42-15053. Duty to report personal property; exemption; contents of report; confidentiality

A. On or before February 1 of each year, the assessor shall mail a form, notice or demand to each person that owns or has charge or control of taxable personal property in this state. Each person shall prepare and deliver to the assessor a correct report of property on or before April 1 of each year. On written request and for good cause shown, the assessor may extend for up to thirty days the time for filing the report.

B. Property that is not required to be reported as provided by subsection D of this section is exempt from the reporting requirement of subsection A of this section. The county assessor may not require a person that owns or has charge or control of property that is not required to be reported as provided by subsection D of this section to apply to be exempt from the reporting requirement of subsection A of this section.

C. The duty to report taxable property pursuant to this section applies regardless of whether the person or entity that owns or has charge or control of the personal property also owns real property in the county with a value of $200 or more.

D. The assessor shall not require a report of:

1. The breed, number, age or location of livestock on hand from individuals, corporations, partnerships or any other business if the livestock is exempt from taxation pursuant to article IX, section 13, Constitution of Arizona.

2. The personal property that is class two (P) property pursuant to section 42-12002, paragraph 2 and that is used for agricultural purposes or that is class one, subclasses 8 through 11 and 13 property pursuant to section 42-12001 and that is used in a trade or business that is exempt from taxation pursuant to article IX, section 2, subsection (6), Constitution of Arizona.

E. Every assessment made against property that is subject to taxation is valid whether or not the form, notice or demand was sent or received.

F. The department shall prescribe in detail the contents of property reports including the specific wording to be used by county assessors and the method of reporting property. The report shall not include any question that is not germane to the valuation function.

G. A report that is furnished under this section:

1. Is not open to public inspection, but the report may be used as evidence in any prosecution brought under section 42-15055.

2. May be subject to audit. On completing an audit or on discovering property that has not been reported, any property that was found to have escaped taxation is liable for the amount of taxes due determined under chapter 16, article 6 of this title, plus a penalty equal to ten percent of that amount. The county treasurer shall credit monies received as penalties under this paragraph to the county general fund.