OAR 150-308-1050: Gross Income Requirement

(1) Income From Consumed Products. For purposes of the income requirement for farmland or a farm parcel outside an exclusive farm use zone, gross income includes the value of any crop or livestock used by the owner personally or in the farming operation. The owner must keep records accurately reflecting both the value and the use of the crop or livestock in a manner consistent with generally accepted accounting practices. The value of any crop or livestock used by the owner personally or in the farming operation is the amount of money the product would have been sold for in the normal marketing of the crop or livestock by the taxpayer. However, the value of products consumed, by the owner personally or in the farming operation, must constitute no more than 49 percent of gross income as required under ORS 308A.071. (2) Adjusted Gross Income From Livestock. In determining gross income from livestock, the purchase cost must be deducted from the gross sales price. (3) Burden of Proving Income. The burden of proving that property that is not within an exclusive farm use zone meets the gross income requirements of ORS 308A.071 is upon the owner or person claiming special assessment. This burden is met if information establishing sufficient gross income is supplied to the county assessor as provided below. A failure to provide the required income information to the county assessor constitutes grounds for disqualification under 308A.116(1)(c). (4) Income Information. The following procedures apply if the assessor lacks sufficient information on March 1 to support a determination that land not in an EFU zone qualifies for special farm use assessment. (a) On or before March 1, the assessor must send notice to the owner or person claiming special assessment of the need to provide income information for property subject to special assessment. The assessor must include an income information questionnaire with the notice. The property owner must use the questionnaire to provide income information to the county assessor. The property owner must provide the income information to the county assessor no later than April 15. (b) The assessor must send the notice and the questionnaire to the last known address of record of the owner or person claiming special assessment for the subject property. The notice and questionnaire must be in a form approved by the Department of Revenue. (c) If the information provided to the county assessor is sufficient to determine whether or not the subject property is qualified for special assessment, the assessor must take the appropriate action. (d) If the information provided to the county assessor is insufficient to make a determination as to the qualification of the subject property for special assessment, or if no information is provided, the assessor must send a notice to the last known address of record for the owner or person claiming special assessment. The notice must be in a form approved by the Department of Revenue and must include: (A) A statement of the assessor’s intent to disqualify the subject property; and (B) A statement that within 30 days after the date of the mailing of the notice, the owner or person claiming special assessment may appear and show cause why the property should not be disqualified. (e) In determining whether the subject property qualifies for special assessment, the assessor must take into consideration information obtained through the income information questionnaire, the show cause hearing and the county assessor’s records. (f) If property is disqualified from special assessment solely because no income information was provided by April 15, or within the 30 days of assessor’s notice of intent to disqualify, the property owner may file an appeal with the Magistrate Division of the Tax Court. (A) “Good and sufficient cause” has the meaning given in OAR 150-307-0500. The failure of the county assessor to provide the notice required in subsection (a) of this rule on or before March 1 constitutes good and sufficient cause for the owner’s failure to provide timely income information. (B) The procedural requirements contained in this rule are in addition to the requirements of ORS 308A.718. (C) Nothing contained in this rule alters the right of a person claiming special assessment to deferral and abatement of additional tax, pursuant to ORS 308A.119. (D) Nothing contained in this rule precludes the assessor from continuing special assessment on farmland if the assessor determines that the property meets the qualifications. (5) The assessor may send a copy of the income information received by the assessor under subsection (3) of this rule to the Department of Revenue. (6) Examples: Satisfying income requirements: (a) A ten acre parcel in an area not zoned EFU has never been used for farm purposes. For this parcel to qualify for special farm use assessment, the owner must develop an income history from farm uses of the parcel. The parcel will meet the income requirements of ORS 308A.071(2)(a) if it produces at least $1,000 gross income in each of the last three consecutive years or in any three of the last five consecutive years. (b) A ten acre parcel was segregated from a larger farm one year ago. The land was not farmed during the year following segregation. In order to qualify for farm use assessment, the parcel must be farmed for two successive years (ORS 308A.068(1)) and meet the income requirement of at least $1,000 in one of the two years (assuming the large farm met the income requirement before the ten acre parcel was segregated). (c) A four acre parcel in an area not zoned EFU has been farmed continually. The income has never exceeded $300. In order to qualify for special farm use assessment, the parcel must produce at least $650 in gross income per year for any three years during any consecutive five year period. (d) A twenty two acre parcel in an area not zoned EFU includes a ten acre farm woodlot, four and one-half acres of three year old cherry trees, five acres of pasture, two acres of wasteland and a one-half acre non-farm homesite. The five acres of pasture must have produced at least $650 gross income in one of the last three years (assuming the property met the income requirement in the two years preceding the planting of the cherry trees) to remain qualified for special assessment. The one-half acre non-farm homesite (at market), the immature cherry orchard (see ORS 308A.056(3)(c)), the farm woodlot (see 308A.056(3)(h), and the wasteland (see 308A.074)) are not counted in determining the number of acres to be considered under 308A.071(2)(a). The wasteland in a non-EFU zone does not qualify because it is not currently employed under 308A.056(3), and should not be in the calculation for the income test. NOTE: In order for the two acres of wasteland to be assessed at its farm use value under ORS 308A.074, and the homesite to be valued under ORS 308A.256, the owners must meet an adjusted gross income test and file an annual application. (7) The farmland owner or the operator of the farm unit must file the required excise or income tax returns including a Schedule F and, if applicable, a schedule showing rental income or expenses of each farmland owner or the operator of the farm unit. (a) The assessor may require the farmland owner or farm unit operator provide a copy of the income tax returns and schedules showing farm income. Failure to provide required income information including copies of the required tax returns and schedules is grounds for disqualification. (b) Copies of income tax returns and schedules of farm income are confidential and must be safeguarded in accordance with OAR 150-192-0500.