? I'm going to guess McLennan? There are a few central Texas counties that restructured their ag exemption rules to prevent people with 100 acres and a pet steer from claiming and ag exemption. As suggested previously, there are requirements as to how many "animal units" you have on a certain number of acres.

Call the appraisal district and find out the rules before you protest. And if you do get a chance to go before the board, make sure you have DOCUMENTATION.

If you loose your ag exemption, it takes five years of continuous ag use to regain it.

 

[novatech]

Texas law requires a minimum of 5 acres for hay production and 10 for livestock or timber.
That does not include acreage with the home. The key word is production.

Is that Texas law or county regulations? Unless there is some recent new law the state had no minimum acreage, and it was the counties that did this. Our county says you must have a minimum of 15 acres to qualify.

 

[TexasBoy]

What county are you in? I'm going to guess McLennan? There are a few central Texas counties that restructured their ag exemption rules to prevent people with 100 acres and a pet steer from claiming and ag exemption. As suggested previously, there are requirements as to how many "animal units" you have on a certain number of acres.

Call the appraisal district and find out the rules before you protest. And if you do get a chance to go before the board, make sure you have DOCUMENTATION.

If you loose your ag exemption, it takes five years of continuous ag use to regain it.

Williamson County...

Thanks all, great info and suggestions, I am researching all this for my parents, and this has turned out very helpful.

Thanks again...

:cboy:

 

[Caustic Burno]

Texas law requires a minimum of 5 acres for hay production and 10 for livestock or timber.
That does not include acreage with the home. The key word is production.

Is that Texas law or county regulations? Unless there is some recent new law the state had no minimum acreage, and it was the counties that did this. Our county says you must have a minimum of 15 acres to qualify.

I would be telling a story if I said. I remember reading the minimum requirements somewhere.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Good article Caustic. Did you also know that in Texas you may be held liable for any flood damage due to neglect of maintaing a spillway or dam on a stock tank,lake or any other body of water on your property? Damage not limited to death of livestock,crop damage,homes,other buildings etc.

Didn't know that one.

 

[Matt Schiel]

Any update on your protest?

Matt

 

[ROCKSPRINGS]

I was told that a " unit " is a bred cow.

 

[TexasBoy]

Any update on your protest?

Matt

No... :?

Still have not heard a thing from them... :roll:

Gives us time to gather lots of documentation and evidence though... :nod: