401.15
. (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.