Budget & Taxes (Property Tax)

passed · Iowa · House Apr 20, 2026

HF 1050: A bill for an act relating to the assessment of property containing certain aboveground storage tanks and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

HF 1050 modifies how certain aboveground storage tanks are assessed for property tax purposes. The bill specifies that aboveground storage tanks with a capacity of 91,000 gallons or less will no longer be assessed and taxed as real property, regardless of their use. This change directly affects property owners with such tanks and local taxing authorities. The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies retroactively to assessment years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill removes property tax on qualifying storage tanks, providing direct tax relief to property owners and reducing local tax burden.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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passed · Iowa · Senate Apr 30, 2025

SF 635: A bill for an act relating to the abatement of property taxes owed on property owned by certain volunteer emergency services providers and including effective date and applicability provisions.

SF 635 authorizes property tax abatements for eligible volunteer emergency services providers on their homesteads. To qualify, volunteers must have served for at least five years, earn less than $5,000 annually from their service, and be in good standing with their agency. They can petition their county board of supervisors, who will review the request and notify local taxing authorities, allowing them to object to the abatement. If approved, the abatement reduces property taxes and special assessments by 10%, up to $500 per year. Volunteers with ten or more years of service may receive this abatement for the remainder of their lives, provided their homestead remains in the service area.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides property tax abatement for low-income volunteers (earning <$5k annually), directly reducing tax burden per bill's explicit provisions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 22, 2025

SF 29: A bill for an act relating to property tax exemptions by changing the homestead tax exemption to a credit for owners attaining sixty-five years of age and increasing the military service tax exemption, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

This Iowa bill (SF 29) changes property tax benefits for specific groups. It replaces the existing homestead exemption for homeowners aged 65+ with a credit equal to $6,500 in actual property taxes paid, available to those with household incomes under 250% of the federal poverty level. It also increases military veterans' property tax exemption to a credit equivalent to $4,000 (based on actual tax rates), applying to honorably discharged veterans. Both changes take effect retroactively for assessment years beginning January 1, 2025. The bill directly affects elderly homeowners and veterans who meet income or service criteria.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides tax credits for seniors (65+) and veterans under 250% poverty level, reducing property tax burden for lower-income groups.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransIncreases military veterans' property tax exemption credit to $4,000, expanding benefits for honorably discharged veterans.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Incentives

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 27, 2025

HF 142: A bill for an act creating conservation area designations subject to modified property tax levy rates and eliminating the forest and fruit-tree reservation property tax exemption program.

This bill creates new conservation area designations for landowners, replacing Iowa's existing forest and fruit-tree tax exemption program. Land designated as a conservation area will be taxed at $12 per acre for commercial uses (like fruit production or pasture managed with a certified plan) or $8 per acre for other conservation uses, starting in 2026. To qualify, areas must cover at least five continuous acres and meet specific land-use requirements, such as maintaining pasture stubble height or having hunting/fishing leases. The bill phases out the old exemption program, which applied only before 2026 and will be fully repealed by 2031.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesEliminates existing tax exemption program, replacing it with mandatory property tax rates ($8-$12/acre), increasing tax burden for qualifying landowners compared to previous exemption.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentReplaces tax exemption with conservation area tax incentives, promoting sustainable land use and resource conservation through lower tax rates for designated conservation areas.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Incentives Conservation Forestry

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 30, 2025

HF 172: A bill for an act allowing cities to certify taxes for general fund levy for various purposes upon approval of the voters at an election.

HF 172 allows Iowa cities to levy specific voter-approved taxes for cultural, community, and infrastructure projects. It reinstates limits for taxes up to 13.5 cents per $1,000 valuation to support musical groups, symphony orchestras, or public libraries, and up to 81 cents per $1,000 for memorial buildings or monuments. Cities must submit these tax proposals to voters at regular or special elections, with details like tax rates and project specifics included in election notices. The bill recodifies these tax options after they were previously eliminated, maintaining the same voter approval requirements and rate limits. It directly affects city residents through property tax changes and local organizations receiving funding for cultural or public facilities.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEnables voter-approved property tax levies for cultural/public infrastructure funding, aligning with supporting public service investment through taxation.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax State Budget

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 3, 2025

HF 196: A bill for an act allowing cities to certify taxes for a general fund levy for libraries.

HF 196 allows Iowa cities to levy a property tax of up to 27 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to fund public libraries, directly affecting cities with libraries and their property owners. The bill requires cities to seek voter approval via petition and election before implementing the tax, with the tax removable through the same process. It reestablishes a library tax eliminated by a prior bill (HF 718), restoring the specific funding mechanism while maintaining the same voter approval requirements that existed before HF 718. The tax is limited to library support and cannot be used for other city purposes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRestores library tax levy mechanism, enabling city-level property tax funding for public libraries via voter approval, directly advancing public service funding through tax levies.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 6, 2025

HF 235: A bill for an act modifying the general and rural county services levy rate limitation for fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2026.

HF 235 modifies Iowa's property tax rate limits for general and rural county services starting July 1, 2026. It allows counties to increase their tax rate if the total property value for the new budget year is 101% or less of the current year's value, calculating the new rate as 103% of current tax dollars divided by the new property value. Each county may adjust its rate only once per fiscal year under this provision. This bill directly affects counties needing to set property tax rates for services like roads and emergency response. The change provides a limited pathway for small tax increases without exceeding existing rate caps.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesModifies property tax rate limits to allow flexible county budget adjustments based on property values, promoting fiscal stability and responsible tax management.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 13, 2025

HF 418: A bill for an act relating to property taxes by modifying the methodology for determining actual value of residential property, certain levy rates, and assessment limitations of certain classes of property, and including retroactive applicability provisions.

HF 418 modifies Iowa's property tax system for residential properties by limiting annual increases in assessed value. Starting in 2026, the actual value of most residential properties cannot exceed 100% of the prior year's value, unless the property had no prior assessment, underwent boundary changes, new construction, or structural improvements. This cap directly affects Iowa homeowners, particularly those in areas with rising property values, and includes retroactive application to prior assessment years. The bill also clarifies market value definitions and restricts assessors from using certain financial data when valuing commercial properties.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCaps annual property tax increases for homeowners, providing tax relief by limiting assessed value growth to 100% of prior year's value.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 18, 2025

HF 444: A bill for an act relating to property assessment and property taxation by creating a recreational class of real property for golf courses.

HF 444 creates a new "recreational property" classification for golf courses operated as commercial businesses. Starting with the 2026 assessment year, these properties would be assessed at 75% of their actual value for tax purposes, rather than the standard rate applied to other property types. This would reduce property taxes for qualifying golf courses. The bill specifically defines "recreational property" as commercial golf courses subject to taxation.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill reduces property tax rate for commercial golf courses (75% valuation), creating tax break primarily for business owners (likely wealthy), aligning with OPPOSE indicators.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Property Tax

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 19, 2025

SJR 6: A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa by repealing the natural resources and outdoor recreation trust fund, and dedicating a portion of state revenue from sales and use taxes imposed for the benefit of property tax relief.

SJR 6 is a constitutional amendment proposing to repeal Iowa’s natural resources and outdoor recreation trust fund (which funded parks, trails, and conservation) and replace it with a new property tax relief trust fund. The amendment would dedicate a portion of increased sales and use tax revenue (capped at 0.375% of taxable sales) to lower school district property tax levies uniformly across the state. This fund would replace revenue previously generated from the foundation property tax levy, directly reducing property taxes for homeowners and businesses that fund public schools. As a constitutional amendment, it requires voter approval after legislative passage.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill dedicates sales tax revenue (capped at 0.375%) to lower school district property taxes, directly providing tax relief as a core mechanism.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationDedicates 0.375% sales tax revenue to lower school district property tax levies uniformly, replacing foundation levy revenue to provide stable funding for K-12 schools.85% confidence ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentRepeals natural resources trust fund (funded parks/trails) and redirects revenue to property tax relief, defunding conservation efforts95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Revenue Sales Tax Parks & Recreation

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