Lister – Current Use / Land Use
Vermont’s Agricultural and Managed Forest Land Use Value Program — better known as the Current Use Program — was created in the late 1970’s as a companion to legislation that required towns to list property at 100 percent of fair market value. Because of escalating land values, it was clear that property taxes based on fair market value were placing a heavy property tax burden on owners of productive farm and forest lands. The Current Use Program offers landowners use value property taxation based on the productive value of land rather than based on the traditional “highest and best” use of the land.
When land is enrolled in the UVA program, the State attaches a permanent lien to the deed. Land appraised under this program receives this assessment as long as it is enrolled, unless the landowner decides to withdraw the land from the program, the legislature ends the program, or the parcel is discontinued by the Division of Property Valuation & Review. If enrolled land is developed or harvested improperly, a land use change tax is levied on the developed portion and all or a portion will be discontinued from UVA. The tax is 20 percent of the fair market value of a property, or, in the case of the sale of part of a property, a pro rata share of the fair market value of the entire property.
The program is administered by the Vermont Department of Taxes.
Additional InformationProperty Valuation and Review |
| Department of Taxes Property Valuation & Review 133 State Street Montpelier, Vermont 05602 Phone: 802-828-5860 |