Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 5709 | Taxable Property - Exemptions
Section 5709.12 | Exemption of Property Used for Public or Charitable Purposes.

Effective: September 29, 2017
Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly
(A) As used in this section, "independent living facilities" means any residential housing facilities and related property that are not a nursing home, residential care facility, or residential facility as defined in division (A) of section 5701.13 of the Revised Code.
(B) Lands, houses, and other buildings belonging to a county, township, or municipal corporation and used exclusively for the accommodation or support of the poor, or leased to the state or any political subdivision for public purposes shall be exempt from taxation. Real and tangible personal property belonging to institutions that is used exclusively for charitable purposes shall be exempt from taxation, including real property belonging to an institution that is a nonprofit corporation that receives a grant under the Thomas Alva Edison grant program authorized by division (C) of section 122.33 of the Revised Code at any time during the tax year and being held for leasing or resale to others. If, at any time during a tax year for which such property is exempted from taxation, the corporation ceases to qualify for such a grant, the director of development shall notify the tax commissioner, and the tax commissioner shall cause the property to be restored to the tax list beginning with the following tax year. All property owned and used by a nonprofit organization exclusively for a home for the aged, as defined in section 5701.13 of the Revised Code, also shall be exempt from taxation.
(C)(1) If a home for the aged described in division (B)(1) of section 5701.13 of the Revised Code is operated in conjunction with or at the same site as independent living facilities, the exemption granted in division (B) of this section shall include kitchen, dining room, clinic, entry ways, maintenance and storage areas, and land necessary for access commonly used by both residents of the home for the aged and residents of the independent living facilities. Other facilities commonly used by both residents of the home for the aged and residents of independent living units shall be exempt from taxation only if the other facilities are used primarily by the residents of the home for the aged. Vacant land currently unused by the home, and independent living facilities and the lands connected with them are not exempt from taxation. Except as provided in division (A)(1) of section 5709.121 of the Revised Code, property of a home leased for nonresidential purposes is not exempt from taxation.
(2) Independent living facilities are exempt from taxation if they are operated in conjunction with or at the same site as a home for the aged described in division (B)(2) of section 5701.13 of the Revised Code; operated by a corporation, association, or trust described in division (B)(1)(b) of that section; operated exclusively for the benefit of members of the corporation, association, or trust who are retired, aged, or infirm; and provided to those members without charge in consideration of their service, without compensation, to a charitable, religious, fraternal, or educational institution. For the purposes of division (C)(2) of this section, "compensation" does not include furnishing room and board, clothing, health care, or other necessities, or stipends or other de minimis payments to defray the cost thereof.
(D)(1) A private corporation established under federal law, as defined in 36 U.S.C. 1101, Pub. L. No. 102-199, 105 Stat. 1629, as amended, the objects of which include encouraging the advancement of science generally, or of a particular branch of science, the promotion of scientific research, the improvement of the qualifications and usefulness of scientists, or the increase and diffusion of scientific knowledge is conclusively presumed to be a charitable or educational institution. A private corporation established as a nonprofit corporation under the laws of a state that is exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C.A. 1, as amended, and that has as its principal purpose one or more of the foregoing objects also is conclusively presumed to be a charitable or educational institution.
The fact that an organization described in this division operates in a manner that results in an excess of revenues over expenses shall not be used to deny the exemption granted by this section, provided such excess is used, or is held for use, for exempt purposes or to establish a reserve against future contingencies; and, provided further, that such excess may not be distributed to individual persons or to entities that would not be entitled to the tax exemptions provided by this chapter. Nor shall the fact that any scientific information diffused by the organization is of particular interest or benefit to any of its individual members be used to deny the exemption granted by this section, provided that such scientific information is available to the public for purchase or otherwise.
(2) Division (D)(2) of this section does not apply to real property exempted from taxation under this section and division (A)(3) of section 5709.121 of the Revised Code and belonging to a nonprofit corporation described in division (D)(1) of this section that has received a grant under the Thomas Alva Edison grant program authorized by division (C) of section 122.33 of the Revised Code during any of the tax years the property was exempted from taxation.
When a private corporation described in division (D)(1) of this section sells all or any portion of a tract, lot, or parcel of real estate that has been exempt from taxation under this section and section 5709.121 of the Revised Code, the portion sold shall be restored to the tax list for the year following the year of the sale and, except in connection with a sale and transfer of such a tract, lot, or parcel to a county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code, a charge shall be levied against the sold property in an amount equal to the tax savings on such property during the four tax years preceding the year the property is placed on the tax list. The tax savings equals the amount of the additional taxes that would have been levied if such property had not been exempt from taxation.
The charge constitutes a lien of the state upon such property as of the first day of January of the tax year in which the charge is levied and continues until discharged as provided by law. The charge may also be remitted for all or any portion of such property that the tax commissioner determines is entitled to exemption from real property taxation for the year such property is restored to the tax list under any provision of the Revised Code, other than sections 725.02, 1728.10, 3735.67, 5709.40, 5709.41, 5709.45, 5709.62, 5709.63, 5709.71, 5709.73, 5709.78, and 5709.84, upon an application for exemption covering the year such property is restored to the tax list filed under section 5715.27 of the Revised Code.
(E)(1) Real property held by an organization organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes as described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and exempt from federal taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C.A. 501(a) and (c)(3), as amended, for the purpose of constructing or rehabilitating residences for eventual transfer to qualified low-income families through sale, lease, or land installment contract, shall be exempt from taxation.
The exemption shall commence on the day title to the property is transferred to the organization and shall continue to the end of the tax year in which the organization transfers title to the property to a qualified low-income family. In no case shall the exemption extend beyond the second succeeding tax year following the year in which the title was transferred to the organization. If the title is transferred to the organization and from the organization to a qualified low-income family in the same tax year, the exemption shall continue to the end of that tax year. The proportionate amount of taxes that are a lien but not yet determined, assessed, and levied for the tax year in which title is transferred to the organization shall be remitted by the county auditor for each day of the year that title is held by the organization.
Upon transferring the title to another person, the organization shall file with the county auditor an affidavit affirming that the title was transferred to a qualified low-income family or that the title was not transferred to a qualified low-income family, as the case may be; if the title was transferred to a qualified low-income family, the affidavit shall identify the transferee by name. If the organization transfers title to the property to anyone other than a qualified low-income family, the exemption, if it has not previously expired, shall terminate, and the property shall be restored to the tax list for the year following the year of the transfer and a charge shall be levied against the property in an amount equal to the amount of additional taxes that would have been levied if such property had not been exempt from taxation. The charge constitutes a lien of the state upon such property as of the first day of January of the tax year in which the charge is levied and continues until discharged as provided by law.
The application for exemption shall be filed as otherwise required under section 5715.27 of the Revised Code, except that the organization holding the property shall file with its application documentation substantiating its status as an organization organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and its qualification for exemption from federal taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, and affirming its intention to construct or rehabilitate the property for the eventual transfer to qualified low-income families.
As used in this division, "qualified low-income family" means a family whose income does not exceed two hundred per cent of the official federal poverty guidelines as revised annually in accordance with section 673(2) of the "Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981," 95 Stat. 511, 42 U.S.C.A. 9902, as amended, for a family size equal to the size of the family whose income is being determined.
(2) Real property constituting a retail store, including the land on which the retail store is located, that is owned and operated by an organization described in division (E)(1) of this section shall be exempt from taxation if the retail store sells primarily donated items suitable for residential housing purposes and if the proceeds of such sales are used solely for the purposes of the organization.
(F)(1) Real property that is acquired and held by a county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code and that is not exempt from taxation under Chapter 5722. of the Revised Code shall be deemed real property used for a public purpose and shall be exempt from taxation until sold or transferred by the corporation. Notwithstanding section 5715.27 of the Revised Code, a county land reutilization corporation is not required to apply to any county or state agency in order to qualify for the exemption.
(2) Real property that is acquired and held by an electing subdivision other than a county land reutilization corporation on or after April 9, 2009, for the public purpose of implementing an effective land reutilization program or for a related public purpose, and that is not exempt from taxation under Chapter 5722. of the Revised Code, shall be exempt from taxation until sold or transferred by the electing subdivision. Notwithstanding section 5715.27 of the Revised Code, an electing subdivision is not required to apply to any county or state agency in order to qualify for an exemption with respect to property acquired or held for such purposes on or after such date, regardless of how the electing subdivision acquires the property.
As used in this section, "electing subdivision" and "land reutilization program" have the same meanings as in section 5722.01 of the Revised Code, and "county land reutilization corporation" means a county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code and any subsidiary wholly owned by such a county land reutilization corporation that is identified as "a wholly owned subsidiary of a county land reutilization corporation" in the deed of conveyance transferring title to the subsidiary.
In lieu of the application for exemption otherwise required to be filed as required under section 5715.27 of the Revised Code, a county land reutilization corporation holding the property shall, upon the request of any county or state agency, submit its articles of incorporation substantiating its status as a county land reutilization corporation.
(G) Real property that is owned by an organization described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code and that is used by that organization exclusively for receiving, processing, or distributing human blood, tissues, eyes, or organs or for research and development thereof shall be exempt from taxation.
(H) Real property that is owned by an organization described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code and that received a loan from the federal small business administration as a participating intermediary in the federal microloan program under 15 U.S.C. 636(m) shall be exempt from taxation if the property is used by that organization primarily for small business lending, economic development, job training, entrepreneur education, or associated administrative purposes as such a participating intermediary.

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