Check Your Tax Bills Today!

Now is the time to look at your property tax bills to see that your land is correctly assessed and classified. Taking a few minutes to do this could save you hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars on your taxes.

A Dane County landowner recently needed to withdraw his land from the MFL. He just learned, too late, that his assessor had misclassified part of his land as productive forest rather than as agricultural. The end result was his withdrawal penalty was several thousand dollars more than it should have been had he known about, and then corrected, the problem earlier.

In another case, a landowner with land in CRP learned he was paying hundreds of dollars more than he should have because his assessor had not properly classified that land as agricultural rather than as undeveloped or productive forest.

Most of us find the tax bills we just received incredibly hard to understand. And unfortunately, they also do not provide us information on how each acre of land in our tax parcel is classified. The Department of Revenue and town officials have told us that if landowners want to know how their land is classified they need to ask their local town clerk or assessor for this information.

What Should You Do?  First download this new Department of Revenue publication to see how lands are broken down into 8 different classifications. Then check WAFO’s Tax App to see how tax rates differ in your particular municipality by classification.

Now contact either your local town clerk or assessor. Ask them to send you information on how each acre of land in each tax parcel is classified. Then check to make sure the assessor has properly classified your land, or if wrong, get it corrected.

If you’re tech savvy you might be able to find your classifications on county land information web sites. But even then, if you have land enrolled in the Managed Forest Law you won’t be able to see how it is classified. (NOTE: Land in MFL must still be classified under one of the 8 different categories. MFL is NOT a classification.)

WAFO is working with the Department of Revenue and our legislators to see that landowners receive the classification and tax information they need. By asking your local officials for this information it will also help us show there’s a need for it to be provided in our tax bills.


The Department of Revenue Responds to WAFO Inquiry on Tax Bill Transparency

Working to see that property tax bills provide information landowners need to understand how their land is assessed and taxed, discussions were initiated with the Department of Revenue. Specifically we have identified that tax bills currently do not meet a statutory requirement that they provide specific information on fair market value.  The DOR has said they will work with local municipalities to see if they can correct that but…..this change may take some time to implement.  If the additional information on how land is classified should also be included a law change may be necessary.  See WAFO’s letter to Secretary Chandler and DOR’s response.


MFL Cleanup Bill – Bill Development Continues

Along with MFL changes recommended by WAFO (allowing certain structures on MFL land and ability to enroll smaller parcels), the DNR recently offered several administrative changes they’d like to see made. We’ll keep you informed as a bill is developed.


DNR to Hold Hearings on New Managed Forest Law Regulations

The DNR has scheduled hearings on NR 46, the Administrative Rule which provides more detail and interpretation of the recent MFL law changes. One hearing will be held in Madison on February 12. The second will be held in Rhinelander on February 13. Watch for more details.

WAFO has met with DNR officials after reviewing the draft rule and will offer comments at these hearings. Of particular concern is that the Department is proposing to be able to change landowner management plans without landowner agreement. Actual language on this can be found under NR 46.18 (10) AMENDING A MANAGEMENT PLAN in the Draft NR 46.