GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES DIVISION

2004 Legislation Synopsis and Effective Dates

By: Representatives Royal of the 140 th, Coleman of the 118th, Sims of the 130th, and Borders of the 142nd

This bill requires that, within 60 days of the expiration of a conservation use covenant, county boards of tax assessors must send, by first class mail, a written notice to covenant holders notifying them of the impending expiration of the covenant.

Effective Date: July 1, 2004

HB 1107 Bona fide conservation use property; undeveloped riverside or streamside lands

By: Representatives Rogers of the 20th, Royal of the 140th, Shaw of the 143rd, and Jenkins of the 8th

This bill extends conservation use assessment to land adjacent to streams, which is prohibited by law or ordinance from being disturbed, and which serves as a buffer between the stream and land adjacent to it that could be developed.

Effective Date: January 1, 2005

HB 1416 Bona fide conservation use property; include wildlife production

By: Representatives Lane of the 101st, Royal of the 140th, Porter of the 199th, Ray of the 108th, Jenkins of the 93rd, and others

This bill extends conservation use assessment to land more than 10 acres in size which is used for wildlife habitat and where prior approved covenants are being renewed for wildlife habitat purposes.

Effective Date: January 1, 2005

HB 1446 Homestead exemption; certain veterans; maximum amount

By: Representatives Birdsong of the 104th, Warren of the 99th, Roberts of the 135th, Heath of the 18th, Heckstaff of the 48th - Post 3, and others

This bill increases the disabled veteran exemption amount from $43,000 to $50,000 so as to track the amount provided in Title 38, Section 2102 of the United States Code.

It also provides for a property tax exemption for certain motor vehicles owned or leased by certain veterans organizations.

Effective Date:

For disabled veterans exemption - January 1, 2004

For exemption of motor vehicles owned or leased by certain veterans organizations – January 1, 2005

SB 393 Ad valorem tax; member of armed forces; time extensions

By: Senators Johnson of the 1st, Harp of the 16th, Cagle of the 49th, and Tolleson of the 18th

This bill allows a member of the armed forces of the US serving outside the continental United States to file applications for special assessment of property any time within six months of returning to the continental United States.

It also provides for the filing of a homestead exemption any time during the calendar year subsequent to the applicable tax year and up to March 1 of the applicable tax year.

And provides that a family member or friend of an individual who is absent because of military duty may submit written notice with the tax receiver or tax commissioner that they are representing the individual in filing an appeal for valuation, taxability, uniformity or denial of homestead exemption. Such written notice may be filed within 90 days after the deadline allowed for other ad valorem tax appeals.

Effective Date:

For applications for special assessment of property and filing of appeals- Upon approval by the Governor or becoming law without such approval

For filing of homestead exemptions - June 1, 2005

SB 453 Ad valorem tax exemption; freeport personal property inventory exemption; renewal notices

By: Senators Hamrick of the 30th, Smith of the 52nd and Cagle of the 49th

This bill requires county boards of tax assessors to send a notice of renewal by January 15 th to taxpayers who were granted freeport exemption the previous year.

It also provides that county boards of tax assessors must assess personal property taxes within three years from the date the tax was paid in cases where a return has been filed, unless the property is undergoing an audit or where false or fraudulent returns have been filed. The tax assessors and property owners may agree to extend the time for assessing personal property, but if an extended time is agreed to, the period for filing a claim for refund would be extended as well. If a taxpayer files a claim for refund within 6 month of the statute of limitation period, the assessment period is also extended for six months.

Effective Date: July 1, 2004

SB 514 General obligation bonds; authorize issuance bearing interest at variable rate By: Senators Cagle of the 49th, Starr of the 44th, and Lee of the 29th

This bill changes certain requirements of local tax allocation districts by adding certain qualifying property and establishing the procedures and methods that may be used for paying the cost of redevelopment within the established local tax allocation districts. This section is a local issue and does not affect state administration.

It also allows local and state governments to issue commercial paper notes.

Effective Date: July 1, 2004

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