The Brownfield Tax Abatement Application is a form of the Chatham County Board of Assessors for taxpayers who want tax savings for buying and cleaning up property contaminated with hazardous waste material, as certified by the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources (EPD). It is one of the Chatham County property tax forms the Board of Assessors publishes on its forms page. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original form is published by the Board of Assessors at the official link.
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What is Brownfield Tax Abatement Application – Chatham County, GA?
The Brownfield Tax Abatement Application is the Chatham County Board of Assessors form that taxpayers use to seek tax savings for their efforts to purchase and clean up property with hazardous waste material, as certified by the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources (EPD).
The form is short and records the facts of the cleanup. It asks for your name, the parcel identification number and the property address. It then asks for the year the action plan was submitted to EPD, the year EPD certified the action plan, the clean-up cost (cost after 2003) and the acquisition cost. Three descriptive entries follow: the property use at the time of certification, the future property use and the hazardous waste substance removed from the property.
The form ends with a signature block titled Application Signature (Deadline Disclosure Acknowledgement) and a date of submission. By signing, you acknowledge your responsibility to submit an annual sworn affidavit recording the tax savings generated by the abatement.
The Board of Assessors lists this application on its forms page next to other property tax documents, such as the Appeal of Assessment Form (PT311A), the Capital Improvement Exemption Application and the assessment forms for specific kinds of property. Those are separate forms for other purposes; this one is for the brownfield abatement only.
Who needs to file Brownfield Tax Abatement Application – Chatham County, GA?
Taxpayers interested in receiving tax savings for their efforts to purchase and clean up property with hazardous waste material, as certified by the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources (EPD), use this form. It is filed with the Chatham County Board of Assessors.
Conditions that come with the application:
- You need an EPD certificate. The form asks you to attach a copy of the EPD certificate from which you are requesting the hazardous waste corrective plan.
- The form must be completed in its entirety, typed or printed.
- By signing the Deadline Disclosure Acknowledgement, you accept responsibility for submitting an annual sworn affidavit that records the tax savings generated by the abatement.
The form is not a general exemption application. The Board of Assessors publishes other forms for other situations, for example the Capital Improvement Exemption Application, the Application For Property Exemption and the agricultural, forest land and environmentally sensitive property assessments. The form does not say who may sign on a taxpayer's behalf.
When to file Brownfield Tax Abatement Application – Chatham County, GA
The form prints no application due date. What it does tie the application to is EPD certification: it asks for the year the action plan was submitted to EPD and the year EPD certified it, and it requires a copy of the EPD certificate, so have the certificate in hand before you complete it.
After the application, one recurring duty follows. The Deadline Disclosure Acknowledgement says you must submit an annual sworn affidavit recording the tax savings generated by the abatement. According to the form, any failure to do so ends the program immediately and results in tax savings penalties being applied. The form does not state the date by which each affidavit is due, so confirm that date with the Chatham County Board of Assessors when you apply.
Documents you need
- A copy of your EPD certificate from which you are requesting the hazardous waste corrective plan, issued by the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources (EPD); the form asks you to attach it.
How to fill out Brownfield Tax Abatement Application – Chatham County, GA
Enter your name and parcel number
Type or print your name and the Parcel Identification Number of the property. The form must be completed in its entirety.
Enter the property address
Write the address of the property that was purchased and cleaned up.
Enter the EPD action plan year
In Year Action Plan Submitted To EPD, enter the year the action plan was submitted to the Environmental Protection Division.
Enter the EPD certification year
In Year EPD Certified Action Plan, enter the year EPD certified the plan, matching your EPD certificate.
Enter clean-up and acquisition costs
Complete Clean-Up (cost after 2003) and Acquisition Cost with the costs of the cleanup and of acquiring the property.
Describe current and future use
In Property Use at Time of Certification, state how the property was used when it was certified. In Future Property Use, state how it will be used.
Name the hazardous substance removed
In Hazardous Waste Substance Removed From Property, enter the substance that was removed.
Sign and date the acknowledgement
Sign the Application Signature (Deadline Disclosure Acknowledgement) and enter the Date of Submission. Your signature means you understand you must submit an annual sworn affidavit of the tax savings.
Prepare your EPD certificate copy
Make a copy of the EPD certificate from which you are requesting the hazardous waste corrective plan, to attach to the application.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check every entry against your EPD certificate, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF, keep a photocopy and submit the package as described under How to submit.
How to submit Brownfield Tax Abatement Application – Chatham County, GA
The form names no mailing address, portal or office hours of its own, and it has a "Date of Submission" line next to the signature. The Chatham County Board of Assessors publishes the application on its forms page at https://boa.chathamcountyga.gov/Forms, so use that page to confirm the current way to deliver it.
Whatever channel you use, the form's instructions set what the package must contain:
- The completed application, typed or printed, with every entry filled in.
- A copy of your EPD certificate from which you are requesting the hazardous waste corrective plan.
- Your signature on the Deadline Disclosure Acknowledgement and the date of submission.
The form suggests that you keep a photocopy of each document you submit. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the Board of Assessors' channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving entries blank: the form states that it must be completed in its entirety, typed or printed.
- Submitting the application without a copy of the EPD certificate from which you are requesting the hazardous waste corrective plan.
- Signing the Deadline Disclosure Acknowledgement without planning for the annual sworn affidavit that records the tax savings generated by the abatement.
- Skipping the annual sworn affidavit: the form says this ends the program immediately and results in tax savings penalties being applied.
- Mixing up the two EPD years: one line is the year the action plan was submitted to EPD, the other is the year EPD certified the action plan.
- Ignoring the "cost after 2003" label when entering the clean-up cost.
- Not keeping a photocopy of each document submitted, which the form suggests.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Brownfield Tax Abatement Application?
It is the Chatham County Board of Assessors form for taxpayers who want tax savings for purchasing and cleaning up property with hazardous waste material, as certified by the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources (EPD).
Do I need an EPD certificate to apply?
Yes, the form asks you to attach a copy of your EPD certificate from which you are requesting the hazardous waste corrective plan. The application also asks for the year the action plan was submitted to EPD and the year EPD certified it.
What is the annual sworn affidavit on the brownfield application?
By signing the Deadline Disclosure Acknowledgement, you accept responsibility for submitting an annual sworn affidavit recording the tax savings generated by the abatement. The form warns that failing to do so ends the program immediately and brings tax savings penalties.
Is this one of the Chatham County property tax forms?
Yes. It is listed on the Chatham County Board of Assessors forms page at boa.chathamcountyga.gov/Forms, alongside the appeal form (PT311A), exemption applications and assessment forms. This form is only for the brownfield tax abatement.
What information does the form ask for?
Your name, parcel identification number and address; the EPD action plan and certification years; clean-up cost (cost after 2003) and acquisition cost; property use at certification and future use; the hazardous substance removed; then your signature and date of submission.
Can I fill out the Brownfield Tax Abatement Application online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file the application with the Chatham County Board of Assessors; you submit it through the Board's channels.
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