Form 50-244, Dealer's Motor Vehicle Inventory Declaration, is the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts form a dealer of motor vehicles uses to declare its motor vehicle inventory under Tax Code Section 23.121. In Parker County it is part of the Parker County property tax process for dealers: one declaration per business location goes to the appraisal district and the county tax assessor-collector, never to the Comptroller. On FillingPDF you can fill out the form online and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF is published by the Parker County Tax Assessor-Collector.
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What is 50-244?
Form 50-244, Dealer's Motor Vehicle Inventory Declaration, is the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts form on which a dealer of motor vehicles declares its motor vehicle inventory under Tax Code Section 23.121, so that the chief appraiser can determine the inventory's market value.
The form is marked CONFIDENTIAL. The copy published by Parker County is pre-printed with the Parker County Appraisal District and the Tax Assessor-Collector's office as its contacts. It has six steps: dealer information; an attached list of all business locations and general distinguishing numbers; business location information; units sold and sale totals for the previous 12-month period corresponding to the prior tax year; the market value of the inventory for the current tax year; and signature and date.
Step 4 splits sales into four categories: motor vehicle inventory, fleet transactions, dealer sales and subsequent sales. The instructions define a motor vehicle as a fully self-propelled vehicle with at least two wheels whose primary purpose is transporting people or property, including a towable recreational vehicle. Vehicles whose title has been surrendered for a salvage certificate, and equipment or machinery designed for a specific work-related purpose other than transporting people or property, are not motor vehicles.
Certain dealers may instead elect to file renditions under Tax Code Chapter 22 rather than file declarations and tax statements under Chapter 23. The Parker County Tax Assessor-Collector's page lists a separate Dealers Vessel and Outboard Motor Inventory Declaration for vessels and outboard motors; this form covers motor vehicles.
Who needs to file 50-244?
A dealer of motor vehicles that owns motor vehicle inventory files this declaration under Tax Code Section 23.121. The dealer files one declaration for each business location. By signing, the person signing on behalf of the dealer certifies that the dealer named in Step 1 owns a dealer's motor vehicle inventory.
Conditions that matter:
- A dealer that was not in business on Jan. 1 also files, and enters its business start date in Step 3.
- A dealer that qualifies for the alternative election under Tax Code Section 23.121(a)(3) can render its inventory under Tax Code Chapter 22 instead. The dealer must not sell self-propelled vehicles designed to transport persons or property on a public highway, must meet one of two 25 percent sales-to-revenue tests, and must file the election by Aug. 31 of the preceding tax year, every year it remains eligible.
- Dealers of vessels and outboard motors are not covered by this form; the Parker County Tax Assessor-Collector lists a separate declaration for them.
The form is filed with the local appraisal district and county tax assessor-collector, not with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The chief appraiser may examine a dealer's books and records under Tax Code Section 23.121(g).
When to file 50-244
A declaration must be filed not later than Feb. 1 of each year. A dealer that was not in business on Jan. 1 must file not later than 30 days after commencement of the business. The form presumes a dealer commenced business on the date its dealer's general distinguishing number was issued under Transportation Code Chapter 503, but the chief appraiser may, at his or her sole discretion, designate another date. These deadlines are subject to the exception in Tax Code Section 23.122(l).
A dealer that makes the Chapter 22 rendition election must file the election with the chief appraiser and the tax collector by Aug. 31 of the preceding tax year, and again each year it remains eligible.
Late or missing declarations carry the penalties printed on the form: a misdemeanor fine, with each day of noncompliance a separate violation, plus a forfeited penalty for each month or part of a month the declaration is late.
Documents you need
- A list with the name and business address of each location where you conduct business and each general distinguishing number issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles; Step 2 requires it as an attachment.
- Optional in Step 3: a tax bill or a copy of appraisal or tax office correspondence about your account, which the form allows in place of writing the business name, general distinguishing number, address and account number.
How to fill out 50-244
Enter dealer information in Step 1
Write the name of the dealer, the mailing address, the city, state and ZIP code, and the phone number with area code. Add the name and title of the person preparing the declaration.
Attach the Step 2 location list
Prepare a list with the name and business address of each location where you conduct business and each general distinguishing number issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Attach it to the form.
Describe the business location in Step 3
Enter the business name, the general distinguishing number of the location, the physical address and the account number if known, or attach a tax bill or tax office correspondence. Enter the business start date only if you were not in business on Jan. 1.
Report units sold in Step 4
In the top row, enter the number of units sold in the previous 12-month period corresponding to the prior tax year, under Motor Vehicle Inventory, Fleet Transactions, Dealer Sales and Subsequent Sales. If you were in business only part of the period, report those months.
Report sales amounts in Step 4
In the bottom row, enter the dollar amount sold for the same four categories and the same 12-month period. Keep fleet transactions, dealer sales and subsequent sales out of the inventory column.
Compute market value in Step 5
Enter the dealer's motor vehicle inventory sales for the prior year, which is total annual sales less sales to dealers, fleet transactions and subsequent sales. Divide by 12 and enter the result as the market value for the current tax year.
Complete the Step 6 signature block
Enter the dealer's name after On Behalf Of, then the printed name and title of the signer. The authorized signer signs and dates the declaration, certifying that the dealer named in Step 1 owns a dealer's motor vehicle inventory.
Review, download and file the PDF
Check each step and the attached list, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. File it with the appraisal district and the county tax assessor-collector as described under How to submit.
How to submit 50-244
File the signed declaration and all supporting documentation with two offices in the county where the business is located: the appraisal district office and the county tax assessor-collector's office. Do not file it with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
For a business in Parker County, the contacts printed on the form are:
- Appraisal district: Parker County Appraisal District, 1108 Santa Fe Dr, Weatherford, TX 76086, 817-596-0077. The Tax Assessor-Collector's page also lists www.parkercad.org for property tax information.
- Tax assessor-collector: Parker County Tax Assessor-Collector, 1112 Santa Fe Dr, Weatherford, TX 76086, 817-598-6139.
The form names no mailing, online or appointment procedure, so ask each office how it accepts the declaration. For a business in another county, the Comptroller's website has a directory of appraisal district and tax office contacts. The Tax Assessor-Collector's office handles auto registration and collections and does not appraise property; the chief appraiser determines the inventory's market value.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Filing the declaration with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts; it goes to the appraisal district and the county tax assessor-collector where the business is located.
- Filing with only one of the two offices; the form and all supporting documentation go to both the appraisal district and the tax assessor-collector.
- Combining several locations in one declaration; the form says to file a declaration for each business location.
- Missing the Feb. 1 deadline, or for a dealer not in business on Jan. 1, the 30 days after commencing business; late filing triggers a monthly penalty.
- Leaving out the Step 2 list of business locations and general distinguishing numbers issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
- Counting fleet transactions, dealer sales or subsequent sales in the motor vehicle inventory column; the instructions say inventory sales exclude them.
- Reporting a full-year figure when the dealer was not in business for the whole 12-month period, instead of only the months in business.
- Signing without certifying ownership of the inventory, or entering a false statement; Penal Code Section 37.10 makes it a Class A misdemeanor or state jail felony.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form 50-244?
Form 50-244, Dealer's Motor Vehicle Inventory Declaration, is the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts form a motor vehicle dealer uses to declare its inventory under Tax Code Section 23.121. It asks for sales figures and a market value computation, and the chief appraiser determines the inventory's market value.
Where do I file the Parker County dealer inventory declaration?
If your business is in Parker County, file with both the Parker County Appraisal District, 1108 Santa Fe Dr, Weatherford, TX 76086 (817-596-0077), and the Tax Assessor-Collector, 1112 Santa Fe Dr, Weatherford, TX 76086 (817-598-6139). Do not send it to the Texas Comptroller.
When is Form 50-244 due?
By Feb. 1 of each year. A dealer not in business on Jan. 1 must file within 30 days after commencing business, presumed to be the date its general distinguishing number was issued unless the chief appraiser designates another date. Tax Code Section 23.122(l) creates an exception.
Do I need a separate declaration for each business location?
Yes. The form says to file a declaration for each business location. Step 2 also asks you to attach a list with the name and business address of every location where you conduct business and each general distinguishing number issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
What happens if I do not file Form 50-244 on time?
Failing to file is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine, and each day of noncompliance is a separate violation. A dealer who fails to file or file on time must also forfeit a penalty for each month or part of a month the declaration is late, and a tax lien attaches to the dealer's business personal property. The form prints the amounts.
Can a dealer file a rendition instead of Form 50-244?
Certain dealers can. Under Tax Code Section 23.121(a)(3), a dealer that meets the listed conditions, including a 25 percent sales-to-revenue test, may elect to render its inventory under Tax Code Chapter 22. The election is filed by Aug. 31 of the preceding tax year and repeated annually while the dealer stays eligible.
How is market value figured in Step 5?
Take total annual sales from the dealer's motor vehicle inventory for the previous 12-month period corresponding to the prior tax year, less sales to dealers, fleet transactions and subsequent sales, and divide by 12. The chief appraiser will determine the inventory's market value.
What counts as a fleet transaction, dealer sale or subsequent sale?
A fleet transaction covers motor vehicles in the sale of five or more vehicles from your inventory to the same person within one calendar year. A dealer sale is a sale to another Texas dealer or a dealer recognized in another state. A subsequent sale is a dealer-financed sale of a vehicle already dealer-financed from your inventory in the same calendar year.
Can I fill out Form 50-244 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 declaration; you file it with the appraisal district and the county tax assessor-collector through their offices.
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