1. The family farm tax credit fund shall be apportioned each year in the manner provided in this chapter so as to give a credit against the tax on each eligible tract of agricultural land within the several school districts of the state in which the levy for the general school fund exceeds five dollars and forty cents per thousand dollars of assessed value. The amount of the credit on each eligible tract of agricultural land shall be the amount the tax levied for the general school fund exceeds the amount of tax which would be levied on each eligible tract of agricultural land were the levy for the general school fund five dollars and forty cents per thousand dollars of assessed value for the previous year. However, in the case of a deficiency in the family farm tax credit fund to pay the credits in full, the credit on each eligible tract of agricultural land in the state shall be proportionate and applied as provided in this chapter.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 425A.3

  • Actively engaged in farming: means the designated person is personally involved in the production of crops and livestock on the eligible tract on a regular, continuous, and substantial basis. See Iowa Code 425A.2
  • Agricultural land: means land in tracts of ten acres or more excluding any buildings or other structures located on the land, and not laid off into lots of less than ten acres or divided by streets and alleys into parcels of less than ten acres, lying within a school corporation and in good faith used for agricultural or horticultural purposes. See Iowa Code 425A.2
  • Designated person: means one of the following:
  • eligible tract of agricultural land: means an area of agricultural land which meets all of the following:
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Owner: means any of the following:
  • Person: means any individual, firm, association, partnership, joint stock company, joint adventure, corporation, trustee, agency, or receiver, or any legal representative of any of the foregoing. See Iowa Code 453A.42
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • year: means twelve consecutive months. See Iowa Code 4.1
 2. An eligible tract of agricultural land qualifies for the credit computed under subsection 1 if the tract is owned by an owner as defined in section 425A.2 and a designated person is actively engaged in farming during the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year in which the auditor computes the amount of the credit under section 425A.5 for which the tract would be eligible. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the “actively engaged in farming” requirement is satisfied if the designated person is in general control of the tract under a federal program pertaining to agricultural land.
 3. The county board of supervisors shall determine the eligibility of each tract for which an application is received.