Horse boarder tax exemption becomes law

by ROSS COURTNEY
Yakima Herald-Republic

Links
Email_black_18  E-mail           Print_black_18  Print            Talk_black_18  Comments
Advertisement

More 'Local'

  1. New concept and new look planned for State Fair Park
  2. Volunteer judges offer to ease backlog of civil court cases
  3. Hitchhiker? DNA leads to husband
  4. Home custody escapee back in jail
  5. Mabton mayor pushes to hire Selah ex-police chief
  6. Account to benefit Dale Carpenter
  7. Sunnyside hires firm to find new manager
More Stories:   Today's News | This Week

 

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A new state law that extends tax exemptions for horse boarders was signed into law Wednesday.

The new law will make it easier for those who board horses without breeding them to claim a state property tax exemption under the open space laws, designed to preserve rural areas.

Reps. Bill Hinkle, R-Cle Elum, and Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, sponsored the measure, a compromise of their original idea.

The 13th District legislators had tried to allow the same exemption for anyone who keeps farm animals, such as cows and sheep, but doesn't necessarily breed them. That bill was not passed.

The law that did pass requires those property owners to raise the animals for the purposes of making a profit. It also retroactively applies to taxes levied for 2008.

The issue arose last fall when the state Department of Revenue noticed that county assessors had been granting the break inconsistently. Since December, the department has been using a temporary rule that extends the reduction to people raising livestock, but not horse boarders, unless they graze commercially.

The law will take effect July 28.

Warnick owns a horse boarding facility near Moses Lake.

 



Commentsicon2
Log in or Register to leave a comment.

Posting Guidelines - Updated Aug. 21 2009
Readers are encouraged to use these forums to discuss issues affecting the Yakima Valley. Debate the ideas presented in stories and other comments, but refrain from personal attacks and offensive remarks aimed at others; e.g., you may call an idea idiotic, but don't say the person is an idiot. The Herald-Republic reserves the right to remove any comment for any reason. Examples include material that is obscene, encourages illegal activity or stereotypes based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs and other factors. Continued violation of these guidelines can lead to suspension or revocation of your ability to post comments. If you believe a comment is inappropriate, you can bring it to our attention by clicking the "report violation" link by each comment. Guidelines revised Aug. 21, 2009.

Registered User?