photo by: Journal-World

The west side of the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St.

Changes to a Kansas law that exempts different categories of personal property from taxation will start on Jan. 1, and Douglas County Appraiser Brad Eldridge said about 38% of the county’s personal property assets will qualify for exemption under the new law.

“These changes significantly reduce the amount of personal property that residents will need to report each year,” Eldridge said in a news release from Douglas County. “Our goal is to make sure people understand what is still taxable and what no longer requires any action on their part.”

The list of personal property that is exempt from taxation includes:

• Watercraft and marine equipment

• Off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, golf carts and snowmobiles

• Motorized bicycles, scooters and mopeds

• Trailers with a gross weight of 15,000 pounds or less exclusively for personal use

Any property that becomes exempt on Jan. 1 will remain taxable for the portion of the year it was owned prior to that date. After Jan. 1, residents will no longer be required to notify the Appraiser’s Office of changes related to exempt personal property.

The personal property that will continue to be taxed includes mobile homes, tiny homes, aircraft, antique and salvage-title vehicles, vehicles with heavy tags and oil and gas leases. Residents who own taxable personal property will receive a value notice in May 2026 and a tax bill in November 2026.

Owners also need to notify the Appraiser’s Office of any changes to taxable personal property, which includes the purchase of personal property, sale of personal property, changes in the use and changes in where the property is stored.

The Appraiser’s Office is going to mail letters to all personal property owners in early January outlining the state law changes, the release said.