News

Nebraska ag land valuations continue to rise

The heavy property tax burden being carried by many Nebraska farmers and ranchers may get even heavier.

According to a new Nebraska Department of Revenue report, agricultural land valuations statewide are up 29 percent over last year.  Nebraska Farm Bureau president Steve Nelson says that means ag land valuations have doubled since 2009.

Nelson says Nebraska farmers and ranchers pay the third highest property taxes in the U.S.  And not only are they too high, he says, but the balance between property, income and sales taxes in the state is out of line.

“Three percent of Nebraskans—farmers and ranchers—pay 25 percent of the property tax in the state,” Nelson says, “So there’s not a balance there and we need to address that issue.”

Farm Bureau was disappointed that legislation to reduce the percent of ag land’s value subject to taxation from 75 to 65 percent failed to make it out of the appropriations committee.

“We believed that there was support to do that—a lot of talk about that, good support from the governor,” he says, “and so part of the disappointment is that it seemed like things had lined up that we could get something done.”

Nelson says Farm Bureau will continue to advocate for property tax relief for farmers and ranchers.

AUDIO: Steve Nelson (1:05 MP3)