Definition of "Agricultural Property"

The term agricultural property means a type of land that has been designed or is permitted to engage in agricultural activities. Also referred to as agricultural land, agricultural properties are usually dedicated to producing food for human consumption. 

Types of Agricultural Property

Agricultural properties are ideal for those interested in growing vegetables around the house for a more bio way of life by making homemade recipes from their garden. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defined agricultural properties, and other industries follow that definition. However, the definition for agricultural real estate is a collection of terms that can all describe agricultural properties.

  • Arable land - any land used to produce annually replanted crops;
  • Permanent cropland - any land used to produce annual crops without replanting;
  • Permanent pastures - any land used for grazing livestock.

Agricultural Property and Tax Exemptions

When it comes to agricultural property, the land pertaining to the owner can be used to either cultivate crops or livestock grazing. Production of timber can also be accepted on agricultural property, but states have different means to define what is and isn’t an agricultural property. It’s always best to check with your state or local government, or assessor because tax exemptions are available for agricultural land.

Depending on the state in which you live, the definition of agricultural property can change, similarly to the qualifications for agricultural land tax exemptions. The size of the land, the type of agricultural land, the revenue coming from the agricultural land, and the agricultural use value can affect how the state views the land itself or, in some cases, how the county sees it.

Comments for Agricultural Property

Kathy Kathy said:

Do farmers pay reduced property taxes on their homesteads? ie: the Amish

May 28, 2024  17:57:28

 
Real Estate Agent

Hello Kathy! Great question! 
While the Amish are generally subject to the same tax obligations as other American citizens, there are instances where they can benefit from various tax advantages on their homesteads. These benefits can include a potential reduction in property taxes if their land meets specific agricultural use criteria. 

For example, have you heard about Pennsylvania's Clean & Green program? It's a fantastic initiative to help landowners, including the Amish, by reducing their property taxes on farmland and forestland. However, there's a catch! Landowners must continue to use their property for agriculture or forestry to remain eligible. If the land use changes, the owner might have to pay back the tax savings from the previous seven years, known as a "rollback tax."

State and local regulations can vary the specifics of property tax reductions. So it's always a good idea to check with local tax authorities or a tax professional for the precise details in your area.

May 30, 2024  10:49:16
 
 
image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

property having an easement right through another adjoining property. The property through which the easement passes is considered to have the servient tenement. ...

Cubic unit of measure for a board one-foot long, one-foot wide and one inch thick, or 144 cubic inches. These measurements are not actual, since they are stated prior to finishing and ...

Device that places the ownership of real property with one or more trustees for security until the loan is paid by the debtor. It is used in place of a conventional mortgage contract in ...

Potential customer or client in which there is a realistic chance of making the sale for the product or service. An example is a prospective purchaser of real estate that the real estate ...

Under law, a warranty in effect even if not expressly stated. It provides that real property sold is warranted to be appropriate for sale and is in proper condition even if not stated, ...

Written document by an official granting agency and signed by an empowered official certifying that some specific act including the fulfillment of certain requirements has occurred on a ...

Judicially determined minimum selling price for auctioned property. For example, a judge rules that a foreclosed home may be sold for less than $200,000, ...

Rental due on the leased property is formulated as a percentage of sales volume. There is typically a minimum rental specified. An example is a retail store that pays rental based on its ...

Aerial photos are photographs taken by cameras mounted in aircraft or satellites. Aerial photos are more commonly used in the industrial Real Estate Market to get a better feel of a ...

Popular Real Estate Questions