(1) Before any real or personal property may be exempted from taxation under ORS 307.115, 307.118, 307.130 to 307.140, 307.145, 307.147, 307.150, 307.160 or 307.580 for any tax year, the institution or organization claiming the exemption shall file with the county assessor, on or before April 1 of the assessment year, a statement verified by the oath or affirmation of the president or other proper officer of the institution or organization, listing all real or personal property claimed to be exempt and showing the purpose for which such property is used. However:
(a) If the ownership of all property included in the statement filed with the county assessor for a prior year remains unchanged, a new statement shall not be required.
(b) When the property designated in the claim for exemption is acquired after March 1 and before July 1, the claim for that year shall be filed within 30 days from the date of acquisition of the property.
(c) As used in this subsection, “ownership” means legal and equitable title.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, a statement may be filed under this section on or before December 31 of the assessment year for which exemption is first desired. However, any statement filed after the time for filing the statement specified in subsection (1) of this section must be accompanied by a late filing fee of the greater of $200, or one-tenth of one percent of the real market value of the property to which the statement pertains, as determined for the assessment year by the assessor for this purpose. If the statement is not accompanied by the late filing fee or if the late filing fee is not otherwise paid, no exemption shall be allowed for the tax year based upon a statement filed pursuant to this subsection. A statement may be filed under this section notwithstanding that there are no grounds for hardship as required for late filing under ORS 307.475. The value of the property used to determine the late filing fee under this section is appealable in the same manner as other acts of the county assessor. Any filing fee collected under this section shall be deposited to the county general fund.
(3)(a) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, if an institution or organization owns property that is exempt from taxation under a provision of law listed in subsection (1) of this section and fails to make a timely application for exemption under subsection (1) of this section for additions or improvements to the exempt property, the additions or improvements may nevertheless qualify for exemption.
(b) The organization must file an application with the county assessor to have the additions or improvements to the exempt property be exempt from taxation. The application shall:
(A) Describe the additions or improvements to the exempt property;
(B) Describe the current use of the property that is the subject of the application;
(C) Identify the tax year and any preceding tax years for which the exemption is sought;
(D) Contain any other information required by the Department of Revenue; and
(E) Be accompanied by a late filing fee equal to the product of the number of tax years for which exemption is sought multiplied by the greater of $200 or one-tenth of one percent of the real market value, as of the most recent assessment date, of the property that is the subject of the application.
(c) Upon the county assessor’s receipt of a completed application and late filing fee, the assessor shall determine if the property that is the subject of the application, for each tax year for which exemption is sought, would have qualified for exemption had a timely statement been filed under subsection (1) of this section. Any property that would have qualified for exemption had a timely statement under subsection (1) of this section been filed shall be exempt from taxation for each tax year for which the property would have so qualified.
(d) An application for exemption under this subsection may be filed only for tax years for which the time for filing a statement under subsections (1) and (2) of this section has expired. An application filed under this subsection, however, may serve as the statement required under subsection (1) of this section for the current assessment year.
(e) For each tax year for which an exemption granted pursuant to this subsection applies:
(A) Any tax, or interest attributable thereto, that was paid with respect to the property that is declared exempt from taxation, shall be refunded. Refunds shall be made from the unsegregated tax collections account established under ORS 311.385.
(B) Any tax, or interest attributable thereto, that remains unpaid as of the date the exemption is granted, shall be abated.
(f) A late filing fee collected under this subsection shall be deposited in the county general fund.
(4) If an institution or organization owns property that is exempt from taxation under a provision of law listed in subsection (1) of this section and changes the use of the property to a use that would not entitle the property to exemption from taxation, the institution or organization shall notify the county assessor of the change to a taxable use within 30 days of the change in use. [Formerly 307.170; 1967 c.51 §1; 1967 s.s. c.9 §4; 1969 c.237 §1; 1977 c.478 §2; 1977 c.884 §33; 1985 c.613 §3; 1987 c.574 §1; 1987 c.756 §7; 1991 c.459 §44; 1993 c.18 §68; 1993 c.19 §4; 1993 c.777 §5; 1995 c.79 §120; 1995 c.513 §2; 1997 c.485 §3; 1997 c.541 §106; 1999 c.398 §9; 1999 c.579 §1]
Section: Previous 307.140 307.145 307.147 307.150 307.155 307.157 307.160 307.162 307.163 307.164 307.165 307.166 307.168 307.169 307.170 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008