Committee orders reporting of actual ad valorem collections to improve transparency
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Summary
Lawmakers adopted an amendment to require sheriffs to provide ad valorem tax collection data to the Louisiana Tax Commission by Nov. 15 each year so the commission can include actual collections (not only assessed values) in its annual report to the legislature.
Representative Desotel introduced HB 1010, a measure to require annual reporting of actual ad valorem tax collections to the Louisiana Tax Commission so the legislature and the public can see amounts actually collected by taxing bodies rather than only assessed values. Michael Mathern of the Tax Commission told the committee the change is feasible but recommended moving the reporting deadline from Jan. 31 to Nov. 15 to allow time to reconcile collections and protests; the committee adopted that amendment.
Mathern also noted the effort will require modest software costs and coordination with sheriffs’ offices, and the reported figures will reflect collections through the new reporting date. Representative Wilder and others supported the transparency push; the committee reported the bill as amended by voice consent.
