Colorado Code § 39-1-104

Valuation for assessment - definitions
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(1) (a) For property tax years
commencing before January 1, 2025, the valuation for assessment of all taxable property in the
state is twenty-nine percent of the actual value thereof as determined by the assessor and the
administrator in the manner prescribed by law, and that percentage shall be uniformly applied,
without exception, to the actual value, so determined, of the real and personal property located
within the territorial limits of the authority levying a property tax, and all property taxes shall be
levied against the aggregate valuation for assessment resulting from the application of that
percentage.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (1)(a) of this section, for the property tax years
commencing on January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024, the valuation for assessment of
nonresidential property that is classified as lodging property is temporarily reduced to twenty-
seven and nine-tenths percent of an amount equal to the actual value minus the lesser of thirty
thousand dollars or the amount that reduces the valuation for assessment to one thousand dollars.
(c) This subsection (1) only applies to nonresidential property that is classified as
lodging property.
(1.5) Repealed.
(1.6) (a) Hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and personal property located at a hotel,
motel, or bed and breakfast are classified as lodging property, which is a subclass of
nonresidential property for purposes of the valuation for assessment. Classification as a lodging
property does not affect a partial allocation as residential real property if a lodging property is a
mixed-use property.
(b) Real and personal property valued under section 39-4-102 (1)(e) or (1.5) or section
39-5-104.7 is classified as renewable energy production property, which is a subclass of
nonresidential property for purposes of the valuation for assessment.
(c) Real and personal agricultural property is a subclass of nonresidential property for
purposes of the valuation for assessment.
(1.8) (a) For property tax years commencing before January 1, 2025, the valuation for
assessment of real and personal property that is classified as agricultural property or renewable
energy production property is twenty-nine percent of the actual value thereof; except that, for
property tax years commencing on January 1, 2022, January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024, the
valuation for assessment of this property is temporarily reduced to twenty-six and four-tenths
percent of the actual value thereof.
(b) For property tax years commencing before January 1, 2025, the valuation for
assessment of all nonresidential property that is not specified in subsection (1) or (1.8)(a) of this
section is twenty-nine percent of the actual value thereof; except that, for the property tax years
commencing on January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024, the valuation for assessment of this
property is temporarily reduced to:
(I) For all of the property listed by the assessor under any improved commercial subclass
codes, twenty-seven and nine-tenths percent of an amount equal to the actual value minus the
lesser of thirty thousand dollars or the amount that reduces the valuation for assessment to one
thousand dollars; and
(II) Twenty-seven and nine-tenths percent of the actual value of all other nonresidential
property that is not specified in subsections (1), (1.8)(a), and (1.8)(b)(I) of this section.
(b.5) Repealed.
(c) The actual value of real and personal property specified in subsection (1.8)(a) or
(1.8)(b) of this section is determined by the assessor and the administrator in the manner
prescribed by law, and a valuation for assessment percentage is uniformly applied, without
exception, to the actual value, so determined, of the various classes and subclasses of real and
personal property located within the territorial limits of the authority levying a property tax, and
all property taxes are levied against the aggregate valuation for assessment resulting from the
application of the percentage.
(d) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires, "nonresidential
property" means all taxable real and personal property in the state other than residential real
property, producing mines, or lands or leaseholds producing oil or gas. Nonresidential property
includes the subclasses of agricultural property, lodging property, and renewable energy
production property for purposes of the ratio of valuation for assessment.
(1.9) (a) For the property tax year commencing on January 1, 2025, the valuation for
assessment for personal property and nonresidential real property is twenty-seven percent of the
actual value thereof.
(b) For the property tax year commencing on January 1, 2026, the valuation for
assessment for personal property and nonresidential real property is twenty-six percent of the
actual value thereof; except that, for all property listed by the assessor under any improved
commercial subclass codes and all real or personal property that is classified as agricultural
property, the valuation for assessment is twenty-five percent of the actual value thereof.
(c) For property tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2027, the valuation for
assessment for personal property and nonresidential real property is twenty-five percent of the
actual value thereof.
(d) The actual value of real and personal property specified in this subsection (1.9) is
determined by the assessor and the administrator in the manner prescribed by law, and a
valuation for assessment percentage is uniformly applied, without exception, to the actual value,
so determined, of the various classes and subclasses of real and personal property located within
the territorial limits of the authority levying a property tax, and all property taxes are levied
against the aggregate valuation for assessment resulting from the application of the percentage.
(2) Repealed.
(3) "Valuation for assessment", as used in this section and in articles 1 to 13 of this title,
means the same as the term "assessed valuation" as that term may appear in the laws of this state.
(4) Except as provided in section 39-7-109, nonproducing severed mineral interests are
to be valued at twenty-nine percent of actual value in the same manner as other real property
specified in subsection (1.8)(b) of this section. Such valuation shall be determined by the
assessing officer only upon preponderant evidence shown by such officer that the cost approach,
market approach, and income approach result in uniform and just and equal valuation.
(5) to (10.1) Repealed.
(10.2) (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (12) of this section, beginning with
the property tax year which commences January 1, 1989, a reassessment cycle shall be instituted
with each cycle consisting of two full calendar years. At the beginning of each reassessment
cycle, the level of value to be used during the reassessment cycle in the determination of actual
value of real property in any county of the state as reflected in the abstract of assessment for
each year in the reassessment cycle shall advance by two years over what was used in the
previous reassessment cycle; except that the level of value to be used for the years 1989 and
1990 shall be the level of value for the period of one and one-half years immediately prior to
July 1, 1988; except that, if comparable valuation data is not available from such one-and-one-
half-year period to adequately determine the level of value for a class of property, the period of
five years immediately prior to July 1, 1988, shall be utilized to determine the level of value.
Said level of value shall be adjusted to the final day of the data gathering period.
(b) During the two years of each reassessment cycle, in preparation for implementation
in the succeeding reassessment cycle, the respective assessors shall conduct revaluations of all
taxable real property utilizing the level of value for the period which will be used to determine
actual value in such succeeding reassessment cycle and the manuals and associated data
published for the period which will be used to determine actual value in such succeeding
reassessment cycle.
(c) Repealed.
(d) For the purposes of this article and article 9 of this title, "level of value" means the
actual value of taxable real property as ascertained by the applicable factors enumerated in
section 39-1-103 (5) for the one-and-one-half-year period immediately prior to July 1
immediately preceding the assessment date for which the administrator is required by this article
to publish manuals and associated data. Beginning with the property tax year commencing
January 1, 1999, if comparable valuation data is not available from such one-and-one-half-year
period to adequately determine such actual value for a class of property, "level of value" means
the actual value of taxable real property as ascertained by said applicable factors for such one-
and-one-half-year period, the six-month period immediately preceding such one-and-one-half-
year period, and as many preceding six-month periods within the five-year period immediately
prior to July 1 immediately preceding the assessment date as are necessary to obtain adequate
comparable valuation data. Said level of value shall be adjusted to the final day of the data-
gathering period.
(e) Repealed.
(10.3) Repealed.
(11) (a) (I) It is the intent of the general assembly, as manifested in subsection (10.2) of
this section, that, when a change occurs in reassessment cycles as prescribed in said subsection,
new manuals and associated data will be published by the administrator, pursuant to section 39-
2-109 (1)(e), and that said manuals and associated data and the level of value for the year that
said manuals and associated data are published shall be utilized by assessors in the manner
described in subsection (10.2) of this section for determining the actual value of real property in
each county of the state.
(II) The general assembly hereby further finds and declares that it is the intent of
paragraph (b) of this subsection (11) to comply with the provisions of section 3 of article X of
the state constitution, including the provision which requires the enactment of "general laws,
which shall prescribe such methods and regulations as shall secure just and equalized valuations
for assessments of all real and personal property"; to reduce the confusion of the owners of
taxable property within the state concerning assessment procedures and valuations of such
property; to achieve valuations for assessment which represent the current value of such property
to the extent which is equitably and practically possible; and to minimize the costs associated
with achieving such current valuations for assessment.
(b) (I) The provisions of subsection (10.2) of this section are not intended to prevent the
assessor from taking into account, in determining actual value for the years which intervene
between changes in the level of value, any unusual conditions in or related to any real property
which would result in an increase or decrease in actual value. If any real property has not been
assessed at its correct level of value, the assessor shall revalue such property for the intervening
year so that the actual value of such property will be its correct level of value; however, the
assessor shall not revalue such property above or below its correct level of value except as
necessary to reflect the increase or decrease in actual value attributable to an unusual condition.
For the purposes of this paragraph (b) and except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (b), an
unusual condition which could result in an increase or decrease in actual value is limited to the
installation of an on-site improvement, the ending of the economic life of an improvement with
only salvage value remaining, the addition to or remodeling of a structure, a change of use of the
land, the creation of a condominium ownership of real property as recognized in the
"Condominium Ownership Act", article 33 of title 38, C.R.S., any new regulations restricting or
increasing the use of the land, or a combination thereof, the installation and operation of surface
equipment relating to oil and gas wells on agricultural land, any detrimental acts of nature, and
any damage due to accident, vandalism, fire, or explosion. When taking into account such
unusual conditions which would increase or decrease the actual value of a property, the assessor
must relate such changes to the level of value as if the conditions had existed at that time.
(II) The creation of a condominium ownership of real property by the conversion of an
existing structure shall be taken into account as an unusual condition as provided for in
subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (b) by the assessor, when at least fifty-one percent of the
condominium units, as defined in section 38-33-103 (1), C.R.S., in a multiunit property subject
to condominium ownership have been sold and conveyed to bona fide purchasers and deeds have
been recorded therefor.
(c) Repealed.
(12) (a) For the property tax years commencing on or after January 1, 1987, producing
mines shall be valued for assessment solely pursuant to article 6 of this title.
(b) For the property tax years commencing on or after January 1, 1987, oil and gas
leaseholds and lands shall be valued for assessment solely pursuant to section 39-7-102.
(c) Repealed.
(12.1) Repealed.
(12.2) (a) Except as provided in subsection (12) of this section, for property tax years
commencing on or after January 1, 1987, the requirement stated in subsections (10.2) and (11) of
this section that the actual value of real property be determined according to a specified year's
level of value and manuals and associated data published by the administrator for said specified
year pursuant to section 39-2-109 (1)(e) shall apply to the assessment of all classes of real
property, including but not limited to the following classes of real property:
(I) (Deleted by amendment, L. 87, p. 1390, § 2, effective April 1, 1987.)
(II) (Deleted by amendment, L. 87, p. 1392, § 2, effective April 1, 1987.)
(III) Operating property and plants of public utilities; and
(IV) Agricultural land.
(V) (Deleted by amendment, L. 87, p. 1385, § 1, effective June 20, 1987.)
(b) This subsection (12.2) shall take effect January 1, 1987.
(12.3) (a) (I) The actual value of personal property is determined by appropriate
consideration of such of the three approaches specified in section 39-1-103 (5)(a) as are
applicable to the appraisal of such property and is based on the property's value in use. Subject to
review and approval pursuant to section 39-2-109 (1)(e), the administrator shall prepare and
publish appraisal procedures and instructions for the annual appraisal of such property that
include a definition of "value in use" and a factor or factors to adjust the actual value for the
current year of assessment to the level of value applicable to real property.
(II) In determining actual value, depreciation attributable to age shall not exceed that for
the actual age of the property on the assessment date. Physical, functional, and economic
obsolescence shall be considered in determining actual value.
(b) Repealed.
(12.4) For property tax years commencing on and after January 1, 1987, the requirement
stated in subsections (10.2) to (11) of this section that the actual value of real property be
determined according to a specified year's level of value and manuals and associated data
published by the administrator for said specified year pursuant to section 39-2-109 (1)(e) shall
not apply to the assessment of producing coal mines and other lands producing nonmetallic
minerals.
(13) to (15) Repealed.
(16) (a) During each property tax year, the director of research of the legislative council
shall contract with a private person for a valuation for assessment study to be conducted as set
forth in this subsection (16). The study shall be conducted in all counties of the state to
determine whether or not the assessor of each county has, in fact, used all manuals, formulas,
and other directives required by law to arrive at the valuation for assessment of each and every
class of real and personal property in the county. The person conducting the study shall sample
each class of property in a statistically valid manner, and the aggregate of such sampling shall
equal at least one percent of all properties in each county of the state. The sampling shall show
that the various areas, ages of buildings, economic conditions, and uses of properties have been
sampled. Such study shall be completed, and a final report of the findings and conclusions
thereof shall be submitted to the state board of equalization, by September 15 of the year in
which the study is conducted.
(b) During each property tax year, beginning with the property tax year which
commences January 1, 1985, in addition to the requirements set forth in paragraph (a) of this
subsection (16), the study shall set forth the aggregate valuation for assessment of each county
for the year in which the study is conducted.
(c) The person conducting any valuation for assessment study pursuant to this subsection
(16) and his employees shall, during the term of his contract, have access to any document in the
custody of the administrator or an assessor, including, but not limited to, such documents as are
held pursuant to sections 39-4-103, 39-5-120, and 39-14-102 (1)(c). The penalties in section 39-
1-116 apply against the divulging at any time of any confidential information obtained pursuant
to this paragraph (c).
(d) Repealed.

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