Property exempt from taxation; initial request for exemption; forms, content and filing of request for exemption; recommendations by county appraiser; determination and order by state board of tax appeals; tax not required to be paid during pendency of application; abatement or refund of taxes by court; nonapplicability of provisions to certain exempt property.
K.S.A. 79-213
in effect79-213. Property exempt from taxation; initial request for exemption; forms, content and filing of request for exemption; recommendations by county appraiser; determination and order by state board of tax appeals; tax not required to be paid during pendency of application; abatement or refund of taxes by court; nonapplicability of provisions to certain exempt property.
(a) Any property owner requesting an exemption from the payment of ad valorem property taxes assessed, or to be assessed, against their property shall be required to file an initial request for exemption, on forms approved by the state board of tax appeals and provided by the county appraiser.
(b) The initial exemption request shall identify the property for which the exemption is requested and state, in detail, the legal and factual basis for the exemption claimed.
(c) The request for exemption shall be filed with the county appraiser of the county where such property is principally located.
(d) After a review of the exemption request, and after a preliminary examination of the facts as alleged, the county appraiser shall recommend that the exemption request either be granted or denied, and, if necessary, that a hearing be held. If a denial is recommended, a statement of the controlling facts and law relied upon shall be included on the form.
(e) The county appraiser, after making such written recommendation, shall file the request for exemption and the recommendations of the county appraiser with the state board of tax appeals. With regard to a request for exemption from property tax pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 79-201g and 82a-409 , and amendments thereto, not filed with the board of tax appeals by the county appraiser on or before the effective date of this act, if the county appraiser recommends the exemption request be granted, the exemption shall be provided in the amount recommended by the county appraiser and the county appraiser shall not file the request for exemption and recommendations of the county appraiser with the state board of tax appeals. The county clerk or county assessor shall annually make such adjustment in the taxes levied against the real property as the owner may be entitled to receive under the provisions of K.S.A. 79-201g , and amendments thereto, as recommended by the county appraiser, beginning with the first period, following the date of issue of the certificate of completion on which taxes are regularly levied, and during the years which the landowner is entitled to such adjustment.
(f) Upon receipt of the request for exemption, the board shall docket the same and notify the applicant and the county appraiser of such fact.
(g) After examination of the request for exemption and the county appraiser's recommendation related thereto, the board may fix a time and place for hearing, and shall notify the applicant and the county appraiser of the time and place so fixed. A request for exemption pursuant to: (1) Section 13 of article 11 of the constitution of the state of Kansas; or (2) K.S.A. 79-201a Second , and amendments thereto, for property constructed or purchased, in whole or in part, with the proceeds of revenue bonds under the authority of K.S.A. 12-1740 through 12-1749 , and amendments thereto, prepared in accordance with instructions and assistance which shall be provided by the department of commerce, shall be deemed approved unless scheduled for hearing within 30 days after the date of receipt of all required information and data relating to the request for exemption, and such hearing shall be conducted within 90 days after such date. Such time periods shall be determined without regard to any extension or continuance allowed to either party to such request. In any case where a party to such request for exemption requests a hearing thereon, the same shall be granted. Hearings shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Kansas administrative procedure act. In all instances where the board sets a request for exemption for hearing, the county shall be represented by its county attorney or county counselor.
(h) Except as otherwise provided by subsection (g), in the event of a hearing, the same shall be originally set not later than 90 days after the filing of the request for exemption with the board.
(i) During the pendency of a request for exemption, no person, firm, unincorporated association, company or corporation charged with real estate or personal property taxes pursuant to K.S.A. 79-2004 and 79-2004a , and amendments thereto, on the tax books in the hands of the county treasurer shall be required to pay the tax from the date the request is filed with the county appraiser until the expiration of 30 days after the board issued its order thereon and the same becomes a final order. In the event that taxes have been assessed against the subject property, no interest shall accrue on any unpaid tax for the year or years in question nor shall the unpaid tax be considered delinquent from the date the request is filed with the county appraiser until the expiration of 30 days after the board issued its order thereon. In the event the board determines an application for exemption is without merit and filed in bad faith to delay the due date of the tax, the tax shall be considered delinquent as of the date the tax would have been due pursuant to K.S.A. 79-2004 and 79-2004a , and amendments thereto, and interest shall accrue as prescribed therein.
(j) In the event the board grants the initial request for exemption, the same shall be effective beginning with the date of first exempt use except that, with respect to property the construction of which commenced not to exceed 24 months prior to the date of first exempt use, the same shall be effective beginning with the date of commencement of construction.
(k) In conjunction with its authority to grant exemptions, the board shall have the authority to abate all unpaid taxes that have accrued from and since the effective date of the exemption. In the event that taxes have been paid during the period where the subject property has been determined to be exempt, the board shall have the authority to order a refund of taxes for the year immediately preceding the year in which the exemption application is filed in accordance with subsection (a).
(l) The provisions of this section shall not apply to: (1) Farm machinery and equipment exempted from ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-201j , and amendments thereto; (2) personal property exempted from ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-215 , and amendments thereto; (3) wearing apparel, household goods and personal effects exempted from ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-201c , and amendments thereto; (4) livestock; (5) all property exempted from ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-201d , and amendments thereto; (6) merchants' and manufacturers' inventories exempted from ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-201m , and amendments thereto; (7) grain exempted from ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-201n , and amendments thereto; (8) property exempted from ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-201a Seventeenth , and amendments thereto, including all property previously acquired by the secretary of transportation or a predecessor in interest, which is used in the administration, construction, maintenance or operation of the state system of highways. The secretary of transportation shall at the time of acquisition of property notify the county appraiser in the county in which the property is located that the acquisition occurred and provide a legal description of the property acquired; (9) property exempted from ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-201a Ninth , and amendments thereto, including all property previously acquired by the Kansas turnpike authority which is used in the administration, construction, maintenance or operation of the Kansas turnpike. The Kansas turnpike authority shall at the time of acquisition of property notify the county appraiser in the county in which the property is located that the acquisition occurred and provide a legal description of the property acquired; (10) aquaculture machinery and equipment exempted from ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-201j , and amendments thereto. As used in this section, "aquaculture" has the same meaning ascribed thereto by K.S.A. 47-1901 , and amendments thereto; (11) Christmas tree machinery and equipment exempted from ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-201j , and amendments thereto; (12) property used exclusively by the state or any municipality or political subdivision of the state for right-of-way purposes. The state agency or the governing body of the municipality or political subdivision shall at the time of acquisition of property for right-of-way purposes notify the county appraiser in the county in which the property is located that the acquisition occurred and provide a legal description of the property acquired; (13) machinery, equipment, materials and supplies exempted from ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-201w , and amendments thereto; (14) vehicles owned by the state or by any political or taxing subdivision thereof and used exclusively for governmental purposes; (15) property used for residential purposes which is exempted pursuant to K.S.A. 79-201x , and amendments thereto, from the property tax levied pursuant to K.S.A. 72-5142 , and amendments thereto; (16) from and after July 1, 1998, vehicles which are owned by an organization having as one of its purposes the assistance by the provision of transit services to the elderly and to disabled persons and which are exempted pursuant to K.S.A. 79-201 Ninth , and amendments thereto; (17) from and after July 1, 1998, motor vehicles exempted from taxation by K.S.A. 79-5107 (e), and amendments thereto; (18) commercial and industrial machinery and equipment exempted from property or ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-223 , and amendments thereto; (19) telecommunications machinery and equipment and railroad machinery and equipment exempted from property or ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-224 , and amendments thereto; (20) property exempted from property or ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-234 , and amendments thereto; (21) recreational vehicles exempted from property or ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-5121 (e), and amendments thereto; (22) property acquired by a land bank exempt from property or ad valorem taxation pursuant to K.S.A. 12-5909 or K.S.A. 19-26,111 , and amendments thereto; (23) property belonging exclusively to the United States and exempted from ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-201a First , and amendments thereto, except that the provisions of this subsection (l)(23) shall not apply to any such property that the congress of the United States has expressly declared to be subject to state and local taxation; (24) watercraft exempted from property or ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 79-5501 , and amendments thereto; and (25) property exempted from property or ad valorem taxation by K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 79-267 , and amendments thereto.
(m) The provisions of this section shall apply to property exempt pursuant to the provisions of section 13 of article 11 of the constitution of the state of Kansas.
(n) The provisions of subsection (k) as amended by this act shall be applicable to all exemption applications filed in accordance with subsection (a) after December 31, 2001.
(o) No exemption authorized by K.S.A. 79-227 , and amendments thereto, of property from the payment of ad valorem property taxes assessed shall be granted unless the requesting property owner files an initial request for exemption pursuant to this section within two years of the date in which construction of a new qualifying pipeline property began. The provisions of this subsection shall be applicable to all requests for exemptions filed in accordance with subsection (a) after June 30, 2017.
L. 1980, ch. 307, § 1; L. 1984, ch. 349, § 3; L. 1986, ch. 370, § 2; L. 1988, ch. 375, § 3; L. 1988, ch. 356, § 313; L. 1989, ch. 288, § 3; L. 1990, ch. 345, § 4; L. 1992, ch. 287, § 2; L. 1994, ch. 23, § 1; L. 1995, ch. 254, § 4; L. 1997, ch. 126, § 35; L. 1997, ch. 187, § 3; L. 1998, ch. 130, § 36; L. 1998, ch. 146, § 5; L. 1999, ch. 126, § 13; L. 2003, ch. 156, § 3; L. 2004, ch. 180, § 13; L. 2006, ch. 205, § 10; L. 2008, ch. 182, § 17; L. 2009, ch. 143, § 32; L. 2014, ch. 132, § 4; L. 2015, ch. 4, § 74; L. 2017, ch. 99, § 5; L. 2018, ch. 102, § 5; L. 2025, ch. 123, § 3; July 1.
Revisor's Note:
Section was amended twice in the 1992 session, see also 79-213b.
Section was amended twice in the 2003 session, see also 79-213c.
Section was amended twice in the 2008 session, see also 79-213e.
Section was amended twice in the 2014 session, see also 79-213f.
Section was amended twice in the 2017 session, see also 79-213g.
Law Review and Bar Journal References:
"Survey of Kansas Law: Taxation," Sandra Craig McKenzie and Virginia Ratzlaff, 33 K.L.R. 71, 74 (1984).
"The Kansas Property Tax: Understanding and Surviving Reappraisal," P. John Brady, Brian T. Howes, and Greg L. Musil, 57 J.K.B.A. No. 3, 23, 26 (1988).
"Justifying Real Property Tax Exemptions in Kansas," James P. Buchele, 27 W.L.J. 252, 268 (1988).
"Avoiding Economic Injury: Considerations in the Application of the Economic Development Exemption," J. K. Wilson, 4 Kan. J.L. & Pub. Pol'y, No. 2, 51, 52 (1995).
"Kansas Property Tax Appeals: An Adversarial System Without Adversaries," Gage A. Rohlf, 49 W.L.J. 871 (2010).
Attorney General's Opinions:
Determination of property exempt from taxation. 82-252.
Golf carts are subject to taxation. 82-260.
Waters and watercourses; collection, storage and impounding of waters; construction and maintenance of dams; donation of easements; tax exemption. 85-43.
Church parsonages; application for exemption. 86-119.
Property exempt from taxation; claim to be filed each year. 86-168.
Property exempt from taxation; claim to be filed each year. 87-5.
Taxation on property transferred to federal land bank before payment of taxes; collection. 87-135.
Coal and gas of public utility; system of taxation; classification; exemption. 89-85.
Property used exclusively by the state; filing for exemption. 90-56.
State board of tax appeals; formal hearings; participation and representation of parties. 93-100.
Property exempted from property taxes not required to be listed. 96-7.
Farm storage and drying equipment; length of exemption. 96-60.
Delinquent taxes falling outside tax exemption request may be collected using standard tax collection procedures. 2007-11.
CASE ANNOTATIONS
1. Statute, along with K.S.A. 74-2426, 79-2005, provides administrative remedy for determining tax-exempt status of property before resort to courts. Tri-County Public Airport Authority v. Board of Morris County Comm'rs, 233 Kan. 960, 965, 967, 666 P.2d 698 (1983).
2. Cited; constitutionality of industrial revenue bond tax exemptions (K.S.A. 79-201a Second) and payments in lieu of taxes (K.S.A. 12-1742) upheld. State ex rel. Tomasic v. City of Kansas City, 237 Kan. 572, 583, 701 P.2d 1314 (1985).
3. Cited in holding as tax-exempt, property stored in Kansas of not-for-profit Missouri hospital corporation authorized as Kansas not-for-profit corporation. Board of Johnson County Comm'rs v. St. Joseph Hosp., 241 Kan. 613, 615, 619, 738 P.2d 454 (1987).
4. BOTA powerless to order county appraiser to investigate property not in controversy before BOTA. Salina Airport Authority v. Board of Tax Appeals, 13 Kan. App. 2d 80, 87, 761 P.2d 1261 (1988).
5. Property rented for profit as nonexempt regardless if used for purpose stated in Kansas Constitution, article 11, § 13 determined. Board of Wyandotte County Comm'rs v. Kansas Ave. Properties, 246 Kan. 161, 162, 786 P.2d 1141 (1990).
6. BOTA's lack of authority to investigate property not in dispute before it determined. In re Application of Park Comm'rs for Ad Valorem Tax Exemption, 14 Kan. App. 2d 777, 781, 782, 799 P.2d 505 (1990).
7. Legislative history of administrative remedies in seeking tax exemption hereunder K.S.A. 74-2426, 79-2005 discussed and applied. J. Enterprises, Inc. v. Board of Harvey County Comm'rs, 253 Kan. 552, 857 P.2d 666 (1993).
8. Challenge to tax assessment dismissed where plaintiffs filed in district court before presenting to BOTA. Dillon Stores v. Board of Sedgwick County Comm'rs, 259 Kan. 295, 298, 912 P.2d 170 (1996).
9. Rent-to-own company's inventory qualified for ad valorem tax exemption; inventory construed. Board of Sedgwick County Comm'rs v. Action Rent to Own, Inc., 266 Kan. 293, 295, 969 P.2d 844 (1998).
10. Retroactive application of 2003 amendment to subsection (k) violated clinic's due process rights. In re Tax Appeal of Garden City Medical Clinic, 36 Kan. App. 2d 114, 124, 137 P.3d 1058 (2006).
11. Appeals and tax exemption applications timely, taxpayers were not public utilities as defined by K.S.A. 79-5a01. In re Appeal of Director of Property Valuation, 284 Kan. 592, 594, 161 P.3d 755 (2007).
12. Board of Tax Appeals erred in granting appellant's exemption request where it differed from previous exemptions granted and did not provide for a refund of taxes paid. John O. Farmer, Inc. v. Bd. of Ellis Cnty. Comm'rs, 62 Kan. App. 2d 262, 511 P.3d 293 (2022).
Source: Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes (ksrevisor.gov)URL: https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch79/079_002_0013.htmlFetched: 10/20/2026