Beware of County Assessor's Marijuana Questions

8/3/2019

The publisher of SoonerPolitics.org passed this note to several of us..

There was a mixup at a central Oklahoma county Assessor's office, according to one lawyer. The staffer was accepting a homestead exemption application from a resident. The County agent wanted to know if medical marijuana was going to be grown on the property. The applicant was told that the Oklahoma Tax Commission (OTC) required the info. After further research we found out it was likely more bad training.
I asked an old friend, Sandy Hodges who is the Wagoner County Assessor. The response was quick & clear;
"On every application since the beginning of the Homestead Exemption there is a question asking if any portion of the property is used for commercial. They should not be concerned about what commercial activity. "
So if you're wanting a residential homestead exemption, the question is not required.
If you remember, Wagoner is actively courting medical marijuana businesses in their county seat.
... But there's more...

Then my assessor friend elaborated on the new medical marijuana industry..

"The OTC Ag card application for sales tax exemption does require the applicant to name their business and/or crop and always has. Thank you for asking. What we are seeing from some of the Marijuana businesses is that they have no idea of required business reporting practices especially for Ad Valorem purposes.
Also the law was poorly written with no direction for implementing before the law came into effect."

So: If you're seeking an agricultural tax exemption for the production on your farm, you do need to state your crop production details, just like factories & wholesalers do.

Comments

Nigel O'Mally

Nigel heavily focuses on the medical research and drug policy topics at SoonerPolitics, from an international perspective & a background in homeopathic herbs and agrarian culture.

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