The (AV-56) Application for Wildlife Conservation Program is the form owners use to apply for the wildlife conservation program under G.S. 105-277.15, and Durham County Tax Administration publishes it. It is one of the Durham County property tax forms, and it lists each tax parcel with its acreage, the owner's legal form of ownership and the owner's affirmation. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF is published by the county at dconc.gov.
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What is AV-56?
The (AV-56) Application for Wildlife Conservation Program is the North Carolina property tax form on which a landowner applies to the county tax assessor for the wildlife conservation program, citing G.S. 105-277.15, with the parcels and acreage to be included.
The form collects four kinds of information. First, who the owner is: full name, mailing address and telephone numbers. Second, the land: the Parcel Identification Number of each tax parcel, with acres split into open land and woodland already in wildlife conservation, open land and woodland not in wildlife conservation, home site and other acreage, plus a total. Third, ownership: the date you became owner and the legal form of ownership, which must be one of four qualifying forms. Fourth, the affirmation, signed by the owner or owners.
The form states that you must submit a complete copy of your wildlife habitat conservation agreement with the application. In the affirmation the applicant acknowledges that an ineligible transfer of the property, or failure to meet the program's requirements, results in loss of eligibility, removal from the program and immediate billing of deferred taxes. The bottom of the form is for office use only (approved or denied, with a reason for denial).
Durham County's Land Use page describes the separate Present Use Value program for agricultural, horticultural and forestland. This form is the one for wildlife conservation.
Who needs to file AV-56?
Owners of land in the county who want a tax parcel included in the wildlife conservation program file this application with Durham County Tax Administration. The form says you must own the property in one of four qualifying forms of ownership:
- One Individual;
- Husband and Wife (Tenants by the Entirety only);
- Family Business Entity;
- Family Trust.
For this form, a business entity is a corporation, limited liability company, general partnership or limited partnership. If the property is owned by a business entity or a trust, you also answer two Yes/No questions. The first asks whether any member of the entity or beneficiary of the trust is itself a business entity or trust rather than an individual. The second asks whether, at the individual level of ownership, all individuals are relatives of each other. The form refers to G.S. 105-277.2(5a) for the definition of relative, and has room to list up to six individuals.
Every owner signs: the form has two owner signature lines. It does not describe signing by a representative or agent.
When to file AV-56
File the application for the tax year you write at the top of the form, next to the county name. No separate due date is printed on the form, so confirm timing for the year you are applying with Durham County Tax Administration.
The form also says the Tax Assessor may contact you for additional information after reviewing the application, so keep your contact numbers current. Ownership matters at filing: the form asks for the date you became the owner, and it requires one of the four qualifying forms of ownership.
Documents you need
- A complete copy of your wildlife habitat conservation agreement; the form requires it with every application.
- A complete description of the ownership structure of the business entity or trust, showing the individual level of ownership interest, only if you answer Yes to the question about members or beneficiaries that are not individuals.
How to fill out AV-56
Enter the county and tax year
At the top, enter the county name in the County of ___, NC line and the Tax Year you are applying for.
Enter owner and contact details
Write the Full Name of Owner(s), the Mailing Address of Owner (city, state, ZIP code) and your Home, Work (with extension) and Cell telephone numbers.
List each parcel and its acreage
For each tax parcel in the application, enter the Parcel ID and split the acres among Open Land and Woodland in Wildlife Conservation, Open Land and Woodland NOT in Wildlife Conservation, Home Site and Other. Enter the Total Acres, and describe Other acreage under Comments.
List other land in the program
Enter the Parcel IDs of any other land you own in this county that is also in the wildlife conservation program.
Enter your date of ownership
Write the date you became the owner of the property in the DATE line.
Select your form of ownership
Choose one: One Individual, Husband and Wife (Tenants by the Entirety only), Family Business Entity or Family Trust. A business entity is a corporation, limited liability company, general partnership or limited partnership.
Answer the entity and trust questions
Only if a business entity or trust owns the property, answer both Yes/No questions and attach the ownership structure description if the first answer is Yes. List the individuals, up to six, if they are relatives of each other.
Attach the conservation agreement
Include a complete copy of your wildlife habitat conservation agreement with the application, as the form requires.
Review, sign and download the PDF
Each owner signs, prints the name, and enters the Title and Date in the affirmation. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and assemble the package described under How to submit.
How to submit AV-56
The form names no mailing address, portal or appointment rule, so submit the completed application and its attachments to Durham County Tax Administration, the county office that publishes it, and confirm the delivery method with that office. The county's Land Use page is at https://www.dconc.gov/Tax-Administration/Real-Property/Land-Use.
Before you send it, check the package:
- Signatures: the owner signature line, title and date are completed, with both lines used when there are two owners.
- Wildlife habitat conservation agreement: a complete copy is included, as the form requires.
- Ownership description: if you answered Yes to the first ownership question, the complete description of the ownership structure is attached.
Do not complete the box marked For Office Use Only. The form states that the Tax Assessor may contact you afterward for more information. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the county's channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Submitting the application without a complete copy of the wildlife habitat conservation agreement, which the form requires.
- Answering Yes to the question about non-individual members or beneficiaries without attaching the ownership structure description that shows the individual level of ownership.
- Choosing a form of ownership outside the four qualifying ones: One Individual, Husband and Wife (Tenants by the Entirety only), Family Business Entity or Family Trust.
- Entering acreage in the wrong column, or leaving the Total Acres column inconsistent with the other columns for a parcel.
- Listing home site or other acreage without describing it in Comments when the Other column is used.
- Signing without reading the governing exclusion statute; the affirmation says you have read it and that loss of eligibility means immediate billing of deferred taxes.
- Leaving off the signature, title or date, or omitting a second owner's signature when there are two owners.
- Filling in the For Office Use Only box, which the county completes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the AV-56 application?
AV-56 is the Application for Wildlife Conservation Program, filed under G.S. 105-277.15 with Durham County Tax Administration. It lists the owner, each tax parcel and its acreage, the form of ownership and the owner's signed affirmation, and it travels with a copy of the wildlife habitat conservation agreement.
Is AV-56 a Durham County property tax form?
Yes. It is one of the Durham County property tax forms published by Durham County Tax Administration, and it applies to parcels you want included in the wildlife conservation program. The form does not state any tax amount.
What do I have to attach to the AV-56?
You must submit a complete copy of your wildlife habitat conservation agreement. If a business entity or trust owns the property and any member or beneficiary is not an individual, you also attach a complete description of the ownership structure showing the individual level of ownership.
Who can apply using the AV-56?
Owners in one of four qualifying forms of ownership: One Individual, Husband and Wife (Tenants by the Entirety only), Family Business Entity or Family Trust. Business entities and trusts must also answer whether the individuals at the ownership level are relatives of each other.
What happens if the property stops qualifying?
In the affirmation you acknowledge that an ineligible transfer of the property or failure to meet the program's requirements results in loss of eligibility. That means removal from the program and the immediate billing of deferred taxes.
Can I fill out the AV-56 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; you deliver it to Durham County Tax Administration yourself.
Where do I send the AV-56?
The form prints no address, so send it to Durham County Tax Administration, the office that publishes it, and confirm the delivery method with them. Include the signed form and the required attachments, since the Tax Assessor may contact you for more information.
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