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Counties and
municipalities may grant an exemption on all property taxes, except
school taxes, for an initial period of 10 years. Eligible enterprises
include warehouse and/or distribution centers, manufacturers, processors,
refineries, research facilities, regional and national headquarters,
movie industry studios, air transportation and maintenance facilities.
County and municipal
authorities may levy a fee in lieu of taxes, including school taxes,
on projects totaling over $100 million. The minimum fee allowable
cannot be less than one-third of the property tax levy. Eligible
enterprises include warehouse and/or distribution centers, manufacturers,
processors, refineries, research facilities, regional and national
headquarters, air transportation and maintenance facilities, and
regional shopping malls. This fee is subject to approval by the
Mississippi Development Authority.
Manufacturers
may also be exempt from paying property taxes, including school
taxes, on finished goods inventory by taking advantage of Mississippi's
Free Port Warehouse law. Manufacturers must operate a warehouse
as a business separate and apart from the manufacturing operation,
and at least 50% of the value of personal property consigned to
the warehouse must be shipped to destinations outside the State.
Companies with free port warehouses can be exempt from paying property
taxes on finished goods stored in the warehouse in the ratio that
the value of shipments outside the State bears to the value of total
shipments. For example, if 98% of the value of finished goods are
shipped to destinations outside the State, then 98% of the value
of the goods on January 1 would be exempt from property taxes.
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Example
of Property Tax:
Assume that a plant is located within a municipality, where
the total of all property taxes is 78.5 mills. The total tax
due is shown below:
| Taxable
Property |
True
Value
(in dollars) |
| Land |
10,000 |
| Buildings |
1,500,000 |
| Machinery
& Equipment |
700,000 |
| Work-in-Process |
100,000 |
| Raw
Materials |
200,000 |
| Finished
Goods |
500,000 |
| Total |
2,910,000 |
Assessed
Value: 15% x $2,910,000 or $436,500
Tax due before exemptions: 78.5 mills x $436,500 or $34,265
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