MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2024 Regular Session
To: Finance
By: Senator(s) McLendon
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 27-31-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXEMPT FROM ALL MUNICIPAL AD VALOREM TAXES ALL REAL PROPERTY LOCATED IN AN AREA ANNEXED BY A MUNICIPALITY, FOR A PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF ANNEXATION; TO AMEND SECTION 27-51-41, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXEMPT FROM ALL MUNICIPAL AD VALOREM TAXES ALL MOTOR VEHICLES REGISTERED TO AN ADDRESS IN AN AREA ANNEXED BY A MUNICIPALITY, FOR A PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF ANNEXATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 27-31-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-31-1. The following shall be exempt from taxation:
(a) All cemeteries used exclusively for burial purposes.
(b) All property, real or personal, belonging to the State of Mississippi or any of its political subdivisions, except property of a municipality not being used for a proper municipal purpose and located outside the county or counties in which such municipality is located. A proper municipal purpose within the meaning of this section shall be any authorized governmental or corporate function of a municipality.
(c) All property, real or personal, owned by units of the Mississippi National Guard, or title to which is vested in trustees for the benefit of any unit of the Mississippi National Guard; provided such property is used exclusively for such unit, or for public purposes, and not for profit.
(d) All property, real or personal, belonging to any religious society, or ecclesiastical body, or any congregation thereof, or to any charitable society, or to any historical or patriotic association or society, or to any garden or pilgrimage club or association and used exclusively for such society or association and not for profit; not exceeding, however, the amount of land which such association or society may own as provided in Section 79-11-33. All property, real or personal, belonging to any foundation organized as a nonprofit corporation that is exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and that receives, invests and administers private support for a state-supported institution of higher learning, a public community college or junior college located in the State of Mississippi or a nonprofit private university or college located in the State of Mississippi, as the case may be. For the sole purpose of applying the preceding sentence, all property, real or personal, belonging to an entity that is wholly owned by and controlled by such a foundation shall be treated as belonging to the foundation. All property, real or personal, belonging to any rural waterworks system or rural sewage disposal system incorporated under the provisions of Section 79-11-1. All property, real or personal, belonging to any college or institution for the education of youths, used directly and exclusively for such purposes, provided that no such college or institution for the education of youths shall have exempt from taxation more than six hundred forty (640) acres of land; provided, however, this exemption shall not apply to commercial schools and colleges or trade institutions or schools where the profits of same inure to individuals, associations or corporations. All property, real or personal, belonging to an individual, institution or corporation and used for the operation of a grammar school, junior high school, high school or military school. All property, real or personal, owned and occupied by a fraternal and benevolent organization, when used by such organization, and from which no rentals or other profits accrue to the organization, but any part rented or from which revenue is received shall be taxed.
(e) All property, real or personal, held and occupied by trustees of public schools, and school lands of the respective townships for the use of public schools, and all property kept in storage for the convenience and benefit of the State of Mississippi in warehouses owned or leased by the State of Mississippi, wherein said property is to be sold by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division of the Department of Revenue of the State of Mississippi.
(f) All property, real or personal, whether belonging to religious or charitable or benevolent organizations, which is used for hospital purposes, and nurses' homes where a part thereof, and which maintain one or more charity wards that are for charity patients, and where all the income from said hospitals and nurses' homes is used entirely for the purposes thereof and no part of the same for profit. All property, real or personal, belonging to a federally qualified health center where all the income from such center is used entirely for the purposes thereof and no part of the same for profit.
(g) The wearing apparel of every person; and also jewelry and watches kept by the owner for personal use to the extent of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) in value for each owner.
(h) Provisions on hand for family consumption.
(i) All farm products grown in this state for a period of two (2) years after they are harvested, when in the possession of or the title to which is in the producer, except the tax of one-fifth of one percent (1/5 of 1%) per pound on lint cotton now levied by the Board of Commissioners of the Mississippi Levee District; and lint cotton for five (5) years, and cottonseed, soybeans, oats, rice and wheat for one (1) year regardless of ownership.
(j) All guns and pistols kept by the owner for private use.
(k) All poultry in the hands of the producer.
(l) Household furniture, including all articles kept in the home by the owner for his own personal or family use; but this shall not apply to hotels, rooming houses or rented or leased apartments.
(m) All cattle and oxen.
(n) All sheep, goats and hogs.
(o) All horses, mules and asses.
(p) Farming tools, implements and machinery, when used exclusively in the cultivation or harvesting of crops or timber.
(q) All property of agricultural and mechanical associations and fairs used for promoting their objects, and where no part of the proceeds is used for profit.
(r) The libraries of all persons.
(s) All pictures and works of art, not kept for or offered for sale as merchandise.
(t) The tools of any mechanic necessary for carrying on his trade.
(u) All state, county, municipal, levee, drainage and all school bonds or other governmental obligations, and all bonds and/or evidences of debts issued by any church or church organization in this state, and all notes and evidences of indebtedness which bear a rate of interest not greater than the maximum rate per annum applicable under the law; and all money loaned at a rate of interest not exceeding the maximum rate per annum applicable under the law; and all stock in or bonds of foreign corporations or associations shall be exempt from all ad valorem taxes.
(v) All lands and other property situated or located between the Mississippi River and the levee shall be exempt from the payment of any and all road taxes levied or assessed under any road laws of this state.
(w) Any and all money on deposit in either national banks, state banks or trust companies, on open account, savings account or time deposit.
(x) All wagons, carts, drays, carriages and other horse-drawn vehicles, kept for the use of the owner.
(y) (i) Boats, seines and fishing equipment used in fishing and shrimping operations and in the taking or catching of oysters.
(ii) All towboats, tugboats and barges documented under the laws of the United States, except watercraft of every kind and character used in connection with gaming operations.
(z) (i) All materials used in the construction and/or conversion of vessels in this state;
(ii) Vessels while under construction and/or conversion;
(iii) Vessels while in the possession of the manufacturer, builder or converter, for a period of twelve (12) months after completion of construction and/or conversion; however, the twelve-month limitation shall not apply to:
1. Vessels used for the exploration for, or production of, oil, gas and other minerals offshore outside the boundaries of this state; or
2. Vessels that were used for the exploration for, or production of, oil, gas and other minerals that are converted to a new service for use outside the boundaries of this state;
(iv) 1. In order for a vessel described in subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph (z) to be exempt for a period of more than twelve (12) months, the vessel must:
a. Be operating or operable, generating or capable of generating its own power or connected to some other power source, and not removed from the service or use for which manufactured or to which converted; and
b. The manufacturer, builder, converter or other entity possessing the vessel must be in compliance with any lease or other agreement with any applicable port authority or other entity regarding the vessel and in compliance with all applicable tax laws of this state and applicable federal tax laws.
2. A vessel exempt from taxation under subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph (z) may not be exempt for a period of more than three (3) years unless the board of supervisors of the county and/or governing authorities of the municipality, as the case may be, in which the vessel would otherwise be taxable adopts a resolution or ordinance authorizing the extension of the exemption and setting a maximum period for the exemption.
(v) As used in this paragraph (z), the term "vessel" includes ships, offshore drilling equipment, dry docks, boats and barges, except watercraft of every kind and character used in connection with gaming operations.
(aa) Sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66-2/3%) of nuclear fuel and reprocessed, recycled or residual nuclear fuel by-products, fissionable or otherwise, used or to be used in generation of electricity by persons defined as public utilities in Section 77-3-3.
(bb) All growing nursery stock.
(cc) A semitrailer used in interstate commerce.
(dd) All property, real or personal, used exclusively for the housing of and provision of services to elderly persons, disabled persons, mentally impaired persons or as a nursing home, which is owned, operated and managed by a not-for-profit corporation, qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, whose membership or governing body is appointed or confirmed by a religious society or ecclesiastical body or any congregation thereof.
(ee) All vessels while in the hands of bona fide dealers as merchandise and which are not being operated upon the waters of this state shall be exempt from ad valorem taxes. As used in this paragraph, the terms "vessel" and "waters of this state" shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in Section 59-21-3.
(ff) All property, real or personal, owned by a nonprofit organization that: (i) is qualified as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; (ii) assists in the implementation of the national contingency plan or area contingency plan, and which is created in response to the requirements of Title IV, Subtitle B of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, Public Law 101-380; (iii) engages primarily in programs to contain, clean up and otherwise mitigate spills of oil or other substances occurring in the United States coastal or tidal waters; and (iv) is used for the purposes of the organization.
(gg) If a municipality changes its boundaries so as to include within the boundaries of such municipality the project site of any project as defined in Section 57-75-5(f)(iv)1, Section 57-75-5(f)(xxi) or Section 57-75-5(f)(xxviii) or Section 57-75-5(f)(xxix), all real and personal property located on the project site within the boundaries of such municipality that is owned by a business enterprise operating such project, shall be exempt from ad valorem taxation for a period of time not to exceed thirty (30) years upon receiving approval for such exemption by the Mississippi Major Economic Impact Authority. The provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to authorize a breach of any agreement entered into pursuant to Section 21-1-59.
(hh) All leases, lease contracts or lease agreements (including, but not limited to, subleases, sublease contracts and sublease agreements), and leaseholds or leasehold interests (including, but not limited to, subleaseholds and subleasehold interests), of or with respect to any and all property (real, personal or mixed) constituting all or any part of a facility for the manufacture, production, generation, transmission and/or distribution of electricity, and any real property related thereto, shall be exempt from ad valorem taxation during the period as the United States is both the title owner of the property and a sublessee of or with respect to the property; however, the exemption authorized by this paragraph (hh) shall not apply to any entity to whom the United States sub-subleases its interest in the property nor to any entity to whom the United States assigns its sublease interest in the property. As used in this paragraph, the term "United States" includes an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America. This paragraph (hh) shall apply to all assessments for ad valorem taxation for the 2003 calendar year and each calendar year thereafter.
(ii) All property, real, personal or mixed, including fixtures and leaseholds, used by Mississippi nonprofit entities qualified, on or before January 1, 2005, under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to provide support and operate technology incubators for research and development start-up companies, telecommunication start-up companies and/or other technology start-up companies, utilizing technology spun-off from research and development activities of the public colleges and universities of this state, State of Mississippi governmental research or development activities resulting therefrom located within the State of Mississippi.
(jj) All property, real, personal or mixed, including fixtures and leaseholds, of start-up companies (as described in paragraph (ii) of this section) for the period of time, not to exceed five (5) years, that the start-up company remains a tenant of a technology incubator (as described in paragraph (ii) of this section).
(kk) All leases, lease contracts or lease agreements (including, but not limited to, subleases, sublease contracts and sublease agreements), and leaseholds or leasehold interests, of or with respect to any and all property (real, personal or mixed) constituting all or any part of an auxiliary facility, and any real property related thereto, constructed or renovated pursuant to Section 37-101-41, Mississippi Code of 1972.
(ll) Equipment brought into the state temporarily for use during a disaster response period as provided in Sections 27-113-1 through 27-113-9 and subsequently removed from the state on or before the end of the disaster response period as defined in Section 27-113-5.
(mm) For any lease or contractual arrangement to which the Department of Finance and Administration and a nonprofit corporation are a party to as provided in Section 39-25-1(5), the nonprofit corporation shall, along with the possessory and leasehold interests and/or real and personal property of the corporation, be exempt from all ad valorem taxation, including, but not limited to, school, city and county ad valorem taxes, for the term or period of time stated in the lease or contractual arrangement.
(nn) All property, real or personal, that is owned, operated and managed by a not-for-profit corporation qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and used to provide, free of charge, (i) a practice facility for a public school district swim team, and (ii) a facility for another not-for-profit organization as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to conduct water safety and lifeguard training programs. This section shall not apply to real or personal property owned by a country club, tennis club with a pool, or any club requiring stock ownership for membership.
(oo) All real property located in an area annexed by a municipality shall be exempt from all municipal ad valorem taxes for a period of twelve (12) months after the date of annexation.
SECTION 2. Section 27-51-41, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-51-41. (1) The exemptions from the provisions of this chapter shall be confined to those persons or property exempted by this chapter or by the provisions of the Constitution of the United States or the State of Mississippi. No exemption as now provided by any other statute shall be valid as against the tax levied by this chapter. Any subsequent exemption from the tax levied hereunder shall be provided by amendment to this section which shall be inserted in the bill at length.
(2) The following shall be exempt from ad valorem taxation:
(a) All motor vehicles, as defined in this chapter, and including motor-propelled farm implements and vehicles, while in the hands of bona fide dealers as merchandise and which are not being operated upon the highways of this state.
(b) All motor vehicles belonging to the federal government or the State of Mississippi or any agencies or instrumentalities thereof.
(c) All motor vehicles owned by any school district in the state.
(d) All motor vehicles owned by any fire protection district incorporated in accordance with Sections 19-5-151 through 19-5-207 or by any fire protection grading district incorporated in accordance with Sections 19-5-215 through 19-5-241.
(e) All motor vehicles owned by units of the Mississippi National Guard.
(f) All motor vehicles which are exempted from highway privilege taxes under Section 27-19-1 et seq.
(g) All motor vehicles operated in this state as common and contract carriers of property, private commercial carriers of property, private carriers of property and buses, all of which have a gross weight in excess of ten thousand (10,000) pounds.
(h) Antique automobiles as defined in Section 27-19-47, and antique pickup trucks as provided for under Section 27-19-47.2, Mississippi Code of 1972.
(i) Street rods as defined in Section 27-19-56.6.
(j) (i) Two (2) motor vehicles owned by a disabled American veteran, or by the spouse of a deceased disabled American veteran, who is entitled to purchase a distinctive license plate or tag in accordance with Section 27-19-53, regardless of the license plate or tag issued to the disabled American veteran or the veteran's spouse if the disabled American veteran is deceased.
(ii) One (1) motorcycle owned by a disabled American veteran, or by the spouse of a deceased disabled American veteran, who is entitled to purchase a distinctive license plate or tag in accordance with Section 27-19-53, regardless of the license plate or tag issued to the disabled American veteran or the veteran's spouse if the disabled American veteran is deceased.
(k) One (1) motor vehicle owned by the unremarried surviving spouse of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while on active duty, is killed or dies and one (1) motor vehicle owned by the unremarried surviving spouse of a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States or of the National Guard who, while on active duty for training, is killed or dies.
(l) Motor vehicles owned by recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor or by former prisoners of war, or by spouses of such deceased persons, in accordance with Section 27-19-54.
(m) (i) One (1) private carrier of passengers, as defined in Section 27-19-3, owned by any religious society, ecclesiastical body or any congregation thereof which is used exclusively for such society and not for profit.
(ii) All motor vehicles owned by any such religious society or any educational institution having a seating capacity greater than seven (7) passengers and used exclusively for transporting passengers for religious or educational purposes and not for profit.
(n) All motor vehicles primarily used as rentals under rental agreements with a term of not more than thirty (30) continuous days each and under the control of persons who are engaged in the business of renting such motor vehicles and who are subject to the tax under Section 27-65-231.
(o) Antique motorcycles as defined in Section 27-19-47.1.
(p) One (1) motor vehicle owned by a recipient of the Purple Heart, and one (1) motor vehicle owned by the unremarried surviving spouse of a recipient of the Purple Heart, as provided in Section 27-19-56.5.
(q) Motor vehicles that are eligible to display an authentic historical license plate as provided for in Section 27-19-56.11.
(r) Motor vehicles that are (i) designed or adapted to be used exclusively in the preparation and loading of chemicals or other material for aerial agricultural application to crops; and (ii) only incidentally used on public roadways in this state.
(s) One (1) motor vehicle owned by the mother of a service member who died while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States while the United States was engaged in hostile activities or a time of war after September 11, 2001, as provided for in Section 27-19-56.162 or Section 27-19-56.524(5).
(t) One (1) motor vehicle owned by the unremarried spouse of a service member who died while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States while the United States was engaged in hostile activities or a time of war after September 11, 2001, as provided for in Section 27-19-56.162 or Section 27-19-56.524(5).
(u) Buses and other motor vehicles that are (a) owned and operated by an entity that has entered into a contract with a school board under Section 37-41-31 for the purpose of transporting students to and from schools and (b) used by the entity for such transportation purposes. This paragraph (u) shall apply to contracts entered into or renewed on or after July 1, 2010.
(v) One (1) motor vehicle owned by a recipient of the Silver Star, and one (1) motor vehicle owned by the unremarried surviving spouse of a recipient of the Silver Star, as provided in Section 27-19-56.284.
(w) One (1) motor vehicle owned by a person who is a law enforcement officer and who (i) was wounded or otherwise received intentional or accidental bodily injury, regardless of whether occurring before or after July 1, 2014, while engaged in the performance of his official duties, provided the wound or injury was not self-inflicted, (ii) was required to receive medical treatment for the wound or injury due to the nature and extent of the wound or injury, and (iii) is eligible to receive a special license plate or tag under Section 27-19-56 as a result of such wound or injury, regardless of whether the person obtains such a plate or tag. Application for the exemption provided in this paragraph (w) may be made at the time of initial registration of a vehicle and renewal of registration. In addition, an applicant for the exemption must provide official written documentation that (i) the applicant is a law enforcement officer who was wounded or otherwise received intentional or accidental bodily injury while engaged in the performance of his official duties and that the wound or injury was not self-inflicted along with official written documentation verifying receipt of medical treatment for the wound or injury and the nature and extent of the wound or injury, and (ii) the applicant is eligible to receive a special license plate or tag under Section 27-19-56 as a result of such wound or injury, regardless of whether the person obtains such a plate or tag.
(x) One (1) motor vehicle owned by an honorably discharged veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States who served during World War II, and one (1) motor vehicle owned by the unremarried surviving spouse of such veteran, as provided in Section 27-19-56.438.
(y) All motor vehicles registered to an address in an area annexed by a municipality shall be exempt from all municipal ad valorem taxes for a period of twelve (12) months after the date of annexation.
(3) Any claim for tax exemption by authority of the above-mentioned code sections or by any other legal authority shall be set out in the application for the road and bridge privilege license, and the specific legal authority for such tax exemption claim shall be cited in said application, and such authority cited shall be shown by the tax collector on the tax receipt as his authority for not collecting such ad valorem taxes, and the tax collector shall carry forward such information in his tax collection reports.
(4) Any motor vehicle driven over the highways of this state to the extent that the owner of such motor vehicle is required to purchase a road and bridge privilege license in this state, yet the legal situs of such motor vehicle is located in another state, shall be exempt from ad valorem taxes authorized by this chapter.
(5) If a taxpayer shall sell, trade or otherwise dispose of a vehicle on which the ad valorem and road and bridge privilege taxes have been paid in any county in the state, he shall remove the license plate from the vehicle. Such license plate must be surrendered to the issuing authority with the corresponding tax receipt, if required, and credit shall be allowed for the taxes paid for the remaining tax year on like privilege or ad valorem taxes due on another vehicle owned by the seller or transferor or by the seller's or transferor's spouse or dependent child. If the seller or transferor does not elect to receive such credit at the time the license plate is surrendered, the issuing authority shall issue a certificate of credit to the seller or transferor, or to the seller's or transferor's spouse or dependent child, or to any other person, business or corporation, at the direction of the seller or transferor, for the remaining unexpired taxes prorated from the first day of the month following the month in which the license plate is surrendered. The total of such credit may be used by the person or entity to whom the certificate of credit is issued, regardless of the relative amounts attributed to privilege taxes or to county, school or municipal ad valorem taxes. Any credit allowed for taxes due or any certificate of credit issued may be applied to like taxes owed in any county by the person to whom the credit is allowed or by the person possessing the certificate of credit. No credit, however, shall be allowed on the charge made for the license plate. Such license plates surrendered to the tax collector shall be retained by him, and in no event shall such license plate be attached to any vehicle after being surrendered to the tax collector, nor shall any license plate be transferred from one (1) vehicle to any other vehicle.
(6) If the person owning a vehicle subject to taxation under the provisions of this chapter does not operate such vehicle on the highways of this state from the date of acquisition or, if previously registered, from the end of the anniversary month of the tag and decals to the date on which he makes application for a current license tag or decals, he shall pay such ad valorem tax for a period of twelve (12) months beginning with the first day of the month in which he applies for a current license tag or decals under Chapter 19, Title 27, Mississippi Code of 1972. The owner shall submit an affidavit with an application attesting to the fact that the vehicle was not operated on the highways of this state from the date of acquisition or, if previously registered, from the end of the anniversary month of the tag and decals to the date on which he makes application for the current license tag or decals.
(7) Any person found violating any of the provisions of this section shall be arrested and tried, and if found guilty shall be fined in an amount double the total amount of taxes involved.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after January 1, 2024.