Personal Property Information and Forms

Posted by

Taxable personal property is tangible property other than real estate, as described in Connecticut General Statutes Sec 12-41 and 12-71. It includes, but is not limited to:

Unregistered motor vehicles
Office furniture and fixtures
Business computers and equipment
Vending machines
Tools
Machinery and equipment of commercial and industrial businesses
Leasehold improvements
Business supplies
Farm machinery

See Connecticut General Statutes Section 12-41, Section 12-43 and Section 12-71 for more detail.

Who Needs to File and When?

Any business or person who, as of October 1st:

Conducts any type of business in Durham
Is a Farmer in Durham
Owns unregistered motor vehicle(s) in Durham; or
Owns of out-of-state/out-of-town registered motor vehicle(s) located in Durham for three months or more during the assessment year immediately preceding October 1st.

Personal Property Declarations must be completed and filed with the Assessor’s Office no later than November 1st annually. If November 1st falls on a Saturday or Sunday, declarations can be filed or postmarked the next business day.

Penalties for Late Filing, Non-Filing or Omission of Assets

Any person who fails to file a declaration of personal property on or before the 1st day of November, or on or before the extended filing date as granted by the Assessor, shall be subject to a penalty equal to 25% of the assessment of such property.

Any person who files a declaration of personal property in a timely manner, but has omitted property, shall be subject to a penalty equal to 25% of the assessment of such omitted property.

The Assessor may perform an audit or require a designee of the Assessor to perform an audit of any personal property required to be declared. The Assessor shall give notice in writing to the owner, custodian or other person having knowledge of any such property or the valuation thereof, of the time and place of such audit with respect to such property. Such notice shall direct the person named therein to appear before the Assessor or before a designee of said Assessor, with books of account, papers, documents and other records for examination under oath relative to any such property or the valuation thereof.

All taxable property discovered during such audit and not declared by the owner as required by law shall be added to the owner's declaration by such Assessor at the percentage of its actual valuation, as determined by the Assessor in accordance with the provisions of CGS Sections 12-63 and 12-71, and 25% of such assessment shall be added thereto. If personal property is discovered during such audit to have been omitted by the taxpayer, the difference between the value originally determined by the Assessor and that determined as a result of the audit shall be added to the taxpayer's declaration by the Assessor at the percentage of its actual valuation plus 25% of the assessment of such omitted property.

No person shall be excused from giving testimony or producing books of account, papers, documents and other records. Any person who fails to appear at the time and place of such audit as designated in such notice, or, having appeared, refuses to answer any pertinent question or who fails to produce the books, papers or other documents mentioned in such notice, shall be guilty of a Class D misdemeanor. All property which the Assessor believes should have been declared for taxation and was not declared, and concerning which sufficient information cannot be obtained by them at such hearing, or any adjournment thereof, shall be added to the list at such percentage of the actual valuation thereof from the best information obtainable by the Assessor and 25% shall be added to such assessment.

Extension For Filing Declaration

Any person required by law to file an annual declaration of personal property may request a filing extension with the assessor of the municipality. Such request shall be made on or before the 1st day of November in writing. When the first day of November is a Saturday or Sunday, the declaration or extension request may be filed or postmarked the next business day following. The Assessor may grant an extension of not more than forty-five days to file the declaration upon determination that there is good cause.

Personal Property Declaration Forms:

Personal Property - Short Form.pdf

If you sold, terminated or moved your business out of Durham prior to October 1, 2024, and would like it removed from the October 1, 2024 Grand List, then complete the Affidavit - Business Sold - Terminated - Closed - Moved.pdf form above and file it in the Assessor’s Office.