Search Category: Property Tax
Operating Property Reporting
Every person or company owning operating property in Idaho is required to file a report (see operator statement below) with the Tax Commission by April 30 of each year. This report may include asset listings, financial statements, reports to stockholders, and reports to regulatory agencies.
Form R
Property is identified as either operating or nonoperating when the owner files a 
Record of Real Estate Ownership – State of Idaho (Form R) with the Tax Commission. After a review by the Tax Commission, the Form R is sent to each county where the property is located. Nonoperating property is appraised at the local level by the county assessor rather than by the Tax Commission.
Operator statement
Operating property owners obtain an operator’s statement form and submit it to the Tax Commission. Included in the statement is a report identifying the location of the company’s property by county and tax code area. For property tax purposes, each county in Idaho is divided into tax code areas that are determined by the boundaries of taxing districts. Rather than reporting individual property items by specific location, the companies generally report the location and length of their wire, pipe, or rail in a particular tax code area. For more information, see Idaho Code section 63‑404 and Idaho Code section 63‑411, and Property Tax Rules 404 and 411‑417.
More information
Assessments for operating property (also known as centrally assessed property) are developed by the Property Tax Division’s Operating Property Bureau. If you have questions, please contact that bureau or review these operating property forms, and guides.
Property Appraisers Forms
Property Appraisers Guides
Online Guide
The Property Appraisal unit includes education, forestry/timber, personal property, and centrally assessed property.
Centrally assessed property
Centrally Assessed Property is appraised by the Idaho State Tax Commission for tax purposes. It is appraised as a unit, which is a technique used to value a group of property items as one entity. Companies are required to file an operator statement by April 30 of each year. In addition, companies are also required to submit any changes in real estate ownership on Form R.
Locally assessed property
Consulting Appraisers are the primary contact between county elected officials and the State Tax Commission. Consulting appraisers serve eight regions throughout the state. The appraisers offer assistance to the county commissioners, assessor, clerk/auditor, and treasurer upon request. However, they spend most of their time in the field teaching, directly helping individual assessors, and monitoring assessment performance.
Education & certification
- Register for Property Tax education.
- We have information for obtaining and maintaining certification.
Personal Property Valuation
In Idaho, county assessor’s offices assess value on personal property in their county.
Personal property defined
Idaho law defines personal property as everything that’s the subject of ownership and that isn’t included within the term real property. Examples are tools, unattached store counters and display racks, desks, chairs, file cabinets, computers, office machines, and medical instruments. Buildings, structures, and fixtures are not personal property. To determine if an item is a fixture, a “three factor test” is applied to each item. If all three factors of the test apply to the item, it’s considered a fixture. Otherwise, the item is personal property.
For the definition of “fixtures” and an explanation of each factor, see Idaho Code section 63-201(9) and Property Tax Administrative Rule 35.01.03.205(03).
Important dates
- March 15: You must return your personal property declaration to the county assessor by March 15.
- First Monday in June: The county assessor usually mails an assessment notice to you by the first Monday in June.
- First Monday in November: If your personal property changes status from exempt to nonexempt during the year, you must report it by the first Monday in November.
- December 20 and June 20: The county treasurer mails most tax bills by the fourth Monday of November. If you pay the first half by December 20, the second half is due by June 20 unless the treasurer demands earlier payment. Contact the treasurer for information about installment payments and your bill. (For December assessments, you should receive the bill in January of the following year.)
Not reporting or not paying property tax
Closing or selling your business
It’s a misdemeanor to sell your personal property or remove it from the county without first paying the tax due. If you sell or close a business, you should notify the county assessor as soon as possible. The assessor will explain how your assessment will be handled.Tax-exempt personal property
- Any stand-alone item purchased after January 1, 2013, with a total acquisition and installation cost of $3,000 or less. Items must be reported as a unit and must include the total purchase price of all components if they don’t function independently.
- The first $250,000 of a taxpayer’s personal property not otherwise exempt in each county. Taxpayers using the property in a common enterprise or in related organizations with essentially the same management are eligible for only one $250,000 exemption per county. See Property Tax Administrative Rule 35.01.03.627 for an explanation of common enterprise.
- Personal effects, clothing, and household items (unless used in a business)
- Vehicles and vessels properly registered in the state of Idaho
- Livestock
- Business inventory
- Equipment used for nonprofit educational purposes
- Medical equipment owned or leased by qualifying hospitals
- Property owned by fraternal, benevolent, and religious organizations
- Facilities for water or air pollution control
- Agricultural machinery and equipment used exclusively in production of crops, livestock, or nursery stock
- Certain intangible personal property