photo by: Journal-World

The west side of the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St., is pictured on Sept. 23, 2021.

Trailer and boat owners, along with other personal property owners in Kansas, are no longer obligated to file an annual form that helps assess personal property to the county Appraiser’s Office.

This reporting form was previously required to be filed each year, to help local governments determine property taxes. If there are any changes to the property, like acquiring new items or disposing of old ones, the form is still expected to be updated and submitted. However, if there were no changes from the previous year, some jurisdictions, like Kansas, no longer require filing the form annually as a matter of course.

Earlier this year, Kansas lawmakers removed the annual reporting requirement for taxpayers if there is an accurate description, or rendition, on file and there have been no changes to their personal property. The change was made in Senate Bill 410 that amended the Kansas Statute that addresses the listing and filing requirements for personal property.

Currently, in Douglas County, there are approximately 7,200 personal property accounts. Personal property includes items such as mobile homes, recreational vehicles and trailers, as well as oil and gas leases.

“These changes are good for personal property owners – lower penalties for late filing and less paperwork to file each year,” Douglas County Appraiser Brad Eldridge said in a press release. “Contact our office if there are changes on the ownership, use or where it is stored.”

Previously, Kansas personal property owners had to submit a signed rendition to the Appraiser’s Office by March 15 each year. The new state law also specifies that the county appraiser’s office is no longer required to mail renditions to property owners. Instead, the office will rely on property owners to notify them of any changes.

The law also says that penalty fees for filing late or failure to file have been reduced. The fees can vary depending on how late the renditions are submitted. According to a news release, a late filing fee of $20 may be as low as $5 under the new law.

The Douglas County Appraiser’s Office will be mailing letters to all personal property owners about the state law changes in early January.