Budget & Taxes (Property Tax)

died · Iowa · House Feb 24, 2025

HF 10: A bill for an act relating to the attachment of the territory of a school district that is subject to an approved dissolution proposal, and including applicability provisions.

HF 10 modifies the effective date for attaching territory when a school district dissolves. It changes the rule so territory attachment takes effect July 1 of the year immediately following approval (instead of the next July 1). The bill also adds that small districts (under 600 students) may qualify for a reduced property tax levy if approved by the education director, with the director notifying the department of management. This applies to dissolution proposals approved by voters on or after the bill's effective date.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill enables small school districts to qualify for reduced property tax levies, providing direct tax relief as a fiscal management measure.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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died · Iowa · House May 9, 2025

HF 565: A bill for an act establishing a partial exemption on property taxes for certain residential properties sold in disaster areas.

HF 565 establishes a partial property tax exemption for certain residential properties. This exemption applies to homes purchased from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by owners who qualify for the homestead tax credit. To be eligible, the sale must be made to provide housing in an area declared a major disaster or disaster emergency. The exemption lasts for four assessment years, starting at 80% of the property's actual value in the first year and decreasing by 20% each subsequent year.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides property tax exemption (80% first year) for qualifying homeowners in disaster areas, offering tax relief to lower-income residents.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingPartial tax exemption for HUD-sold homes in disaster areas reduces costs for homeowners, advancing housing affordability in recovery zones.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Incentives Property Development Property Taxes

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in committee · Iowa · Senate May 9, 2025

SF 589: A bill for an act relating to solid waste collection and disposal by establishing a maximum rate increase charged by governmental entities and creating a property tax rebate for service charges.

SF 589 allows real property owners to opt out of solid waste collection and disposal services provided by their county or city. This is applicable if the property owner is already receiving these services from a different entity. Owners must submit an application to their local government, verifying their alternative service. If approved, they will not be charged fees by the county or city for those services, and the opt-out continues until the owner opts back in or the property's title changes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides property tax rebate for solid waste service opt-outs, reducing owner fees and aligning with tax relief indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Apr 21, 2025

SF 219: A bill for an act relating to forest and fruit-tree reservations, and providing for a fee.

SF 219 introduces a new annual fee for owners of forest and fruit-tree reservations in Iowa, starting January 1, 2026. These reservations are currently exempt from property tax. The fee structure varies based on the reservation's location relative to the owner's homestead. Owners will pay $2 per acre if the reservation is in the same county as their homestead, or $3 per acre if it's in a contiguous county. For other reservations, including those within city limits, the fee will be a rate calculated annually by the Department of Management, with all fees deposited into the county general fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesReplaces property tax exemptions with annual fees, generating new state revenue for budget management.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax State Budget

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passed · Iowa · House Apr 20, 2026

HF 1050: A bill for an act relating to the assessment of property containing certain aboveground storage tanks and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

HF 1050 modifies how certain aboveground storage tanks are assessed for property tax purposes. The bill specifies that aboveground storage tanks with a capacity of 91,000 gallons or less will no longer be assessed and taxed as real property, regardless of their use. This change directly affects property owners with such tanks and local taxing authorities. The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies retroactively to assessment years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill removes property tax on qualifying storage tanks, providing direct tax relief to property owners and reducing local tax burden.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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passed · Iowa · Senate Apr 30, 2025

SF 635: A bill for an act relating to the abatement of property taxes owed on property owned by certain volunteer emergency services providers and including effective date and applicability provisions.

SF 635 authorizes property tax abatements for eligible volunteer emergency services providers on their homesteads. To qualify, volunteers must have served for at least five years, earn less than $5,000 annually from their service, and be in good standing with their agency. They can petition their county board of supervisors, who will review the request and notify local taxing authorities, allowing them to object to the abatement. If approved, the abatement reduces property taxes and special assessments by 10%, up to $500 per year. Volunteers with ten or more years of service may receive this abatement for the remainder of their lives, provided their homestead remains in the service area.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides property tax abatement for low-income volunteers (earning <$5k annually), directly reducing tax burden per bill's explicit provisions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 22, 2025

SF 29: A bill for an act relating to property tax exemptions by changing the homestead tax exemption to a credit for owners attaining sixty-five years of age and increasing the military service tax exemption, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

This Iowa bill (SF 29) changes property tax benefits for specific groups. It replaces the existing homestead exemption for homeowners aged 65+ with a credit equal to $6,500 in actual property taxes paid, available to those with household incomes under 250% of the federal poverty level. It also increases military veterans' property tax exemption to a credit equivalent to $4,000 (based on actual tax rates), applying to honorably discharged veterans. Both changes take effect retroactively for assessment years beginning January 1, 2025. The bill directly affects elderly homeowners and veterans who meet income or service criteria.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides tax credits for seniors (65+) and veterans under 250% poverty level, reducing property tax burden for lower-income groups.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransIncreases military veterans' property tax exemption credit to $4,000, expanding benefits for honorably discharged veterans.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Incentives

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 30, 2025

HF 172: A bill for an act allowing cities to certify taxes for general fund levy for various purposes upon approval of the voters at an election.

HF 172 allows Iowa cities to levy specific voter-approved taxes for cultural, community, and infrastructure projects. It reinstates limits for taxes up to 13.5 cents per $1,000 valuation to support musical groups, symphony orchestras, or public libraries, and up to 81 cents per $1,000 for memorial buildings or monuments. Cities must submit these tax proposals to voters at regular or special elections, with details like tax rates and project specifics included in election notices. The bill recodifies these tax options after they were previously eliminated, maintaining the same voter approval requirements and rate limits. It directly affects city residents through property tax changes and local organizations receiving funding for cultural or public facilities.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEnables voter-approved property tax levies for cultural/public infrastructure funding, aligning with supporting public service investment through taxation.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax State Budget

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 3, 2025

HF 196: A bill for an act allowing cities to certify taxes for a general fund levy for libraries.

HF 196 allows Iowa cities to levy a property tax of up to 27 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to fund public libraries, directly affecting cities with libraries and their property owners. The bill requires cities to seek voter approval via petition and election before implementing the tax, with the tax removable through the same process. It reestablishes a library tax eliminated by a prior bill (HF 718), restoring the specific funding mechanism while maintaining the same voter approval requirements that existed before HF 718. The tax is limited to library support and cannot be used for other city purposes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRestores library tax levy mechanism, enabling city-level property tax funding for public libraries via voter approval, directly advancing public service funding through tax levies.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 6, 2025

HF 235: A bill for an act modifying the general and rural county services levy rate limitation for fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2026.

HF 235 modifies Iowa's property tax rate limits for general and rural county services starting July 1, 2026. It allows counties to increase their tax rate if the total property value for the new budget year is 101% or less of the current year's value, calculating the new rate as 103% of current tax dollars divided by the new property value. Each county may adjust its rate only once per fiscal year under this provision. This bill directly affects counties needing to set property tax rates for services like roads and emergency response. The change provides a limited pathway for small tax increases without exceeding existing rate caps.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesModifies property tax rate limits to allow flexible county budget adjustments based on property values, promoting fiscal stability and responsible tax management.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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