Business property

Your Business Property Statement is due by April 1. If you file after 5 p.m. on May 7, a 10% penalty will apply. If May 7 falls on a weekend or legal holiday, the filing deadline is the next business day before 5 p.m.

The Business Property Statement collects details about equipment, supplies, and leasehold improvements at each business location. California law requires this information to assess and tax property fairly.

You must report the full cost of all items you owned, claimed, possessed, controlled, or leased for business at the address listed on the form as of January 1 (the lien date).

All 58 county assessors in California send out similar forms each year.

You were sent a Business Property Statement because our records show you were in business or owned business personal property on January 1 (the lien date). By law, the Marin County Assessor must assess any taxable business personal property in your possession on that date.

We may have learned about your business through sources like:

• Business licenses
• Fictitious business name filings
• Field inspections

If you receive a Business Property Statement, the law requires you to complete, sign, and return it by the deadline.

Even if you don’t receive a form, you must file if you own $100,000 or more in total business personal property. This includes equipment, supplies, and leasehold improvements.

If you don’t file, the Assessor will estimate the value of your property and apply a 10% penalty.

You must report all property used to run your business. This includes:

• Supplies
• Equipment
• Fixtures
• Leasehold improvements
• Leased equipment

Examples include office furniture, shelving, computers, machinery, tools, and similar items.

Do not report:

• Business inventory
• Application software
• Most licensed vehicles

You must report full costs, which include:

• Purchase price
• Sales tax
• Shipping or freight
• Installation

You must report items such as (but is not limited to the following):

• Computers, printers, servers
• Office furniture
• Shelving
• Telephones
• Copiers and fax machines
• Cameras
• Video Equipment
• Restaurant Equipment
• Machinery
• Forklifts
• Tools
• Storage Tanks

Supplies are items your business uses up during normal operations. This includes:

• Office supplies
• Paper, pencils, and calculator tape
• Stationery and envelopes
• Cleaning supplies
• Fuel

If you are a manufacturer, supplies do not include materials that become part of the final product. Items that are built into products you sell are considered inventory and are exempt from reporting.

• Inventory includes items you sell, rent, or lease.
• Supplies are items your business uses up during daily operations.

The Assessor uses cost information you report and applies trending tables from the State Board of Equalization to estimate assessed value.

No. The person or business that owns the property on January 1 (the lien date) is responsible for the full tax.

If a property changes hands, the buyer and seller must work out any tax arrangements in their contract.

Property taxes help pay for local services. In California, all forms of tangible property is taxable unless the law says it’s exempt.

By law, the Assessor must assess:

• Business personal property
• Fixtures
• Leasehold improvements

Some items are exempt from taxation, including:

• Household furnishings
• Personal items not used for business
• Business inventory

Across California, the base property tax rate is 1% of the assessed value. This applies to both real and personal property.

Your bill may also include voter-approved special assessments. These vary by location.

As a general estimate, you can expect to pay about 1.2% of the assessed value.
For example, if your business property is assessed at $10,000, your tax would be about $120.

No. Unlike most real property, personal property is not protected by Proposition 13.

No. Business property tax is an annual tax.

If you think your assessment is incorrect, you can ask for an informal review. Call or email our office for a review and explanation.

If you’re still not satisfied after the review, we may ask you to provide:

• A completed property statement for the current year (if not already filed);
• A current, detailed depreciation schedule;
• Any documents that support your claim.

We may request more information after reviewing what you submit. In some cases, we cannot change an assessment unless we do a formal audit of your records. You can request an audit in writing.

Formal appeal

You have the right to file a formal appeal with the Marin County Assessment Appeals Board. This board is independent and is not part of the Assessor’s Office.

To file an appeal, submit an Assessment Appeal Application. You can:

• Request an Assessment Appeal Application by calling 415-473-7345 (CA Relay: dial 711) or visit the Assessment Appeals Board’s website.
• Ask for one by mail or in person at:
  Marin County Assessment Appeals Board
  3501 Civic Center Drive, Room 329
  San Rafael, CA 94903

We're here to help you complete your Business Property Statement.

• For general questions, call 415-473-7208 (CA Relay: dial 711).
• An Auditor-Appraiser is available to assist you in person during office hours.

You can visit us at:

Marin County Assessor's Office
Marin Civic Center, Room 208
3501 Civic Center Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903

Office hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday (except holidays)
No appointment is needed.

The e-SDR system is an online filing tool for single-location businesses. It’s available to business owners and authorized representatives. The system saves your data to make future filings easier.

If you received a letter titled “E-File Your Business Property Statement,” you can file online. If you didn’t receive this letter, you may not be able to file online — please contact our office to check.

You can also print a Business Property Statement from our website. Be sure to include your property ID number when you return it.

After you file online

If you file through e-SDR and get a confirmation number, keep it as proof of filing. You may also want to print a copy for your records.

Do not send a paper copy if you filed online.

Filing for businesses with many locations (SDR system)

The Standard Data Record (SDR) system is another online filing option. It’s designed for large businesses with many locations in one or more California counties.

To use SDR, your business must create a file that uploads property data to a statewide server. This requires some setup and programming on your end.

Filing deadlines still apply.

If you think SDR may be a better fit for your business, contact us for more information.

Yes. If you filed through the e-SDR system, you can make changes online until June 30.

After that date, you must submit any amendments by hard copy.

Cities and towns in Marin County

Here is a list of all the cities and towns located in Marin County:

• Belvedere
• Corte Madera
• Fairfax
• Larkspur
• Mill Valley
• Novato
• Ross
• San Anselmo
• San Rafael
• Sausalito
• Tiburon
• Unincorporated County

The following list identifies the zip codes associated with Marin County:

If any pre-printed information on the form is incorrect, draw a single line through the error. Then clearly print or type the correct information. Please don’t cross out information in a way that makes it unreadable.

Yes. Even if you don’t own the land or building where your business is located, you still need to file a Business Property Statement. This form is used to report on the business personal property you own — like equipment and supplies.

You must also complete any schedules that apply to your business.

If you have made any improvements, report their costs on Schedule B.

For details, see the official instructions for the Business Property Statement.

No. By law, your Business Property Statement is not a public document. It is not open to public inspection.

The Lien Date is 12:01 a.m., January 1 of each year.

California operates on a fiscal year from July 1 to June 30.

The lien date — January 1 — is the date used to allow time to assess property so tax bills can be prepared in time for June.

Whoever owned, used, managed, or controlled the business property on January 1 is responsible for the tax.

Incomplete filing

If your Business Property Statement is incomplete, the Assessor may return it to you for correction.
If a complete statement is not received by the due date, it will be treated as a failure to file, and a 10% penalty will be added.

Failure to file

If you do not file as required by law, the Assessor will estimate the value of your business property using the best available information. This estimate is based on the type of business you have. A 10% penalty will be added to the assessment.

If you receive a Business Property Statement but your business was no longer operating on January 1 (the lien date), you must complete and return the Moved, Sold, Closed form.

Please include:

• The date the business closed;
• What happened to any equipment (sold, moved, or kept);
• The name and address of the buyer, if the equipment was sold;
• The new location, if the equipment was moved.

If you still own equipment that was used in the closed business, it may still be taxable. However, if that equipment is now used as personal property (not for business), it may not be assessable.

In some cases, the Assessor may still require a Business Property Statement, depending on the situation.

All property is assessed to the person or business that owned, used, or managed it on January 1, the lien date — even if the business closed shortly after.

If your business was active on January 1, you must:

• File a Business Property Statement;
• Pay taxes for the upcoming fiscal year on any taxable property you owned on that date.

To let us know your business has moved, sold, or closed, please submit a Moved, Sold, Closed form. Include details about the new owner and what happened to the property.

If you did not have any business property in Marin County on January 1, please let us know by writing that in the Remarks section of your Business Property Statement.

Property is still taxable, even if the business isn’t open.

A business does not need to be open to have its property assessed.

For example, if a new pizza parlor was still under construction on January 1, but equipment, supplies, or leasehold improvements were already on site, that property is still taxable. The Assessor is required to assess it because it was in the owner's possession on the lien date.

Reporting personal equipment used for business

If you use personal equipment for your business, you must report it.

This includes home-based businesses. For example:

• If you work from home and use a personal desk, computer, or calculator for business, those items must be reported.
• If you run an auto repair shop and use your own tools, those tools are considered business personal property and must be reported.

When personal equipment is no longer taxable

If your business was closed or sold before January 1, and the equipment is now used only for personal purposes, it is no longer taxable.

For example, a home office desk or computer used in a closed business becomes exempt once it’s used only as a household furnishing or personal effect.

If business property is still in place on January 1

If a business closes after January 1 — or if business equipment is still in place on that date — it must be reported and may still be taxable.

For example:
A grocery store closes before January 1, but freezer boxes and shelving are still in the building. These items are still business property and must be reported because they have not been converted to personal use.

Reporting gifted equipment

If you use equipment in your business that was received as a gift, you still need to report it.

Estimate the current market value — what it would cost to replace the item with similar equipment — and enter that amount on the most recent year’s cost line of the Business Property Statement.

Be sure to add a note that the value is an estimate.

Reporting property you don’t own

You must list all taxable property you own, use, manage, or control on the Business Property Statement.

If you use equipment that belongs to someone else, report it in Part III under “Equipment belonging to others.”

The Assessor will also send a Business Property Statement to the person or business listed as the owner.

Based on the available information, the Assessor will determine who is responsible for the assessment.

How to report shared or leased equipment

If you use equipment that you don’t own, write a note about the situation on the Business Property Statement or attach a separate page.

Also:

• Fill out Part III: Equipment belonging to others.
• Sign and return the form to the Assessor’s Office.

If you own any small items — like a printer, copier, or similar equipment — you must report their cost in Part II and on Schedule A of the Business Property Statement.

You must report your business property in detail, as required by law.

If nothing has changed from last year — no equipment was added or removed — you can refer to your prior year's filing to help complete the current Business Property Statement. However, you must still file the current year’s form.

If you don’t have a copy of your previous filing, you can request one from the Marin County Assessor’s Office. If you filed on the eSDR system in prior years, you may view and download a copy of prior years’ filings after log-on.

Different businesses have different policies for tracking long-term purchases.

Even if an item was expensed — not capitalized — it still needs to be reported if it is a long-lived item used in your business.

For example, a $600 computer that was expensed must still be reported under the computer category.

You may have an account labeled "Expensed Equipment" or something similar. You can use that account to find the annual amount to report.

If needed, report these items as “Other – Expensed Equipment.” This category can build over time as more items are added each year.

No. You must report all business personal property you owned, used, managed, controlled, or claimed on January 1, no matter when it was acquired.

You must report this information in Part III Property Belonging to Others section of the Business Property Statement.

The Assessor will assess the property to the person who owned, claimed, possessed, or controlled it on January 1 (the lien date).

Yes. Any furniture, equipment, or other items used for a home business are considered business personal property and must be reported on the Business Property Statement.

Yes. Even if you have a tax-exempt status, you must file a Business Property Statement if:

• The Assessor requests it, or
• Your total combined personal property costs are $100,000 or more.

To verify your exempt status or file an exemption claim, contact the Exemptions Division at (415) 473-3794 to verify your exempt status or to file an exemption claim.

Yes. A timely filed Business Property Statement can be amended within four years, as allowed by law.

You may need to provide additional documentation to support the changes.

You can request copies of your Business Property Statement:

• In person
• By phone at 415-473-7208 (CA Relay: dial 711)
• In writing
• By email

Staff is available during office hours to help you.

Office location:
Marin County Assessor
Marin Civic Center, Room 208
3501 Civic Center Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903

Office hours:
9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday (excluding holidays)
I.D. may be required

Mailing address:
Marin County Assessor
P.O. Box C
San Rafael, CA 94913

You can request a Business Property Statement:

• In person
• By phone at 415-473-7208 (CA Relay: dial 711)
• In writing
• By email

A PDF version of the form is also available on the County web page. 

Office location:
Marin County Assessor
Marin Civic Center, Room 208
3501 Civic Center Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903

Office hours:
9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday (excluding holidays)

Mailing address:
Marin County Assessor
P.O. Box C
San Rafael, CA 94913

Requesting valuation details

Under California Revenue & Taxation Code Section 443.1, if you file your Business Property Statement on time and in duplicate, you can request a breakdown of how your property was valued.

Marin County meets this requirement by providing printed schedules that show:

• The valuation of each property category
• The acquisition years within each category

These schedules can be mailed or faxed to you upon request.

If the business property listed is not yours, please note that clearly on the Business Property Statement or on an attached page.

Be sure to include:

• The name of the company you work for;
• That company’s mailing address.

Then sign and return the statement to the Assessor’s Office.

Providing this information helps us avoid sending an incorrect assessment to you.