Subdivision 1. Tax rate; payment. The property set forth in section 273.37, subdivision 2, consisting of transmission lines of less than 69 kv and transmission lines of 69 kv and above located in an unorganized township, and distribution lines not taxed as provided in sections 273.38, 273.40 and 273.41 shall be taxed at the average local tax rate of taxes levied for all purposes throughout the county after disparity reduction aid is applied, and shall be entered on the tax lists by the county auditor against the owner thereof and certified to the county treasurer at the same time and in the same manner that other taxes are certified, and, when paid, shall be credited as follows: 50 percent to the general revenue fund of the county and 50 percent to the general school fund of the county, except that if there are high voltage transmission lines as defined in section 216E.01, the construction of which was commenced after July 1, 1974, and which are located in unorganized townships within the county, then the distribution of taxes within this subdivision shall be credited as follows: 50 percent to the general revenue fund of the county, 40 percent to the general school fund of the county and ten percent to a utility property tax credit fund, which is hereby established.

Subd. 2. Property tax credit. Owners of land that is an agricultural or nonagricultural homestead, nonhomestead agricultural land, rental residential property, and both commercial and noncommercial seasonal residential recreational property, as those terms are defined in section 273.13 listed on records of the county auditor or county treasurer over which runs a high voltage transmission line with a capacity of 200 kilovolts or more, except a high voltage transmission line the construction of which was commenced prior to July 1, 1974, shall receive a property tax credit in an amount determined by multiplying a fraction, the numerator of which is the length of high voltage transmission line which runs over that parcel and the denominator of which is the total length of that particular line running over all property within the city or township by ten percent of the transmission line tax revenue derived from the tax on that portion of the line within the city or township pursuant to section 273.36. In the case of property owners in unorganized townships, the property tax credit shall be determined by multiplying a fraction, the numerator of which is the length of the qualifying high voltage transmission line which runs over the parcel and the denominator of which is the total length of the qualifying high voltage transmission line running over all property within all the unorganized townships within the county, by the total utility property tax credit fund amount available within the county for that year pursuant to subdivision 1. Where a right-of-way width is shared by more than one property owner, the numerator shall be adjusted by multiplying the length of line on the parcel by the proportion of the total width on the parcel owned by that property owner. The amount of credit for which the property qualifies shall not exceed 20 percent of the total gross tax on the parcel prior to deduction of the state paid agricultural credit, provided that, if the property containing the right-of-way is included in a parcel which exceeds 40 acres, the total gross tax on the parcel shall be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the sum of the number of acres in each quarter-quarter section or portion thereof which contains a right-of-way and the denominator of which is the total number of acres in the parcel set forth on the tax statement, and the maximum credit shall be 20 percent of the product of that computation, prior to deduction of those credits. The auditor of the county in which the affected parcel is located shall calculate the amount of the credit due for each parcel and transmit that information to the county treasurer. The county auditor, in computing the credit received pursuant to section 273.135, shall reduce the gross tax by the amount of the credit received pursuant to this section, unless the amount of the credit would be less than $10.

If, after the county auditor has computed the credit to those qualifying property owners in unorganized townships, there is money remaining in the utility property tax credit fund, then that excess amount in the fund shall be returned to the general school fund of the county.

Subd. 3. State tax on transmission and distribution lines. Notwithstanding section 273.425, the entire tax capacity of property taxed at the average local tax rate under subdivision 1 is subject to the state tax rate provided in section 275.025. Notwithstanding subdivisions 1 and 2, the entire proceeds of the state tax levy for each such property must be distributed to the state under the procedures provided in chapter 276. No portion of the proceeds from the state levy on such property is distributed within the county under subdivision 1 or 2.

History: (2012-3) 1925 c 306 s 3; 1949 c 554 s 3; 1978 c 658 s 4; 1979 c 303 art 2 s 20; 1980 c 607 art 10 s 3; 1Sp1981 c 1 art 2 s 15; 1982 c 523 art 16 s 1; 1Sp1985 c 14 art 4 s 70; 1Sp1986 c 1 art 4 s 24; 1987 c 268 art 6 s 35; 1Sp1989 c 1 art 2 s 11; 1990 c 604 art 3 s 22; 1Sp2001 c 5 art 3 s 44; 2003 c 127 art 5 s 21; 2014 c 275 art 1 s 90