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S.B. 260

             1     

PROPERTY TAX - DEFINITION OF

             2     
GOODWILL

             3     
2007 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Wayne L. Niederhauser

             6     
House Sponsor: Craig A. Frank

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill amends the definition of goodwill under the Property Tax Act.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    amends the definition of goodwill for purposes of the property tax exemption for
             14      intangible property; and
             15          .    makes technical changes.
             16      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             17          None
             18      Other Special Clauses:
             19          This bill has retrospective operation to January 1, 2006.
             20      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             21      AMENDS:
             22          59-2-102, as last amended by Chapters 223 and 249, Laws of Utah 2006
             23     
             24      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             25          Section 1. Section 59-2-102 is amended to read:
             26           59-2-102. Definitions.
             27          As used in this chapter and title:


             28          (1) "Aerial applicator" means aircraft or rotorcraft used exclusively for the purpose of
             29      engaging in dispensing activities directly affecting agriculture or horticulture with an
             30      airworthiness certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration certifying the aircraft or
             31      rotorcraft's use for agricultural and pest control purposes.
             32          (2) "Air charter service" means an air carrier operation which requires the customer to
             33      hire an entire aircraft rather than book passage in whatever capacity is available on a scheduled
             34      trip.
             35          (3) "Air contract service" means an air carrier operation available only to customers
             36      who engage the services of the carrier through a contractual agreement and excess capacity on
             37      any trip and is not available to the public at large.
             38          (4) "Aircraft" is as defined in Section 72-10-102 .
             39          (5) "Airline" means any air carrier operating interstate routes on a scheduled basis
             40      which offers to fly passengers or cargo on the basis of available capacity on regularly scheduled
             41      routes.
             42          (6) "Assessment roll" means a permanent record of the assessment of property as
             43      assessed by the county assessor and the commission and may be maintained manually or as a
             44      computerized file as a consolidated record or as multiple records by type, classification, or
             45      categories.
             46          (7) "Certified revenue levy" means a property tax levy that provides the same amount
             47      of ad valorem property tax revenue as was collected for the prior year, plus new growth, but
             48      exclusive of revenue from collections from redemptions, interest, and penalties.
             49          (8) "County-assessed commercial vehicle" means:
             50          (a) any commercial vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer which is not apportioned under
             51      Section 41-1a-301 and is not operated interstate to transport the vehicle owner's goods or
             52      property in furtherance of the owner's commercial enterprise;
             53          (b) any passenger vehicle owned by a business and used by its employees for
             54      transportation as a company car or vanpool vehicle; and
             55          (c) vehicles which are:
             56          (i) especially constructed for towing or wrecking, and which are not otherwise used to
             57      transport goods, merchandise, or people for compensation;
             58          (ii) used or licensed as taxicabs or limousines;


             59          (iii) used as rental passenger cars, travel trailers, or motor homes;
             60          (iv) used or licensed in this state for use as ambulances or hearses;
             61          (v) especially designed and used for garbage and rubbish collection; or
             62          (vi) used exclusively to transport students or their instructors to or from any private,
             63      public, or religious school or school activities.
             64          (9) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (9)(b), for purposes of Section 59-2-801 ,
             65      "designated tax area" means a tax area created by the overlapping boundaries of only the
             66      following taxing entities:
             67          (i) a county; and
             68          (ii) a school district.
             69          (b) Notwithstanding Subsection (9)(a), "designated tax area" includes a tax area created
             70      by the overlapping boundaries of:
             71          (i) the taxing entities described in Subsection (9)(a); and
             72          (ii) (A) a city or town if the boundaries of the school district under Subsection (9)(a)
             73      and the boundaries of the city or town are identical; or
             74          (B) a special service district if the boundaries of the school district under Subsection
             75      (9)(a) are located entirely within the special service district.
             76          (10) "Eligible judgment" means a final and unappealable judgment or order under
             77      Section 59-2-1330 :
             78          (a) that became a final and unappealable judgment or order no more than 14 months
             79      prior to the day on which the notice required by Subsection 59-2-919 (4) is required to be
             80      mailed; and
             81          (b) for which a taxing entity's share of the final and unappealable judgment or order is
             82      greater than or equal to the lesser of:
             83          (i) $5,000; or
             84          (ii) 2.5% of the total ad valorem property taxes collected by the taxing entity in the
             85      previous fiscal year.
             86          (11) (a) "Escaped property" means any property, whether personal, land, or any
             87      improvements to the property, subject to taxation and is:
             88          (i) inadvertently omitted from the tax rolls, assigned to the incorrect parcel, or assessed
             89      to the wrong taxpayer by the assessing authority;


             90          (ii) undervalued or omitted from the tax rolls because of the failure of the taxpayer to
             91      comply with the reporting requirements of this chapter; or
             92          (iii) undervalued because of errors made by the assessing authority based upon
             93      incomplete or erroneous information furnished by the taxpayer.
             94          (b) Property which is undervalued because of the use of a different valuation
             95      methodology or because of a different application of the same valuation methodology is not
             96      "escaped property."
             97          (12) "Fair market value" means the amount at which property would change hands
             98      between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy or sell
             99      and both having reasonable knowledge of the relevant facts. For purposes of taxation, "fair
             100      market value" shall be determined using the current zoning laws applicable to the property in
             101      question, except in cases where there is a reasonable probability of a change in the zoning laws
             102      affecting that property in the tax year in question and the change would have an appreciable
             103      influence upon the value.
             104          (13) "Farm machinery and equipment," for purposes of the exemption provided under
             105      Section 59-2-1101 , means tractors, milking equipment and storage and cooling facilities, feed
             106      handling equipment, irrigation equipment, harvesters, choppers, grain drills and planters, tillage
             107      tools, scales, combines, spreaders, sprayers, haying equipment, and any other machinery or
             108      equipment used primarily for agricultural purposes; but does not include vehicles required to be
             109      registered with the Motor Vehicle Division or vehicles or other equipment used for business
             110      purposes other than farming.
             111          (14) "Geothermal fluid" means water in any form at temperatures greater than 120
             112      degrees centigrade naturally present in a geothermal system.
             113          (15) "Geothermal resource" means:
             114          (a) the natural heat of the earth at temperatures greater than 120 degrees centigrade;
             115      and
             116          (b) the energy, in whatever form, including pressure, present in, resulting from, created
             117      by, or which may be extracted from that natural heat, directly or through a material medium.
             118          (16) (a) "Goodwill" means:
             119          (i) acquired goodwill that is reported as goodwill on the books and records:
             120          (A) of a taxpayer; and


             121          (B) that are maintained for financial reporting purposes; or
             122          (ii) the ability of a business to:
             123          (A) generate income:
             124          (I) that exceeds a normal rate of return on assets; and
             125          (II) resulting from a factor described in Subsection (16)(b); or
             126          (B) obtain an economic or competitive advantage resulting from[:] a factor described in
             127      Subsection (16)(b).
             128          (b) The following factors apply to Subsection (16)(a)(ii):
             129          [(I)] (i) superior management skills;
             130          [(II)] (ii) reputation;
             131          [(III)] (iii) customer relationships;
             132          [(IV)] (iv) patronage; or
             133          [(V)] (v) a factor similar to Subsections (16)[(a)(ii)(B)(I)](b)(i) through [(IV)] (iv).
             134          [(b)] (c) "Goodwill" does not include:
             135          (i) the intangible property described in Subsection (19)(a) or (b);
             136          (ii) locational attributes of real property, including:
             137          (A) zoning;
             138          (B) location;
             139          (C) view;
             140          (D) a geographic feature;
             141          (E) an easement;
             142          (F) a covenant;
             143          (G) proximity to raw materials;
             144          (H) the condition of surrounding property; or
             145          (I) proximity to markets;
             146          (iii) value attributable to the identification of an improvement to real property,
             147      including:
             148          (A) reputation of the designer, builder, or architect of the improvement;
             149          (B) a name given to, or associated with, the improvement; or
             150          (C) the historic significance of an improvement; or
             151          (iv) the enhancement or assemblage value specifically attributable to the interrelation


             152      of the existing tangible property in place working together as a unit.
             153          (17) (a) For purposes of Section 59-2-103 :
             154          (i) "household" means the association of persons who live in the same dwelling,
             155      sharing its furnishings, facilities, accommodations, and expenses; and
             156          (ii) "household" includes married individuals, who are not legally separated, that have
             157      established domiciles at separate locations within the state.
             158          (b) In accordance with Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
             159      commission may make rules defining the term "domicile."
             160          (18) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (18)(c), "improvement" means a building,
             161      structure, fixture, fence, or other item that is permanently attached to land, regardless of
             162      whether the title has been acquired to the land, if:
             163          (i) (A) attachment to land is essential to the operation or use of the item; and
             164          (B) the manner of attachment to land suggests that the item will remain attached to the
             165      land in the same place over the useful life of the item; or
             166          (ii) removal of the item would:
             167          (A) cause substantial damage to the item; or
             168          (B) require substantial alteration or repair of a structure to which the item is attached.
             169          (b) "Improvement" includes:
             170          (i) an accessory to an item described in Subsection (18)(a) if the accessory is:
             171          (A) essential to the operation of the item described in Subsection (18)(a); and
             172          (B) installed solely to serve the operation of the item described in Subsection (18)(a);
             173      and
             174          (ii) an item described in Subsection (18)(a) that:
             175          (A) is temporarily detached from the land for repairs; and
             176          (B) remains located on the land.
             177          (c) Notwithstanding Subsections (18)(a) and (b), "improvement" does not include:
             178          (i) an item considered to be personal property pursuant to rules made in accordance
             179      with Section 59-2-107 ;
             180          (ii) a moveable item that is attached to land:
             181          (A) for stability only; or
             182          (B) for an obvious temporary purpose;


             183          (iii) (A) manufacturing equipment and machinery; or
             184          (B) essential accessories to manufacturing equipment and machinery;
             185          (iv) an item attached to the land in a manner that facilitates removal without substantial
             186      damage to:
             187          (A) the land; or
             188          (B) the item; or
             189          (v) a transportable factory-built housing unit as defined in Section 59-2-1502 if that
             190      transportable factory-built housing unit is considered to be personal property under Section
             191      59-2-1503 .
             192          (19) "Intangible property" means:
             193          (a) property that is capable of private ownership separate from tangible property,
             194      including:
             195          (i) moneys;
             196          (ii) credits;
             197          (iii) bonds;
             198          (iv) stocks;
             199          (v) representative property;
             200          (vi) franchises;
             201          (vii) licenses;
             202          (viii) trade names;
             203          (ix) copyrights; and
             204          (x) patents;
             205          (b) a low-income housing tax credit; or
             206          (c) goodwill.
             207          (20) "Low-income housing tax credit" means:
             208          (a) a federal low-income housing tax credit under Section 42, Internal Revenue Code;
             209      or
             210          (b) a low-income housing tax credit under:
             211          (i) Section 59-7-607 ; or
             212          (ii) Section 59-10-1010 .
             213          (21) "Metalliferous minerals" includes gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, and uranium.


             214          (22) "Mine" means a natural deposit of either metalliferous or nonmetalliferous
             215      valuable mineral.
             216          (23) "Mining" means the process of producing, extracting, leaching, evaporating, or
             217      otherwise removing a mineral from a mine.
             218          (24) (a) "Mobile flight equipment" means tangible personal property that is:
             219          (i) owned or operated by an:
             220          (A) air charter service;
             221          (B) air contract service; or
             222          (C) airline; and
             223          (ii) (A) capable of flight;
             224          (B) attached to an aircraft that is capable of flight; or
             225          (C) contained in an aircraft that is capable of flight if the tangible personal property is
             226      intended to be used:
             227          (I) during multiple flights;
             228          (II) during a takeoff, flight, or landing; and
             229          (III) as a service provided by an air charter service, air contract service, or airline.
             230          (b) (i) "Mobile flight equipment" does not include a spare part other than a spare
             231      engine that is rotated:
             232          (A) at regular intervals; and
             233          (B) with an engine that is attached to the aircraft.
             234          (ii) In accordance with Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act,
             235      the commission may make rules defining the term "regular intervals."
             236          (25) "Nonmetalliferous minerals" includes, but is not limited to, oil, gas, coal, salts,
             237      sand, rock, gravel, and all carboniferous materials.
             238          (26) "Personal property" includes:
             239          (a) every class of property as defined in Subsection (27) which is the subject of
             240      ownership and not included within the meaning of the terms "real estate" and "improvements";
             241          (b) gas and water mains and pipes laid in roads, streets, or alleys;
             242          (c) bridges and ferries;
             243          (d) livestock which, for the purposes of the exemption provided under Section
             244      59-2-1112 , means all domestic animals, honeybees, poultry, fur-bearing animals, and fish; and


             245          (e) outdoor advertising structures as defined in Section 72-7-502 .
             246          (27) (a) "Property" means property that is subject to assessment and taxation according
             247      to its value.
             248          (b) "Property" does not include intangible property as defined in this section.
             249          (28) "Public utility," for purposes of this chapter, means the operating property of a
             250      railroad, gas corporation, oil or gas transportation or pipeline company, coal slurry pipeline
             251      company, electrical corporation, telephone corporation, sewerage corporation, or heat
             252      corporation where the company performs the service for, or delivers the commodity to, the
             253      public generally or companies serving the public generally, or in the case of a gas corporation
             254      or an electrical corporation, where the gas or electricity is sold or furnished to any member or
             255      consumers within the state for domestic, commercial, or industrial use. Public utility also
             256      means the operating property of any entity or person defined under Section 54-2-1 except water
             257      corporations.
             258          (29) "Real estate" or "real property" includes:
             259          (a) the possession of, claim to, ownership of, or right to the possession of land;
             260          (b) all mines, minerals, and quarries in and under the land, all timber belonging to
             261      individuals or corporations growing or being on the lands of this state or the United States, and
             262      all rights and privileges appertaining to these; and
             263          (c) improvements.
             264          (30) "Residential property," for the purposes of the reductions and adjustments under
             265      this chapter, means any property used for residential purposes as a primary residence. It does
             266      not include property used for transient residential use or condominiums used in rental pools.
             267          (31) For purposes of Subsection 59-2-801 (1)(e), "route miles" means the number of
             268      miles calculated by the commission that is:
             269          (a) measured in a straight line by the commission; and
             270          (b) equal to the distance between a geographical location that begins or ends:
             271          (i) at a boundary of the state; and
             272          (ii) where an aircraft:
             273          (A) takes off; or
             274          (B) lands.
             275          (32) (a) "State-assessed commercial vehicle" means:


             276          (i) any commercial vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer which operates interstate or intrastate
             277      to transport passengers, freight, merchandise, or other property for hire; or
             278          (ii) any commercial vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer which operates interstate and
             279      transports the vehicle owner's goods or property in furtherance of the owner's commercial
             280      enterprise.
             281          (b) "State-assessed commercial vehicle" does not include vehicles used for hire which
             282      are specified in Subsection (8)(c) as county-assessed commercial vehicles.
             283          (33) "Taxable value" means fair market value less any applicable reduction allowed for
             284      residential property under Section 59-2-103 .
             285          (34) "Tax area" means a geographic area created by the overlapping boundaries of one
             286      or more taxing entities.
             287          (35) "Taxing entity" means any county, city, town, school district, special taxing
             288      district, or any other political subdivision of the state with the authority to levy a tax on
             289      property.
             290          (36) "Tax roll" means a permanent record of the taxes charged on property, as extended
             291      on the assessment roll and may be maintained on the same record or records as the assessment
             292      roll or may be maintained on a separate record properly indexed to the assessment roll. It
             293      includes tax books, tax lists, and other similar materials.
             294          Section 2. Retrospective operation.
             295          This bill has retrospective operation to January 1, 2006.




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    as of 2-2-07 3:34 PM


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