Had me going Joe. I was thinking " Aren't the profits from the crops taxes somehow?" Lol
Every dollar we make is taxed 8-10x by the time we get it. Shit. We're even taxed to spend it. Just for the sake of debate though. Concept still applies. A 200k crop should count as an improvement for the period of the year it exists. If you build a barn on your property you're going to owe property taxes on that improvement, even if you tear it down 4 months later and sell it, you'll still owe a taxable value for the period it was there.
If I plant 400 Christmas trees valued at 50 bucks each am I going to value and sell my property based on the barren land value? No. Timber prices increase the value of the property. Corn and beans should be no different and based on the value of the yield that year.
I'll bite.
I feel like farmers receive more than their fair share of tax benefits. But. . . The crops are temporary and are taxed when sold. If I put up a temporary shed or hoop house which could be moved off the property in a day or two, should I pay higher property taxes? Crops are not permanent improvements anymore than a hoop house. I could take down a hoop house quicker than I could put one up. Would I need to pay higher property taxes for it or should I have to pay taxes on the plants grown inside it?
Jack land and perminate buildings are considered real property. Crops, equipment, supplies, inventory, and movable (i.e. Hoop houses) buildings are personal property. Utility equipment such as poles and wires are also considered personal property.
I don't believe Ohio taxes any personal property any more, Taft did away with those and replaced them with the commercial activities tax.
Timber lowers the value of land by about 20%, at least it does for agricultural land.
http://www.tax.ohio.gov/Portals/0/personal_property/Copy of 2014 Table for ODT Web.xlsx
So Joe by your method how would a landowner who rents his farm set the rent if the taxes he'd pays were based on the value of the crops grown?
Yeah but what about the farmer that grows specialty crops. 1 year the farmer might grow a high value crop that grosses $10-20k and the next several years grow crops that gross $300-600 per acre. By changing tax valuation every year there could be huge swings in taxable value. This would be a bureaucratic nightmare, because when when values change everyone's taxes are recalculated. In Ohio if a school levy is supposed to raise a million dollars everyones taxes are adjusted so it never collects more or less than that million.
Also by your method residential taxes would be based on the number of occupants. 2 people in the house you pay X, have a baby you pay X x 1.5, twins X x 2. Then commercial property would be taxed based gross sales. Sell high value products like jewelry, new cars or high value services like Dr or lawyer you'd pay a much higher value. Sell second hand clothes or run a daycare you pay less.