An argument for Idaho’s forestland tax law

On the current bonnercountyid.gov page, the terms “timber exemption” and "agricultural exemption” are grouped with exemptions. Why are they not in another group called “incentives”? Words mean things. 

The word exemption is defined in Oxford Languages as “the process of exempting a person from paying taxes on a specified amount of income…”  In other words, its purpose is “tax relief.”  

And the word “incentive” is defined as “a payment to stimulate greater output or investment”, or, to encourage a certain outcome. 

The Idaho Forestland Tax Law offers Idaho forest landowners, with at least 5 acres, the option to have their forests assessed based on its ability to produce wood products, at a mere fraction of fair market value. The stated purpose of this Idaho Statute 63-1705 (1) is “in order to encourage private forest landowners to retain and improve their holdings and to promote better forest management…”

What would be the result if we were to implement a straw poll between the owners of 8,100 parcels (2023 Assessor Data File) currently in this “exemption” voting for “exemption” compared to the taxpaying owners of 34,000 properties voting for “incentive?” 

After all, these silent taxpaying owners are supporting an increased levy in an annual “exemption driven-tax shift.” Shouldn’t they have a say in this? We all would win by taking the stated purpose of Statute 63-1705 seriously as an “incentive.”

PHIL TUMA

Sagle