Section 270.074 Valuation of Flight Property; Methods of Apportionment; Ratio of Tax

MINNESOTA STATUTES AND CODES

Section 270.074 Valuation of Flight Property; Methods of Apportionment; Ratio of Tax

270.074 VALUATION OF FLIGHT PROPERTY; METHODS OF APPORTIONMENT; RATIO OF TAX.

Subdivision 1.Valuation.

The commissioner shall determine the market valuation of all flight property operated or used by every airline company in air commerce in this state. The valuation apportioned to this state of such flight property shall be the proportion of the total valuation thereof determined on the basis of the total of the following percentages:

(1) 33-1/3 percent of the percentage which the total tonnage of passengers, express and freight first received by the airline company in this state during the preceding calendar year plus the total tonnage of passengers, express and freight finally discharged by it within this state during the preceding calendar year is of the total of such tonnage first received by the airline company or finally discharged by it, within and without this state during the preceding calendar year.

(2) 33-1/3 percent of the percentage which, in equated plane hours, the total time of all aircraft of the airline company in flight in this state during the preceding calendar year, is of the total of such time in flight within and without this state during the preceding calendar year.

(3) 33-1/3 percent of the percentage which the number of revenue ton miles of passengers, mail, express and freight flown by the airline company within this state during the preceding calendar year is of the total number of such miles flown by it within and without this state during the preceding calendar year.

Subd. 2.Other apportionment methods.

The method prescribed by subdivision 1 shall be presumed to determine fairly and correctly the value of the flight property of an airline allocable to this state. Any airline aggrieved by the valuation of the flight property or the application to its case of the apportionment methods prescribed by subdivision 1, may petition the commissioner for determination of the valuation or the apportionment thereof to this state by the use of some other method. Thereupon, if the commissioner finds that the application of the methods prescribed by subdivision 1 will be unjust to the airline, the commissioner may allow the use of the methods so petitioned for by the airline, or may determine the valuation or apportionment thereof by other methods if satisfied that such other methods will fairly reflect such valuation or apportionment thereof.

Subd. 3.Tax capacity.

(a) The net tax capacity of the flight property of every airline company is 70 percent of the value thereof apportioned to this state under subdivision 1, except that the net tax capacity of quiet aircraft is 40 percent of the value determined under subdivision 1. "Quiet aircraft" means turboprops and aircraft defined as stage III or IV by the Federal Aeronautics Administration. If, in the opinion of the commissioner, other aircraft may be qualified as quiet aircraft, the commissioner may adopt rules providing additional qualifications.

(b) The flight property of an airline company that owns or leases aircraft the majority of which are turboprops, and which provides, during six months or more of the year that taxes are levied, scheduled passenger service to three or more airports inside or outside of this state that serve small or medium sized communities, shall be assessed at 50 percent of the assessment percentage otherwise set by paragraph (a).