63-602D. PROPERTY EXEMPT FROM TAXATION — CERTAIN HOSPITALS. (1) For the purposes of this section, "hospital" means a hospital as defined by chapter 13, title 39, Idaho Code, and includes one (1) or more acute care, outreach, satellite, outpatient, ancillary or support facilities of such hospital whether or not any such individual facility would independently satisfy the definition of hospital.

(2) The following property is exempt from taxation: the real property owned and personal property, including medical equipment, owned or leased by a hospital corporation or a county hospital or hospital district that is operated as a hospital and the necessary grounds used therewith.

(3) If real property, not currently exempt from taxation, is being prepared for use as a hospital, the value of the bare land only shall be taxed while the property is being prepared for use as a hospital. All improvements to and construction on the real property, while it is being prepared for use as a hospital, shall be exempt from taxation. For purposes of this section, property is being "prepared for use as a hospital" if the corporation has begun construction of a hospital project as evidenced by obtaining a building permit that will, on completion, qualify such property for an exemption and, as of the assessment date, has not abandoned the construction. Construction shall not be considered abandoned if it has been delayed by causes and circumstances beyond the corporation’s control or when delay is caused by an event that has occurred in the absence of the corporation’s willful neglect or intentional acts, omissions or practices engaged in by the corporation for the purpose of impeding progress. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall improvements to property that is being prepared for use as a hospital qualify for an exemption from ad valorem property tax under this subsection for more than three (3) consecutive tax years; upon completion of construction and obtaining a certificate of occupancy, the entire real property shall be exempt from taxation if the corporation meets the requirements of subsection (4) of this section; provided, property already exempt or eligible for exemption shall not be affected by the provisions of this subsection.

(4) The corporation must show that the hospital:

(a) Is organized as a nonprofit corporation pursuant to chapter 30, title 30, Idaho Code, or pursuant to equivalent laws in its state of incorporation;

(b) Has received an exemption from taxation from the internal revenue service pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(5) The board of equalization shall grant an exemption to the property of: (a) a county hospital; (b) a hospital district; or (c) any hospital corporation meeting the criteria provided in subsection (4) of this section.

(6) If a hospital corporation uses property for business purposes from which a revenue is derived that is not directly related to the hospital corporation’s exempt purposes, then the property shall be assessed and taxed as any other property. If property is used in part by a hospital corporation for such purposes, then the assessor shall determine the value of the entire property and the value of the part used that is not directly related to the hospital corporation’s exempt purposes. If the value of the part that is not directly related to the hospital corporation’s exempt purposes is determined to be three percent (3%) or less than the value of the entire property, then the property shall remain exempt. If the value of the part that is not directly related to the hospital corporation’s exempt purposes is determined to be more than three percent (3%) of the value of the entire property, then the assessor shall assess the proportionate part of the property, including the value of the real estate used for such purposes.

(7) A hospital corporation issued an exemption from property taxation pursuant to this section and operating a hospital having one hundred fifty (150) or more patient beds shall prepare a community benefits report to be filed with the board of equalization by December 31 of each year. The report shall itemize the hospital’s amount of unreimbursed services for the prior year (including charity care, bad debt, and underreimbursed care covered through government programs); special services and programs the hospital provides below its actual cost; donated time, funds, subsidies and in-kind services; additions to capital such as physical plant and equipment; and indication of the process the hospital has used to determine general community needs that coincide with the hospital’s mission. The report shall be provided as a matter of community information. Neither the submission of the report nor the contents shall be a basis for the approval or denial of a corporation’s property tax exemption.

History:

[63-602D added 1996, ch. 98, sec. 7, p. 350; am. 1999, ch. 126, sec. 1, p. 366; am. 2006, ch. 319, sec. 1, p. 1016; am. 2017, ch. 58, sec. 32, p. 127.]