Laws, Regulations & Annotations

L

560.0000 LEASED TO GOVERNMENT

Annotation 560.0040

560.0040 Personal Property. Absent an applicable exemption, property on the unsecured roll may be assessed to both the lessee and lessor pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code section 405. Where the lessee is immune from state and local property taxation, the lessor thereby becomes the sole assessee and the person solely responsible for applicable property taxes. The fact that the property is leased by a tax exempt entity does not exempt the property itself from state or local property taxes. However, a lessee under a direct financing lease agreement is considered the "true owner" of the property because the lessor retains legal title only for security reasons. Thus, property subject to such a lease agreement is tax exempt is the lessee is immune from property taxation. In determining whether an agreement constitutes a direct financing lease, the parties' intent, as manifested by the lease terms, is controlling. C 10/14/1998; C 8/11/2003.