(A) Except as otherwise provided by law, the following constitutes the taxable property of a public utility, interexchange telecommunications company, or public utility property lessor that shall be assessed by the tax commissioner:

Terms Used In Ohio Code 5727.06

  • Interexchange telecommunications company: means a person that is engaged in the business of transmitting telephonic messages to, from, through, or in this state, but that is not a telephone company. See Ohio Code 5727.01
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Property: means real and personal property. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Public utility: means each person referred to as a telephone company, telegraph company, electric company, natural gas company, pipe-line company, water-works company, water transportation company, heating company, rural electric company, railroad company, combined company, or energy company. See Ohio Code 5727.01
  • Public utility property lessor: means any person, other than a public utility or an interexchange telecommunications company, that leases personal property, other than in a sale and leaseback transaction, to a public utility, other than a railroad, water transportation, telephone, or telegraph company if the property would be taxable property if owned by the public utility. See Ohio Code 5727.01
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • Sale and leaseback transaction: means a transaction in which a public utility or interexchange telecommunications company sells any tangible personal property to a person other than a public utility or interexchange telecommunications company and leases that property back from the buyer. See Ohio Code 5727.01
  • state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Tax year: means the year for which property or gross receipts are subject to assessment under this chapter. See Ohio Code 5727.01
  • taxable property: includes patterns, jigs, dies, and drawings of an electric company or a combined company for use in the activity of an electric company. See Ohio Code 5727.01

(1) For tax years before tax year 2006:

(a) In the case of a railroad company, all real property and tangible personal property owned or operated by the railroad company in this state on the thirty-first day of December of the preceding year;

(b) In the case of a water transportation company, all tangible personal property, except watercraft, owned or operated by the water transportation company in this state on the thirty-first day of December of the preceding year and all watercraft owned or operated by the water transportation company in this state during the preceding calendar year;

(c) In the case of all other public utilities and interexchange telecommunications companies, all tangible personal property that on the thirty-first day of December of the preceding year was both located in this state and:

(i) Owned by the public utility or interexchange telecommunications company; or

(ii) Leased by the public utility or interexchange telecommunications company under a sale and leaseback transaction.

(2) For tax years 2006, 2007, and 2008:

(a) In the case of a railroad company, all real property used in railroad operations and tangible personal property owned or operated by the railroad company in this state on the thirty-first day of December of the preceding year;

(b) In the case of a water transportation company, all tangible personal property, except watercraft, owned or operated by the water transportation company in this state on the thirty-first day of December of the preceding year and all watercraft owned or operated by the water transportation company in this state during the preceding calendar year;

(c) In the case of all other public utilities except telephone and telegraph companies, all tangible personal property that on the thirty-first day of December of the preceding year was both located in this state and either owned by the public utility or leased by the public utility under a sale and leaseback transaction.

(3) For tax year 2009 and each tax year thereafter:

(a) In the case of a railroad company, all real property used in railroad operations and tangible personal property owned or operated by the railroad company in this state on the thirty-first day of December of the preceding year;

(b) In the case of a water transportation company, all tangible personal property, except watercraft, owned or operated by the water transportation company in this state on the thirty-first day of December of the preceding year and all watercraft owned or operated by the water transportation company in this state during the preceding calendar year;

(c) In the case of all other public utilities except telephone and telegraph companies, all tangible personal property that on the thirty-first day of December of the preceding year was both located in this state and either owned by the public utility or leased by the public utility under a sale and leaseback transaction, and that is not exempted from taxation under section 5727.75 of the Revised Code;

(d) In the case of a public utility property lessor, all personal property that on the thirty-first day of December of the preceding year was both located in this state and leased, in other than a sale and leaseback transaction, to a public utility other than a railroad, telephone, telegraph, or water transportation company. The assessment rate used under section 5727.111 of the Revised Code shall be based on the assessment rate that would apply if the public utility owned the property, and that is not exempted from taxation under section 5727.75 of the Revised Code.

(4) For tax years 2005 and 2006, in the case of telephone, telegraph, or interexchange telecommunications companies, all tangible personal property that on the thirty-first day of December of the preceding year was both located in this state and either owned by the telephone, telegraph, or interexchange telecommunications company or leased by the telephone, telegraph, or interexchange telecommunications company under a sale and leaseback transaction.

(5)(a) For tax year 2007 and thereafter, in the case of telephone, telegraph, or interexchange telecommunications companies, all tangible personal property shall be listed and assessed for taxation under Chapter 5711 of the Revised Code, but the tangible personal property shall be valued in accordance with this chapter using the composite annual allowances and other valuation procedures prescribed under section 5727.11 of the Revised Code by the tax commissioner for such property for tax year 2006, notwithstanding any section of Chapter 5711. of the Revised Code to the contrary.

(b) A telephone, telegraph, or interexchange telecommunications company subject to division (A)(5)(a) of this section shall file a combined return with the tax commissioner in accordance with section 5711.13 of the Revised Code even if the company has tangible personal property in only one county. Such a company also is subject to the issuance of a preliminary assessment certificate by the tax commissioner under section 5711.25 of the Revised Code. Such a company is not required to file a county supplemental return under section 5711.131 of the Revised Code.

(6) In the case of an energy company, for tax year 2011 and each tax year thereafter, all tangible personal property that on the thirty-first day of December of the preceding year was both located in this state and either owned by the company or leased by the company under a sale and leaseback transaction, and that is not exempted from taxation under section 5727.75 of the Revised Code.

(B) This division applies to tax years before tax year 2007.

In the case of an interexchange telecommunications company, all taxable property shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter and shall be valued by the commissioner in accordance with division (A) of section 5727.11 of the Revised Code. A person described by this division shall file the report required by section 5727.08 of the Revised Code. Persons described in this division shall not be considered taxpayers, as defined in division (B) of section 5711.01 of the Revised Code, and shall not be required to file a return and list their taxable property under any provision of Chapter 5711 of the Revised Code.

(C) The lien of the state for taxes levied each year on the real and personal property of public utilities and interexchange telecommunications companies and on the personal property of public utility property lessors shall attach thereto on the thirty-first day of December of the preceding year.

(D) Property that is required by division (A)(3)(b) of this section to be assessed by the tax commissioner under this chapter shall not be listed by the owner of the property under Chapter 5711. of the Revised Code.

(E) The ten-thousand-dollar exemption provided for in division (C)(3) of section 5709.01 of the Revised Code does not apply to any personal property that is valued under this chapter.

(F) The tax commissioner may adopt rules governing the listing of the taxable property of public utilities and interexchange telecommunications companies and the determination of true value.