§ 7-36-27 — Special method of valuation; pipelines, tanks, sales meters

and plants used in the processing, gathering, transmission, storage, measurement or distribution of oil, natural gas, carbon dioxide or liquid hydrocarbons. A. All pipelines, tanks, sales meters and plants used in the processing, gathering, transmission, storage, measurement or distribution of oil, natural gas, carbon dioxide or liquid hydrocarbons subject to valuation for property taxation purposes shall be valued in accordance with the provisions of this section. B. As used in this section: (1) "construction work in progress" means the total of the balances of work orders for pipelines, plants, large industrial sales meters and tanks, in the process of construction on the last day of the preceding calendar year, exclusive of land and land rights and equipment, machinery or devices that are used or are available for use to construct pipelines, plants, large industrial sales meters and tanks but that are not incorporated into the pipelines, plants, large industrial sales meters or tanks; (2) "depreciation" means straight line depreciation over the useful life of the item of property; (3) "direct customer distribution pipeline" means a low or intermediate pressure distribution system pipeline of four inches or smaller diameter situated in urban areas; (4) "economic obsolescence" means, with respect to valuation for property taxation purposes, loss in value of a property caused by unfavorable economic influences or factors outside of the property; "economic obsolescence" is a loss in value in addition to a loss in value attributable to physical depreciation; (5) "functional obsolescence" means, with respect to valuation for property taxation purposes, loss in value of a property caused by functional inadequacies or deficiencies caused by factors within the property; "functional obsolescence" is a loss in value in addition to a loss in value attributable to physical depreciation; (6) "large industrial sales meter" means a sales meter having an installed tangible property cost in excess of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500); (7) "other justifiable factors" includes, but is not limited to, functional obsolescence and economic obsolescence; (8) "pipeline" means all pipe, appurtenances and devices used in systems for gathering, transmission or distribution, but excludes sales meters, a pipeline operated exclusively for and constituting a part of a plant and a direct customer distribution pipeline; (9) "plant" means any refinery, gasoline plant, extraction plant, purification plant, compressor or pumping station or similar plant, including all structures, equipment, pipes and other related facilities, excluding residential housing, office buildings and warehouses; (10) "sales meter" means the meter, regulator and all appurtenances and devices used for measuring sales to customers and includes the service pipe to the customer's property line from the point of connection with the pipeline; (11) "schedule value" means a fixed value of an individual property unit within a mass of similar or like units established by determining the total tangible property cost of a substantial sample of such property and deducting therefrom an average related accumulated provision for depreciation and allocating a proportionate part of the remainder to individual taxable property units; (12) "tangible property cost" means the actual cost of acquisition or construction of property, excluding construction work in progress, including additions, retirements, adjustments and transfers, but without deduction of related accumulated provision for depreciation, amortization or other purposes and excluding any amount attributable to oil or gas reserves dedicated to such item of property; and (13) "tank" means any storage tank or container, other than a natural reservoir, for storage that is not a component part of a plant. C. Sales meters, other than large industrial sales meters, shall be valued as follows: (1) the department may periodically determine the average tangible property cost of a substantial sample of sales meters in general use in the state; (2) such average tangible property cost shall then be reduced by the average related accumulated provision for depreciation applicable to the sample of sales meters; and (3) from the determinations pursuant to Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection, a schedule of value for sales meters for property taxation purposes shall be determined and set forth in a rule adopted by the department. D. Pipelines, direct customer distribution pipelines, large industrial sales meters, tanks and plants shall be valued as follows: (1) the valuation authority shall first establish the tangible property cost of each item of property; (2) from such tangible property cost shall be deducted the related accumulated provision for depreciation and any other justifiable factors that further affect the tangible property value of each item of property; and (3) notwithstanding the determination of value for property taxation purposes in Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection, the value for property taxation purposes of each item of property valued under this subsection shall not be less than twenty percent of the tangible property cost of such item of property. E. Construction work in progress shall be valued at fifty percent of the amount expended and entered upon the accounting records of the taxpayer as of December 31 of the preceding year as construction work in progress. F. Each item of property having a taxable situs in the state and valued under this section shall have its net taxable value allocated to the governmental units in which the property is located. G. A reduction in value asserted by a taxpayer as attributable to economic obsolescence or functional obsolescence shall contain an obsolescence factor along with a brief statement of the facts that support the reduction, together with supporting documentation. The documentation may include items such as monthly throughput volumes from the prior year; comparisons to a documented industry standard; comparisons to a close competitor; and an engineer's or appraiser's valuation. The department may adopt rules that include other types of objective evidence of functional obsolescence or economic obsolescence. H. If the department determines that a taxpayer has not established, based on the brief statement of facts and the supporting documentation provided, that the reduction for functional obsolescence or economic obsolescence is in accordance with the law or rules adopted by the department, the department shall notify the taxpayer of the department's determination in writing setting forth the reasons for its determination and specifying the supporting information that the department requires. The department shall provide the notice by April 1 or thirty days after the return is filed but no later than April 15 of the tax year. If the taxpayer does not file the report by March 15 of the property tax year, the department shall not be required to furnish a timely notice of deficiency by April 15 of the property tax year. In the case of properties regulated by the federal energy regulatory commission, the notice of deficiency shall be provided to the taxpayer within fifteen days after the filing of the report and the taxpayer shall then have ten days within which to correct the deficiency. I. The department shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of this section.

Legislative History

Laws 1973, ch. 258, § 28; 1953 Comp., § 72-29-16; Laws 1975, ch. 165, § 8;