Personal Property
All resident owners of taxable Personal Property are required to file Declarations of such property with the Assessor of Montville on or before November 1st annually per C.G.S. 12-41. Non-resident owners of taxable Personal Property must file in the Town where property situs has been established under the "three month rule", see C.G.S. 12-43.
The Assessor may grant a filing extension of up to 45 days for good cause. A written request to the Assessor must be received prior to the November 1st filing deadline. The decision to grant an extension is the sole responsibility of the Assessor. When Declarations are received after November 1st and an extension has not been granted a 25% penalty is applied to the total assessment. When an extension has been granted and the Declaration is received after the extension date a 25% penalty is applied.
Failure to file a Personal Property Declaration shall subject the taxpayer to valuation by the Assessor and a 25% penalty. A 25% penalty will also be assessed when omitted property is discovered. The penalty will be applied to the difference in the assessed value of the Personal Property after the discovered property has been determined and added and the value of the property as originally declared.
Personal Property Declarations are required to be properly executed. Declarations filed "same as last year" are insufficient and shall be considered an incomplete declaration and subject to penalty. Owners are required to sign the declaration. "Owner" means the person who holds legal title to the Personal Property for which information is required regardless of who is responsible for paying the property tax. The Owner's Agent may sign the Declaration, per C.G.S. 12-50, in which case the Declaration must be duly sworn to or notarized. "Agent" is defined as any person authorized by the Owner to sign on their behalf. Corporate Officers signing for their Corporations must have the returns properly sworn to or notarized; or provide the Assessor with a statement bearing the Corporate Seal and signed by the Corporate Secretary setting out the office held by the signer of the Declaration and the dates office held. Declarations that are not signed or are not properly notarized will be subject to 25% penalty. If you are uncertain as to whether your declaration must be notarized, have it notarized.
The Assessor has the right to audit the books and records of Owners of any Personal Property required to be declared within three years of the date of the required filing. Substantial penalties are applicable if such an audit reveals that property has not been properly declared as required by law, C.G.S. 12-53.
Please note, filing requirements may have changed from last year. Please read the Personal Property Declarations and/or Exemption forms carefully. Declarations can be downloaded from the Assessor's Page.