MEDINA, Ohio— Many Medina County agricultural landowners may be surprised when they open their 2014 tax bills.
Soil type determination
For those on Current Agricultural Use Values (CAUV) program, property values have increased several hundred percent over 2010 CAUV values, depending on soil type. Ohio has approximately 3,500 soil types.
Unlike fair market value appraisals, CAUV values are calculated by the State of Ohio Department of Taxation by a formula that is based on five factors. The CAUV soil rates allow land to be taxed based on its agricultural value, rather than fair market value, which is considerably higher.
No control
The county auditor has no control over the calculation performed by the state. The auditor’s role in this regard is simply to apply the results of the predetermined calculation from the Ohio Department of Taxation. The five factors the Ohio Department of Taxation uses in calculating CAUV land values are yield information, cropping patterns, crop prices, non-land production costs and the capitalization rate. CAUV rates are updated every three years and current rates were updated because of the state mandated 2013 sexennial reappraisal.
Significantly less values
Even with the significantly increased CAUV values, farmers are paying taxes on values significantly less than those not on the CAUV program. In 2012 the statewide average value for CAUV acreage was $994, compared to $3,044 per acre for agricultural acreage not in the CAUV program. Because the county auditor has no role in setting the CAUV values, there is no appeal available to land owners at the local level.
Questions
Additional information regarding CAUV values is available on the auditor’s website at www.medinacountyauditor.org.
For questions, call the auditor’s office at 330-725-9765 or visit at 144 N. Broadway St., Medina. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
