Title 32, Title 32: Taxation and Finance

§ 3619. Time-share projects (a) As used in this section, a time-share project means a project involving real property containing time-share estates. A “time-share estate” is a right to occupy a unit or any of several units in a time-share project during separated time periods cou…

§ 3620. Electric utility poles, lines, and fixtures Electric utility poles, lines, and fixtures owned by nonmunicipal utilities shall be taxed at appraisal value as defined by section 3481 of this title, except as provided under subdivision 3802(19) of this title. (Added 1985, No…

§ 3621. Petroleum and natural gas infrastructure For purposes of the statewide education property tax in chapter 135 of this title, the Director shall determine the appraised value of all property and fixtures composing and underlying a petroleum or natural gas facility, petroleu…

§ 3651. General rule Taxable real estate shall be set in the list to the last owner or possessor thereof on April 1 in each year in the town, village, school, and fire district where it is situated.

§ 3652. Mortgagor deemed owner When real estate is mortgaged, the mortgagor shall be deemed the owner thereof for the purpose of taxation, until the mortgagee takes possession, after which the mortgagee shall be deemed the owner.

§ 3653. Unoccupied and owner unknown When the owner of unoccupied real estate is unknown to the listers, it shall be set in the list in the name of the original grantee or by such other description as in their judgment will best designate it. When a division of the original right…

§ 3654. Undivided estate of deceased person Undivided real estate of a deceased person shall be assessed to such person’s estate or to his or her executor or administrator, or to the possessor thereof, until notice is given to the listers of the sale or division of the same and t…

§ 3655. Facilities not within town limits For the purpose of taxation: (1) Wharves erected in Lake Champlain and not within the limits of a town shall be considered as being in the towns adjoining such wharves. (2) Utility lines, including submarine cables or pipelines, construct…

§ 3659. Municipal lands [Effective July 1, 2026; see also 32 V.S.A. § 3659 effective until July 1, 2026] Land and buildings of a municipal corporation, whether acquired by purchase or condemnation and situated outside its territorial limits shall be taxed by the municipality in w…

§ 3691. General rule Taxable tangible personal estate shall be set in the list to the last owner thereof on April 1 in each year, in the town, village, school, and fire district where such property is situated, with the exception that such personal estate situated within this Sta…

§ 3692. Taxation of boats, outboard motors, and trailer coaches (a) Except as otherwise provided, snowmobiles, trailer coaches as defined by 23 V.S.A. § 4 registered yearly for use on the highways and designed and used for recreational purposes except as provided by subsection (b…

§ 3701. Definitions As used in this subchapter: (1) “State-owned property” means (A) State-owned buildings, including buildings of the Vermont State Colleges that are tax-exempt under 16 V.S.A. § 2178; buildings of the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College used for…

§ 3702. Payment of grants authorized The Secretary of Administration shall determine annually the amount of payment due, as a State grant in lieu of property taxes, to each municipality in the State in which is located any State-owned property, in accordance with the provisions o…

§ 3703. Grant formula (a) The amount of a grant to a municipality authorized by this subchapter shall be based on the total assessed value of any State-owned property located in the municipality, multiplied by the common level of appraisal for the municipality as determined by th…

§ 3704. Determination of assessed values; appeal (a) Prior to August 1, 1997, and to May 1 of each taxable year thereafter, the Secretary of Administration shall provide assessed values of State buildings and lands, as defined under this subchapter, to every municipality to which…

§ 3705. Adjusted municipal grand list and adjusted municipal tax rate (a) Prior to October 1 in each taxable year, the Division of Property Valuation and Review shall provide the Secretary of Administration with the following: (1) the adjusted municipal grand list for the prior a…

§ 3706. Payment to municipalities Grants under this subchapter shall be made annually by the Secretary of Administration to each eligible municipality on or before December 1, 1997, and on or before October 31 in years thereafter. Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed or …

§ 3707. Rules The Secretary of Administration may adopt rules under 3 V.S.A. chapter 25 to carry out the provisions of this subchapter. (Added 1997, No. 60, § 53.)

§ 3708. Payments in lieu of taxes for lands held by the Agency of Natural Resources (a) As used in this subchapter: (1) “ANR land” means lands held by the Agency of Natural Resources. (2) “Fair market value” shall be based upon the value of the land at its highest and best use de…

§ 3709. PILOT Special Fund (a) There is hereby established a PILOT Special Fund consisting of local option tax revenues paid to the State Treasurer pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 138. This Fund shall be managed by the Commissioner of Taxes pursuant to chapter 7, subchapter 5 of this tit…

§ 3710. Municipal Grand List Stabilization Program (a) There is established the Municipal Grand List Stabilization Program within the Department of Taxes to reimburse municipalities for municipal property taxes assessed under chapter 133 of this title for flood-prone properties a…

§ 3750. Statutory purposes The statutory purpose of the Vermont Use Value Appraisal Program in chapter 124 of this title is to preserve the working landscape, preserve the rural character of Vermont, and protect the natural ecological systems and natural resources of the forestla…

§ 3751. Statement of purpose The purpose of this subchapter is to encourage and assist the maintenance of Vermont’s productive agricultural land and forestland; to encourage and assist in their conservation and preservation for future productive use and for the protection of natu…

§ 3752. Definitions As used in this subchapter: (1) “Agricultural land” means any land, exclusive of any housesite, in active use to grow hay or cultivated crops, pasture livestock, cultivate trees bearing edible fruit, or produce an annual maple product, and that is 25 acres or …

§ 3753. Current Use Advisory Board; members; Chair (a) There is hereby established a Current Use Advisory Board. (b) The membership of the Board shall consist of: (1) The following persons or their designees: (A) Commissioner of Taxes; (B) Director of the Division of Property Val…

§ 3754. Powers and duties of Board (a) The Board shall meet at least annually, prior to February 1, to review all past current use land values for agricultural land and managed forestland recommended by past boards, to review the criteria for lands previously established, and to …

§ 3755. Eligibility for use value appraisals (a) Except as modified by subsection (b) of this section, any agricultural land, managed forestland, and farm buildings that meet the criteria contained in this subchapter and in the rules adopted by the Board shall be eligible for use…

§ 3756. Qualification for use value appraisal (a) The owner of eligible agricultural land, farm buildings, or managed forestland shall be entitled to have eligible property appraised at its use value, provided the owner shall have applied to the Director on or before September 1 …

§ 3757. Land use change tax (a) Land that has been classified as agricultural land or managed forestland pursuant to this chapter shall be subject to a land use change tax upon the development of that land, as defined in section 3752 of this chapter. The tax shall be at the rate …

§ 3758. Appeals (a) Whenever the Director denies in whole or in part any application for classification as agricultural land or managed forestland or farm buildings, or grants a different classification than that applied for, or the Director or assessing officials fix a use value…

§ 3760. Payment to municipalities (a)(1) Annually, the State shall pay to each municipality the amount necessary to limit its tax rate increase in the prior year due to the loss of municipal property tax revenue for that year based on use value of enrolled property as compared to…

§ 3760a. Valuation audits (a) Annually, the Director shall conduct an audit of three towns with enrolled land to ensure that parcels with a use value appraisal are appraised by the local assessing officials consistent with the appraisals for nonenrolled parcels. (b) In determinin…

§ 3761. Notice to property taxpayers Each year prior to June 1, the Director shall prepare a notice of the Current Use Value Appraisal Program established by this subchapter describing its pertinent provisions, the manner in which taxpayers may apply to participate, and the dates…

§ 3763. Public records Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in 1 V.S.A. § 317, section 3102 of this title, or any other provision of law, the names and addresses of taxpayers, the description of eligible property, the current use valuation of such property participating …

§ 3776. Fee hunting prohibition (a) As of September 1, 1997, no person may charge or receive a fee, consideration or other thing of value in exchange for the right to hunt or fish on land enrolled in a Use Value Appraisal Program under this chapter. (b) Upon a finding by the Secr…

§ 3800. Statutory purposes (a) The statutory purpose of the exemption for congressionally chartered organizations in subdivision 3802(2) of this title is to support certain organizations with a patriotic, charitable, historical, or educational purpose. (b) The statutory purpose o…

§ 3802. Property tax The following property shall be exempt from taxation: (1) Real and personal estate owned by this State, except as otherwise provided; real and personal estate owned by the United States; U.S. securities that are specially exempt from taxation by the laws of t…

§ 3802a. Requirement to provide insurance information Before April 1 of each year, owners of property exempt from taxation under subdivisions 3802(4), (6), (9), (12), and (15) and under subdivisions 5401(10)(D), (F), (G), and (J) of this title shall provide their local assessing …

§ 3803. Exemptions from local taxation Except as otherwise provided, the following property shall not be set in the grand list to the owner thereof: (1) real and personal estate used in operating a railroad, and appraised under sections 8281–8286 and 8321–8322 of this title, incl…

§ 3831. College, university, or fraternity property (a) Any real property acquired after April 1, 1941, by any college, university, or fraternity such as would be exempt from taxation under the provisions of section 3802 of this title shall be set to such institution in the grand…

§ 3832. Public, pious, and charitable uses The exemption from taxation of real and personal estate granted, sequestered, or used for public, pious, or charitable uses shall not be construed as exempting: (1) real and personal property held in trust for a municipal corporation by …

§ 3834. Factories; quarries; mines If the amount invested exceeds $1,000.00, manufacturing establishments, quarries, mines, and such machinery, tramways, appliances, and buildings as are necessary for use in the business, machinery placed in an unoccupied building to be used in s…

§ 3835. Reporting exemption Within 10 days after the adjournment of any town meeting at which an exemption is granted under the provisions of section 3834 of this title, the town clerk shall report to the director, upon forms to be furnished by him or her, the date upon which suc…

§ 3836. Homes and dwellings Annually at town meeting, a town may vote to exempt from taxes the first $75,000.00 or a smaller amount of the appraised value of buildings used and occupied exclusively as homes, dwelling houses, or farm buildings whether for sale or rent, provided su…

§ 3837. Airports At an annual or special meeting, a town may vote to exempt, for a period not exceeding five years at a time, real and personal estate used and occupied for or in connection with airport purposes.

§ 3838. Hotels At an annual or special meeting, a town may vote to exempt, for a period not exceeding five years at a time, real and personal estate used and occupied for hotel purposes. When a majority of those voting on the question of such exemption at an annual meeting vote i…