Business Personal Property


Filing your Personal Property Tax Return -  Click here to access the Business Personal Property Return.
Each individual, partnership, firm or corporation that has taxable personal property must file a return by March 15.  Major industrial properties appraised by the Department of Revenue will report on an industrial property return furnished by the department.  For all other accounts appraised by the county assessor, a return form may be mailed to you by the county assessor prior to January 1 if you were assessed the previous year.  You must report property you own or had in your possession as of January 1 at 1 a.m.  If you do not receive a form from the assessor, you are still obligated to obtain and file a personal property tax return.  There is a penalty for late filing.  If you need help completing the form, contact the Wasco County Assessor's Office.  If you sell your business, notify the county assessor to avoid future liability on the personal property.  Completed forms should be mailed to:  Wasco County Assessor's Office, 511 Washington Street, Suite 208, The Dalles, OR  97058.

Penalty for Late Filing
If you report taxable personal property on a Confidential Personal Property Return, the penalty charge increases periodically.  If your return is filed after March 15 but on or before June 1 a penalty of 5% of the tax will be charged.  If the return is filed after June 1 but on or before August 1, the penalty increases to 25% of the tax.  After August 1, the penalty increases to 50% of the tax.

Taxable Personal Property
All personal property is, by law, valued at 100 percent of its real market value unless exempt by statutes.  

Taxable personal property includes machinery, equipment, furniture, decor, etc., used previously or presently in a business (including any property not currently being used, placed in storage, or held for sale).

Examples of taxable personal property:

 Non-Inventory Supplies Office furniture & equipment
 Barber & Beauty furniture & equipment  Store furniture & equipment
 Garage & service station tools & equipment  Amusement devices & equipment
 Leased equipment  Floating property
 Medical equipment  Fixed load/mobile equipment
Movable machinery, tools, & equipment 
(such as logging & construction equipment, lift trucks &
equipment used in service industries).
 Libraries such as repair manuals, electronic
media, CD's, videos, tapes, sample books,
law books.
 ALL *Movable Assets used for the business that are 
not otherwise exempt.
 

Examples of Tax-Exempt Personal Property:

 Intangible personal property.  Money at interest, bonds, notes, shares of stock, business records, computer software, surveys & designs, and the material on which the data are recorded.  ORS 307.020

Inventories. Items of tangible personal property which are or will be sold in the ordinary course of business (materials, containers, goods in process, and finished goods).  ORS 307.400

 All items held exclusively for personal use.  Household goods, furniture, clothing, tools & equipment used exclusively for personal use in and around your home.  ORS 307.190

 Farm Machinery and equipment
ORS 307.394

 Farm animals.  Livestock, poultry, fur-bearing animals, and bees.  ORS 307.394

 *Affixed or erected upon "Real Property"

 Licensed vehicles other than fixed load/mobile equipment.  ORS 801.285

 


To help assist in answering your business personal property questions, please watch this video on the topic. Click here to access our video for personal property.
You can also review the attached power point presentation, courtesy of Yamhill County. If you have any questions after viewing the presentation, please call our office at 541-506-2510. To access the power point presentation, please click here.

*  Movable - Items of property which can be and are readily moved are personal property.  Freestanding appliances may be heavy but are generally classed as personal property.
*Affixed or Erected Upon - Items of machinery and equipment that are bolted to, screwed to, nailed to, or attached to the building or land in a permanent manner or are, by virtue of their weight, rendered immovable are considered real property.