Colorado Code § 39-3-119.5

Personal property - exemption - reimbursement to local governments - legislative declaration - definitions
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(1) For property tax years commencing on and after
January 1, 1997, personal property not otherwise exempt from property tax shall be exempt from
the levy and collection of property tax if the personal property would otherwise be listed on a
single personal property schedule and the actual value of such personal property is less than or
equal to the amount set forth in subsection (2) of this section.
(2) (a) The exemption created in subsection (1) of this section shall be up to and
including the following amounts:
(I) Two thousand five hundred dollars for property tax years commencing prior to
January 1, 2009;
(II) Four thousand dollars for property tax years commencing on January 1, 2009, and
January 1, 2010;
(III) Five thousand five hundred dollars for property tax years commencing on January
1, 2011, and January 1, 2012;
(IV) Seven thousand dollars for property tax years commencing on January 1, 2013, and
January 1, 2014;
(V) Seven thousand three hundred dollars for property tax years commencing on January
1, 2015, and January 1, 2016;
(VI) Seven thousand four hundred dollars for property tax years commencing on January
1, 2017, and January 1, 2018;
(VII) Seven thousand seven hundred dollars for property tax years commencing on
January 1, 2019, and January 1, 2020; and
(VIII) Fifty thousand dollars for property tax years commencing on January 1, 2021, and
January 1, 2022.
(b) (I) (A) Beginning with the property tax year commencing on January 1, 2023, the
amount of the exemption created in subsection (1) of this section shall be adjusted biennially to
account for inflation since the amount of the exemption last changed pursuant to this subsection
(2). On or before November 1, 2022, and each even-numbered year thereafter, the administrator
shall calculate the amount of the exemption for the next two-year cycle using inflation for the
prior two calendar years as of the date of the calculation. The adjusted exemption shall be
rounded upward to the nearest one hundred dollar increment. The administrator shall certify the
amount of the exemption for the next two-year cycle and publish the amount on the website
maintained by the division of property taxation in the department of local affairs.
(B) When calculating the exemption amount under subsection (2)(b)(I)(A) of this
section, the administrator shall do another calculation in the same manner but starting from
seven thousand nine hundred dollars instead of fifty thousand dollars. This amount is the
alternative exemption amount.
(C) If, under subsection (3)(f) of this section, the state treasurer notifies the administrator
that not all counties have received reimbursement warrants for lost property tax revenue for the
amounts specified in subsection (3)(d) of this section, then beginning with the property tax year
commencing on January 1 that follows the notification, and for all property tax years thereafter,
the amount of the exemption in subsection (1) of this section is the alternative exemption
amount. Thereafter, the alternative exemption is adjusted biennially to account for inflation in
the same manner as set forth in subsection (2)(b)(I)(A) of this section, and the administrator shall
certify the amount of the exemption for the next two-year cycle and publish the amount on the
website maintained by the division of property taxation in the department of local affairs.
(II) As used in subsection (2)(b)(I) of this section, "inflation" means the annual
percentage change in the United States department of labor, bureau of labor statistics, consumer
price index for Denver-Aurora-Lakewood for all items and all urban consumers, or its applicable
predecessor or successor index.
(3) (a) (I) For the property tax year commencing on January 1, 2021, each assessor shall
calculate the aggregate value of exempt business personal property within the county based on
the property that is listed on schedules for the property tax year with a total value that is more
than seven thousand nine hundred dollars and less than or equal to fifty thousand dollars.
(II) For the property tax year commencing on January 1, 2021, each treasurer shall
calculate the total property tax revenues lost by all local governmental entities within the
treasurer's county based on the exempt business personal property amount calculated in
accordance with subsection (3)(a)(I) of this section.
(b) No later than February 1, 2022, and each February 1 thereafter, the administrator
shall calculate the percentage increase or decrease in total valuation of business personal
property in the state over the prior two property tax years. The administrator shall publish the
percentage increase or decrease on the website maintained by the division of property taxation in
the department of local affairs.
(c) (I) For the property tax years commencing on January 1, 2022, and each year
thereafter, each assessor shall calculate an estimate of the aggregate value of exempt business
personal property for the county and each local governmental entity located within the county
that is equal to the applicable baseline exemption total adjusted by the growth factor for each
property tax year commencing on and after January 1, 2022.
(II) For the property tax years commencing on January 1, 2022, and each year thereafter,
each treasurer shall calculate the total property tax revenues lost by all local governmental
entities within the treasurer's county based on the estimate of exempt business personal property
amount calculated in accordance with subsection (3)(c)(I) of this section.
(III) As used in this subsection (3)(c), unless the context otherwise requires:
(A) "Baseline exemption total" means the aggregate value of the exempt business
personal property calculated in accordance with subsection (3)(a)(I) of this section for a county
or a local governmental entity located within the county as of January 1, 2021.
(B) "Growth factor" means the percentage increase or decrease that the administrator
publishes for a property tax year in accordance with subsection (3)(b) of this section.
(d) No later than March 1, 2022, and each March 1 thereafter, each treasurer shall report
the amount specified in subsection (3)(a)(II) or (3)(c)(II) of this section, as applicable, and the
basis for the amount to the administrator, and the administrator may require a treasurer to
provide additional information as necessary to evaluate the amount reported. The administrator
shall confirm that the reported amount is correct or rectify the amount, if necessary. The
administrator shall then forward the correct amount for each county to the state treasurer to
enable the state treasurer to issue a reimbursement warrant to each treasurer in accordance with
subsection (3)(e) of this section.
(e) No later than April 15, 2022, and April 15 of each year thereafter, the state treasurer
shall issue a warrant to be paid upon demand from the general fund to each treasurer that is equal
to the amount specified by the administrator for the county under subsection (3)(d) of this
section. Each treasurer shall distribute the total amount received from the state treasurer to the
local governmental entities within the treasurer's county as if the revenues had been regularly
paid as property tax. When distributing the money, the treasurer shall provide each local
governmental entity with a statement of the amount distributed to the local governmental entity
that represents the reimbursement received under this subsection (3)(e).
(f) No later than May 1, 2022, and May 1 of each year thereafter, the state treasurer shall
notify the administrator whether all counties have received a reimbursement warrant for lost
property tax revenue for the amounts specified in subsection (3)(d) of this section.
(g) This subsection (3) does not apply if the amount of the exemption created in
subsection (1) of this section is the alternative exemption amount as required by subsection
(2)(b)(I)(C) of this section.

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