Connecticut General Statutes 12-71 – Personal property subject to tax. Computer software not subject to tax. Determination of situs of motor vehicles and snowmobiles for tax purposes
(a)(1) For assessment years commencing prior to October 1, 2023, goods, chattels and effects or any interest therein, including any interest in a leasehold improvement classified as other than real property, belonging to any person who is a resident in this state, shall be listed for purposes of property tax in the town where such person resides, subject to the provisions of sections 12-41, 12-43 and 12-59. Any such property belonging to any nonresident shall be listed for purposes of property tax as provided in § 12-43. Motor vehicles and snowmobiles shall be listed for purposes of the property tax in accordance with subsection (f) of this section.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 12-71
- Assessor: means the person responsible for establishing property assessments for purposes of a town's grand list and includes a board of assessors. See Connecticut General Statutes 12-62
- company: means any person, partnership, association, company, limited liability company or corporation, except an incorporated municipality. See Connecticut General Statutes 12-1
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
- person: means any individual, partnership, company, limited liability company, public or private corporation, society, association, trustee, executor, administrator or other fiduciary or custodian. See Connecticut General Statutes 12-1
- Personal property: All property that is not real property.
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
- Real property: means all the property described in §. See Connecticut General Statutes 12-62
- Town: means any town, consolidated town and city or consolidated town and borough. See Connecticut General Statutes 12-62
(2) For assessment years commencing on or after October 1, 2023, goods, chattels and effects or any interest therein, including any interest in a leasehold improvement classified as other than real property, belonging to any person who is a resident in this state, shall be listed for purposes of property tax in the town where such person resides, subject to the provisions of sections 12-41, 12-43 and 12-59. Any such property belonging to any nonresident shall be listed for purposes of property tax as provided in § 12-43.
(b) Except as otherwise provided by the general statutes, property subject to this section shall be valued at the same percentage of its then actual valuation as the assessors have determined with respect to the listing of real estate for the same year, except that any antique, rare or special interest motor vehicle, as defined in § 14-1, shall be assessed at a value of not more than five hundred dollars. The owner of such antique, rare or special interest motor vehicle may be required by the assessors to provide reasonable documentation that such motor vehicle is an antique, rare or special interest motor vehicle, provided any motor vehicle for which special number plates have been issued pursuant to § 14-20 shall not be required to provide any such documentation. The provisions of this section shall not include money or property actually invested in merchandise or manufacturing carried on out of this state or machinery or equipment which would be eligible for exemption under subdivision (72) of § 12-81 once installed and which cannot begin or which has not begun manufacturing, processing or fabricating; or which is being used for research and development, including experimental or laboratory research and development, design or engineering directly related to manufacturing or being used for the significant servicing, overhauling or rebuilding of machinery and equipment for industrial use or the significant overhauling or rebuilding of other products on a factory basis or being used for measuring or testing or metal finishing or in the production of motion pictures, video and sound recordings.
(c) For assessment years commencing prior to October 1, 2023, upon payment of the property tax assessed with respect to any property referred to in this section, owned by a resident or nonresident of this state, which is currently used or intended for use in relation to construction, building, grading, paving or similar projects, including, but not limited to, motor vehicles, bulldozers, tractors and any trailer-type vehicle, excluding any such equipment weighing less than five hundred pounds, and excluding any motor vehicle subject to registration pursuant to chapter 246 or exempt from such registration by § 14-34, the town in which such equipment is taxed shall issue, at the time of such payment, for display on a conspicuous surface of each such item of equipment for which such tax has been paid, a validation decal or sticker, identifiable as to the year of issue, which will be presumptive evidence that such tax has been paid in the appropriate town of the state.
(d) (1) Personal property subject to taxation under this chapter shall not include computer software, except when the cost thereof is included, without being separately stated, in the cost of computer hardware. “Computer software” shall include any program or routine used to cause a computer to perform a specific task or set of tasks, including without limitation, operational and applicational programs and all documentation related thereto.
(2) The provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be applicable (A) to the assessment year commencing October 1, 1988, and each assessment year thereafter, and (B) to any assessment of computer software made after September 30, 1988, for any assessment year commencing before October 1, 1988.
(3) Nothing contained in this subsection shall create any implication related to liability for property tax with respect to computer software prior to July 1, 1989.
(4) A certificate of correction in accordance with § 12-57 shall not be issued with respect to any property described in subdivision (1) of this subsection for any assessment year commencing prior to October 1, 1989.
(e) For assessment years commencing on or after October 1, 1992, each municipality shall exempt aircraft, as defined in § 15-34, from the provisions of this chapter.
(f) (1) For assessment years commencing prior to October 1, 2023, property subject to taxation under this chapter shall include each registered and unregistered motor vehicle and snowmobile that, in the normal course of operation, most frequently leaves from and returns to or remains in a town in this state, and any other motor vehicle or snowmobile located in a town in this state, which motor vehicle or snowmobile is not used or is not capable of being used.
(2) (A) For assessment years commencing on or after October 1, 2023, each municipality shall list motor vehicles registered and classified in accordance with § 12-71d, and such motor vehicles shall be valued in the same manner as motor vehicles valued pursuant to § 12-63.
(B) For assessment years commencing on or after October 1, 2023, any unregistered motor vehicle or motor vehicle that is not used or capable of being used that is located in a municipality in this state, shall be listed and valued in the manner described in subparagraph (A) of this subdivision.
(3) (A) For assessment years commencing prior to October 1, 2023, any motor vehicle or snowmobile registered in this state subject to taxation in accordance with the provisions of this subsection shall be set in the list of the town where such vehicle in the normal course of operation most frequently leaves from and returns to or in which it remains. It shall be presumed that any such motor vehicle or snowmobile most frequently leaves from and returns to or remains in the town in which the owner of such vehicle resides, unless a provision of this subsection otherwise expressly provides. As used in this subparagraph, “the town in which the owner of such vehicle resides” means the town in this state where (i) the owner, if an individual, has established a legal residence consisting of a true, fixed and permanent home to which such individual intends to return after any absence, or (ii) the owner, if a company, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, firm or any other type of public or private organization, association or society, has an established site for conducting the purposes for which it was created. In the event such an entity resides in more than one town in this state, it shall be subject to taxation by each such town with respect to any registered or unregistered motor vehicle or snowmobile that most frequently leaves from and returns to or remains in such town.
(B) For assessment years commencing on or after October 1, 2023, any motor vehicle subject to taxation in this state in accordance with the provisions of this subsection shall be set in the list of the town where such vehicle in the normal course of operation most frequently leaves from and returns to or in which it remains. It shall be presumed that any such motor vehicle most frequently leaves from and returns to or remains in the town in which the owner of such vehicle resides, unless a provision of this subsection otherwise expressly provides. As used in this subparagraph, “the town in which the owner of such vehicle resides” means the town in this state where (i) the owner, if an individual, has established a legal residence consisting of a true, fixed and permanent home to which such individual intends to return after any absence, or (ii) the owner, if a company, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, firm or any other type of public or private organization, association or society, has an established site for conducting the purposes for which it was created. In the event such an entity resides in more than one town in this state, it shall be subject to taxation by each such town with respect to any registered or unregistered motor vehicle that most frequently leaves from and returns to or remains in such town.
(4) Any motor vehicle owned by a nonresident of this state shall be set in the list of the town where such vehicle in the normal course of operation most frequently leaves from and returns to or in which it remains. If such vehicle in the normal course of operation most frequently leaves from and returns to or remains in more than one town, it shall be set in the list of the town in which such vehicle is located for the three or more months preceding the assessment day in any year, except that, if such vehicle is located in more than one town for three or more months preceding the assessment day in any year, it shall be set in the list of the town where it is located for the three months or more in such year nearest to such assessment day. In the event a motor vehicle owned by a nonresident is not located in any town for three or more of the months preceding the assessment day in any year, such vehicle shall be set in the list of the town where such vehicle is located on such assessment day.
(5) (A) For assessment years commencing prior to October 1, 2023, notwithstanding any provision of subdivision (3) of this subsection: (i) Any registered motor vehicle that is assigned to an employee of the owner of such vehicle for the exclusive use of such employee and which, in the normal course of operation most frequently leaves from and returns to or remains in such employee’s town of residence, shall be set in the list of the town where such employee resides; (ii) any registered motor vehicle that is being operated, pursuant to a lease, by a person other than the owner of such vehicle, or such owner’s employee, shall be set in the list of the town where the person who is operating such vehicle pursuant to said lease resides; (iii) any registered motor vehicle designed or used for recreational purposes, including, but not limited to, a camp trailer, camper or motor home, shall be set in the list of the town such vehicle, in the normal course of its operation for camping, travel or recreational purposes in this state, most frequently leaves from and returns to or the town in which it remains. If such a vehicle is not used in this state in its normal course of operation for camping, travel or recreational purposes, such vehicle shall be set in the list of the town in this state in which the owner of such vehicle resides; and (iv) any registered motor vehicle that is used or intended for use for the purposes of construction, building, grading, paving or similar projects, or to facilitate any such project, shall be set in the list of the town in which such project is situated if such vehicle is located in said town for the three or more months preceding the assessment day in any year, provided if such vehicle is located in more than one town in this state for three or more months preceding the assessment day in any year, such vehicle shall be set in the list of the town where it is located for the three months or more in such year nearest to such assessment day, and if such vehicle is not located in any town for three or more of the months preceding the assessment day in any year, such vehicle shall be set in the list of the town where such vehicle is located on such assessment day.
(B) For assessment years commencing on or after October 1, 2023, notwithstanding any provision of subdivision (3) of this subsection: (i) Any motor vehicle that is assigned to an employee of the owner of such vehicle for the exclusive use of such employee and which, in the normal course of operation most frequently leaves from and returns to or remains in such employee’s town of residence, shall be set in the list of the town where such employee resides; (ii) any motor vehicle that is being operated, pursuant to a lease, by a person other than the owner of such vehicle, or such owner’s employee, shall be set in the list of the town where the person who is operating such vehicle pursuant to said lease resides; (iii) any motor vehicle designed or used for recreational purposes, including, but not limited to, a camper or motor home, shall be set in the list of the town such vehicle, in the normal course of its operation for camping, travel or recreational purposes in this state, most frequently leaves from and returns to or the town in which it remains. If such a vehicle is not used in this state in its normal course of operation for camping, travel or recreational purposes, such vehicle shall be set in the list of the town in this state in which the owner of such vehicle resides; and (iv) any motor vehicle that is used or intended for use for the purposes of construction, building, grading, paving or similar projects, or to facilitate any such project, shall be set in the list of the town in which such project is situated if such vehicle is located in said town for the three or more months preceding the assessment day in any year, provided if such vehicle is located in more than one town in this state for three or more months preceding the assessment day in any year, such vehicle shall be set in the list of the town where it is located for the three months or more in such year nearest to such assessment day, and if such vehicle is not located in any town for three or more of the months preceding the assessment day in any year, such vehicle shall be set in the list of the town where such vehicle is located on such assessment day.
(6) The owner of a motor vehicle subject to taxation in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (5) of this subsection in a town other than the town in which such owner resides may register such vehicle in the town in which such vehicle is subject to taxation.
(7) (A) For assessment years commencing prior to October 1, 2023, information concerning any vehicle subject to taxation in a town other than the town in which it is registered may be included on any declaration or report filed pursuant to § 12-41, 12-43 or 12-57a. If a motor vehicle or snowmobile is registered in a town in which it is not subject to taxation, pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (5) of this subsection, the assessor of the town in which such vehicle is subject to taxation shall notify the assessor of the town in which such vehicle is registered of the name and address of the owner of such motor vehicle or snowmobile, the vehicle identification number and the town in which such vehicle is subject to taxation. The assessor of the town in which said vehicle is registered and the assessor of the town in which said vehicle is subject to taxation shall cooperate in administering the provisions of this section concerning the listing of such vehicle for property tax purposes.
(B) For assessment years commencing on or after October 1, 2023, information concerning any vehicle subject to taxation in a town other than the town in which it is registered may be included on any declaration or report filed pursuant to § 12-41, 12-43 or 12-57a. If a motor vehicle is listed in a town in which it is not subject to taxation, pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (5) of this subsection, the assessor of the town in which such vehicle is listed shall notify the assessor of the town in which such vehicle is listed of the name and address of the owner of such motor vehicle, the vehicle identification number and the town in which such vehicle is taxed. The assessor of the town in which said vehicle is registered and the assessor of the town in which said vehicle is listed shall cooperate in administering the provisions of this section concerning the listing of such vehicle for property tax purposes.