LAWTON –The Comanche County assessor’s office is buying new software to assist staffers in reviewing the properties that are participating in the state’s five-year manufacturing exemption program.
Without discussion, the Board of Comanche County Commissioners voted 3-0 Sept. 22 to approve a software support agreement with PlanetView GSI, a Chouteau-based company that provides software to help county assessors manage property valuations. The agreement was part of the commission’s consent agenda, which typically consists of items that do not require discussion and can be voted on as a group.
Under the one-year agreement, Planet-View GSI will provide customer support and consultations to assist the assessor’s office in reviewing the properties that do not currently pay ad valorem taxes because they are enrolled in the state’s manufacturing exemption program.
Participating companies do not have to pay their business personal property taxes for the years that they are exempt, Deputy Assessor Kim Riedel said in an email to a Southwest Ledger reporter.
“However, this doesn’t make the county lose any money because while the company’s assets are in the 5-year manufacturing exemption program, the tax bill is then paid by the Oklahoma Tax Commission,” she said. “The assets that are claimed their first year are in the program for 5 years. Then from there, those assets are the company’s responsibility to pay the tax bill on.”
Five Comanche County businesses — Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Republic Paperboard, Bar-S Foods, Georgia-Pacific and Dolese Bros. — are currently part of the manufacturing exemption program, Riedel said. She said those companies must file an application for the program each year and meet the Oklahoma Tax Commission’s requirements.
”Then, the OTC division will review each application to see if the company still qualifies for the program,” Riedel said. “If not, they send our office the notification and the company will be responsible for the taxes on those assets.”
Companies that qualify for the program can be exempt from paying ad valorem taxes for five years upon building new facilities or expanding their existing plant, according to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce’s website. The incentive is available for the following types of businesses: • Specific computer/data processing services.
• Warehouse and distribution.
• Research and development.
• Aircraft repair companies.
• Manufacturing.
• Refineries.