The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1918-01-09
TAX ASSESSMENT RULES CHANGED
Fifty Per Cent Of Actual Value Of Property is Adopt
ed as Basis Of Taxation and New Returns Must be
Made. Penalty Attach for Failure to Comply
With New Rulings.

The County Board of Equalization
met i'm the Office Of Auditor Thompson
last Wednesday and laid plans for
their work this year. The matter Of
chief interest before the board wax
the mex plan of tax assessments made
by the state tax commission after the
conference with the county auditors
several weeks ago in Columbia. Under
MS new plan "fifty per cent Of the
truc reasonable market value of prom
ort%' will be adopted as the common
Standaru 0l assessment, regardless of
classes" This standard will applv
throughout the state. The plan in de-
tan. as explained in a letter to the
county auditors and the township
boards of assessors. is as follows:
I'm view Of the constitutional re-
Hulremcnt that all property shall be
assessed upon a uniform basis ana
III ordcr TO prevent inequalities aris-
ing from different standards of assess
mcnt in the different Counties of the
state, the Tax Commission, after a
conference with the County Auditors
ana the Chairmen OF the County
boards Of Equalization, has adoptcd
'nity per cent Of the true reasonable
market value OF property as the com
mon standard upon which all assess
'ncnts of property for the purpose of
'aNalion regardless of classes. Shall
nc made throughout the State in tho
year 1918 This standard will apply
Dolh to the assessments originally
made by the Tax Commission and 10
those originally made by The Town
snip Boards Of Assessors.
You are, therefore, instructed, in
taxing the tax returns, to have tho
'aN payer state in the column calling
'"r the value by the tax payer" the
rue market value Of the propcrtv in
question. which in his opinion rcprc-
Scnts the full 100 per cent value of
The property This is in accordance
WIN IN" oath printed at the bottom
OF thc tax returns in which the tax
payers is required 10 say that the
property returned by him is listed nj
what he honestly believes to be its
market value. When the returns are
50 taken they are to be turned over
70 and passed upon by the township
or other local boards Of assessors, who
snail inquire into the value placed
upon the property by the tax payer
ana verify the value stated by The tax
payer.
After asccrtaining what is tho mar
Nct value Of the property in question.
me township or other local boards OF
assessors shall assess so pcr cent or
onc-half thereof, as the value Of tho
property for purposes of taxation and
write same In The column value by tho
township hoard. The column for
value by the County Boards will be
lcft blank to he used by the County
Boards in cqnalizing or changing tho
assessments made by the township
boards, where they find il necessary
N order to remove inequalities that
may occur in passing on the separate
pieces Of property.
In assessing real estate zach ,ot
Farm. plantation or separate parcel of
land is TO be separately returned with
a statement as to the number OF build
'ngs thereon. with the value of the
buildings stated separately from the
value OF the lands. and so described
as to he identified by the local Board
or Assessors and other tax officers.
In assessing real estate, tho tax
payer Is not required to state the value
thereof. The true value IS to be origi-