Section 401.15.
Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 401.15.
in effect(a)
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for any county that makes available the credits provided for in Section 5096.3, the full cash values of certificated aircraft for fiscal years to the 1997–98 fiscal year, inclusive, are presumed to be those values enrolled by the county assessor or, in the case of timely escape assessments upon certificated aircraft issued on or after April 1, 1998, pursuant to Sections 531, 531.3, and 531.4, the values enrolled upon those escape assessments, provided that the escape assessment is made in accordance with the methodology in subdivision (b). For escape assessments for fiscal years to the 1997–98 fiscal year, inclusive, the assessor shall use the methodology and minimum and market values set by the California Assessors’ Association for the applicable fiscal year in lieu of the methodology set forth in subparagraph (C) or (D) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b). The assessor is not required to revise or change existing enrolled assessments that are not subject to escape assessment to reflect the methodology in this section. Nothing in this section precludes audit adjustments and offsets as set forth in Section 469 or the correction of reporting errors raised by an airline. Nothing in this section affects any presumption of correctness concerning allocation of aircraft values.
(b)
(1)
For the 1998–99 fiscal year to the 2002–03 fiscal year, inclusive, and including escape assessments levied on or after April 1, 1998, for any fiscal year to the 2002–03 fiscal year, inclusive, except as otherwise provided in subdivision (a), certificated aircraft shall be presumed to be valued at full market value if all of the following conditions are met:
(A)
Except as provided in subparagraph (D), value is derived using original cost. The original cost shall be the greater of the following:
(i)
Taxpayer’s cost for that individual aircraft reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, so long as that produces net acquisition cost, and to the extent not included in the taxpayer’s cost, transportation costs and capitalized interest and the cost of any capital addition or modification made before a transaction described in clause (ii).
(ii)
The cost established in a sale/leaseback or assignment of purchase rights transaction for that individual aircraft that transfers the benefits and burdens of ownership to the lessor for United States federal income tax purposes.
If the original cost for leased aircraft cannot be determined from information reasonably available to the taxpayer, original cost may be determined by reference to the “average new prices” column of the Airliner Price Guide for that model, series, and year of manufacture of aircraft. If information is not available in the “average new prices” column for that model, series, and year, the original cost may be determined using the best indicator of original cost plus all conversion costs incurred for that aircraft. In the event of a merger, bankruptcy, or change in accounting methods by the reporting airline, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the cost of the individual aircraft and the acquisition date reported by the acquired company, if available, or the cost reported prior to the change in accounting method, are the original cost and the applicable acquisition date.
(B)
Original cost, plus the cost of any capital additions or modifications not otherwise included in the original cost, shall be adjusted from the date of the acquisition of the aircraft to the lien date using the producer price index for aircraft and a 16-year straight-line percent good table starting from the delivery date of the aircraft to the current owner or, in the case of a sale/leaseback or assignment of purchase rights transaction, as described in this section, the current operator with a minimum combined factor of 25 percent, unless this adjustment results in a value less than the minimum value for that aircraft computed pursuant to subparagraph (C), in which case the minimum value may be used. If original cost is determined by reference to the Airliner Price Guide “average new prices” column, the adjustments required by this paragraph shall be made by setting the acquisition date of the aircraft to be the date of the aircraft’s manufacture.
(C)
For certificated aircraft of a model and series that has been in revenue service for eight or more years, the minimum value shall not exceed the average of the used aircraft prices shown in columns other than the “average new prices” column for used aircraft of the oldest aircraft for that model and series in the Airliner Price Guide most recently published as of the lien date. Minimum values shall not be utilized for certificated aircraft of a model and series that has been in revenue service for less than eight years.
(D)
For out-of-production aircraft that were recommended to be valued by a market approach for 1998 by the California Assessors’ Association, assessments will be based at the lower of the following:
(i)
The values established by the association for the 1998 lien date.
(ii)
The average of the used aircraft prices shown in the columns other than the “average new prices” column for used aircraft of the five oldest years for the aircraft model and series or that lesser time for which data is available in the Airliner Price Guide.
(2)
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in computing assessed value, the assessor may allow for extraordinary obsolescence if supported by market evidence and the taxpayer may challenge the assessment for failure to do so. To constitute market evidence of extraordinary obsolescence and to permit an assessment appeal, the evidence must show that the functional and/or economic obsolescence is in excess of 10 percent of the value for the aircraft model and series otherwise established pursuant to subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) of paragraph (1).
(3)
For purposes of paragraph (1), if the Airliner Price Guide ceases to be published or the format significantly changes, a guide or adjustment agreed to by the airlines and the taxing counties shall be substituted.
(c)
(1)
For the 2003–04 fiscal year, certificated aircraft shall be presumed to be valued at full market value if all of the following conditions are met:
(A)
Except as provided in subparagraph (D), value is derived using original cost. The original cost shall be the greater of the following:
(i)
Taxpayer’s cost for that individual aircraft reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, so long as that produces net acquisition cost, and to the extent not included in the taxpayer’s cost, transportation costs and capitalized interest and the cost of any capital addition or modification made before a transaction described in clause (ii).
(ii)
Taxpayer’s cost as established pursuant to this subdivision plus one-half of the incremental difference between taxpayer’s cost and the cost established in a sale/leaseback or assignment of purchase rights transaction for individual aircraft that transfers the benefits and burdens of ownership to the lessor for United States federal income tax purposes.
If the original cost for leased aircraft cannot be determined from information reasonably available to the taxpayer, original cost may be determined by reference to the “average new prices” column of the Airliner Price Guide for that model, series, and year of manufacture of aircraft. If information is not available in the “average new prices” column for that model, series, and year, the original cost may be determined using the best indicator of original cost plus all conversion costs incurred for that aircraft. In the event of a merger, bankruptcy, or change in accounting methods by the reporting airline, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the cost of the individual aircraft and the acquisition date reported by the acquired company, if available, or the cost reported prior to the change in accounting method, are the original cost and the applicable acquisition date.
(B)
Original cost, plus the cost of any capital additions or modifications not otherwise included in original cost, shall be adjusted from the date of the acquisition of the aircraft to the lien date using the producer price index for aircraft and a 16-year straight-line percent good table starting from the delivery date of the aircraft to the current owner or, in the case of a sale/leaseback or assignment of purchase rights transaction, as described in this section, the current operator with a minimum combined factor of 25 percent, unless this adjustment results in a value less than the minimum value for that aircraft computed pursuant to subparagraph (C), in which case the minimum value may be used. If original cost is determined by reference to the Airliner Price Guide “average new prices” column, the adjustments required by this paragraph shall be made by setting the acquisition date of the aircraft to be the date of the aircraft’s manufacture.
(C)
For certificated aircraft of a model and series that has been in revenue service for eight or more years, the minimum value shall not exceed the average of the used aircraft prices shown in columns other than the “average new prices” column for used aircraft of the oldest aircraft for that model and series in the Airliner Price Guide most recently published as of the lien date. Minimum values shall not be utilized for certificated aircraft of a model and series that has been in revenue service for less than eight years.
(D)
For out-of-production aircraft that were recommended to be valued by a market approach for 1998 by the California Assessors’ Association, their assessments shall be based at the lower of the following:
(i)
The values established by the association for the 1998 lien date.
(ii)
The average of the used aircraft prices shown in the columns other than the “average new prices” column for used aircraft of the five oldest years for the aircraft model and series or that lesser time for which data is available in the Airliner Price Guide.
(2)
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in computing assessed value, the assessor may allow for extraordinary obsolescence if supported by market evidence and the taxpayer may challenge the assessment for failure to do so. To constitute market evidence of extraordinary obsolescence and to permit an assessment appeal, the evidence must show that the functional and or economic obsolescence is in excess of 10 percent of the value for the aircraft model and series otherwise established pursuant to subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) of paragraph (1).
(3)
For purposes of paragraph (1), if the Airliner Price Guide ceases to be published or the format significantly changes, a guide or adjustment agreed to by the airlines and the taxing counties shall be substituted.
(d)
To calculate the values prescribed in subdivisions (b) and (c), the taxpayer shall, to the extent that information is reasonably available to the taxpayer, furnish the county assessor with an annual property statement that includes the aircraft original costs as defined in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) or (c). If an air carrier that has this information reasonably available to it fails to report original cost and additions, as required by Sections 441 and 442, an assessor may make an appropriate assessment pursuant to Section 501.
References
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 5096.3.
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 531.
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 469.
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 441.
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 501.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026