Business and personal property comprise any property other than real estate, including airplanes and boats, as well as property held for business purposes, such as supplies, furniture, machinery and equipment.
This department is responsible for locating, valuing and enrolling all taxable business personal property including property (owned and leased) such as computers, supplies, furniture, machinery and equipment as well as mobile homes, airplanes and boats. The department is required to audit a significant number of businesses once every 4 years.
The division also manages any assessment appeal involving personal property. The Mission of the Business Division of the Assessor's Office is to efficiently produce a complete, accurate, and timely personal property and business improvement assessment roll in compliance with legal mandates, and provide services in a professional, timely, and helpful manner.
Personal property is any property other than real estate including airplanes, boats and property held for business purposes such as supplies, furniture, machinery and equipment, fixtures and improvements.
The Business Property Division of the Assessor’s Office determines the value of personal property as it exists at 12:01 A.M. on January 1 (tax lien date) of each year.
Please be aware that every California county has their own set of forms. If your property is located in another county, please contact that county's Assessor's Office.
Business Property Statement is an official request that all assessable business property located in Tulare County that is owned, claimed, possessed, controlled or managed on January 1 at 12:01 a.m. (known as lien date) be reported to the Assessor.
If the equipment was sold prior to the January 1 lien date, then you would report this on the form and attach copies of any supporting documentation.
Business Property Statements gather the most up-to-date information on business property so that an accurate assessment can be determined. Anyone receiving a statement is required to file, as are all owners of taxable personal property with a value greater than $100,000.
An annual filing of a Business Property Statement is a requirement of section 441(d) of the California Revenue and Taxation Code
Click here for a blank Statement
You may request a blank statement by calling (559) 636-5159 or sending an email to AssessorBPP@TulareCounty.CA.Gov.
If you are filing for the first time, please write “first-time file” at the top of your statement so we know a new assessment needs to be created.
Yes, the filing laws that apply to businesses also apply to non-profit organizations. Non-profit organizations may qualify for exemptions. Exemption forms can be requested from the Assessor’s exemption department by calling (559) 636-5100.
If a statement is not returned, an estimated assessment will be made using the best information available.
A 10% penalty will be added to the assessment for failure to file as mandated by California Revenue and Taxation Code section 463
Yes. All true leases, capitalized leases and lease-to-purchase assets that have not been paid off by the January 1 lien date should be reported on the property statement. They are to be reported in Part III of the property statement which can be found on the front page.
The Assessor needs to know when the business closed and what happened to the equipment in order to close the assessment. Please attach to the statement copies of any documentation showing the date of disposal for assets disposed of prior to January 1.
Examples of acceptable documents include:
Purchase agreements signed by both parties
Depreciation schedules showing assets as disposed
Lease termination agreements, etc.
Business property not in use but owned by the taxpayer on January 1 at 12:01 a.m. is still assessable and should be reported on the statement unless relocated to a different county.
Yes. USPS postmark dates are honored as if the statement were received by the Assessor as of the date of the postmark. This does not apply to private postage that is pre-stamped by the taxpayer.
If you have any questions, please call (559) 636-5159 or send by email to AssessorBPP@TulareCounty.CA.Gov
