Bill Introduced to Level Property Tax Field for Small Farms

A bill introduced by Representative Beth Doglio would help define smaller farms with the same definitions in terms of property taxes as large farms so they could get the same breaks.

“It’s a property tax incentive program basically to try and keep as much farm land here in Washington State as we can in ag.”

Currently agriculture land that is less than 20 acres will be taxed on fair market value rather than current use which often raises the tax rates for small producers while larger farms will be taxed based on that current use.

Doglio said it’s about fairness and opportunity.

“We just want to level it out between small farms and large farms because we want to support all farms. We want to get as much good food coming into our communities as possible and we want to keep these small farms vibrant and thriving. We also know that it’s often a stepping stone to a larger agricultural operation.”

The bill has moved through committee and is awaiting the decision on whether or not it will move to the floor for a vote.

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