Laws, Regulations & Annotations

C

220.0000 CHANGE IN OWNERSHIP

Annotation 220.0399

220.0399 Massachusetts Trust/Business Trust. If a trust is a business trust, instead of an ordinary trust for the conservation of assets, it is to be treated as a legal entity for property tax purposes. Determining whether a trust is a business or traditional trust requires a factual analysis of the evident trust purposes and trust documents. The parties are not at liberty to say that their purpose was other or narrower than that which they formally set forth in the instrument under which their activities were conducted. Given the broad powers provided to the trustee, if the property is capable of being rented, subdivided, developed, converted to business purposes, or otherwise being used as or in a business, the trust must be considered a business trust and, therefore, a legal entity for property tax purposes and subject to the provisions of Revenue and Taxation Code sections 61, subdivision (j), and 64. C 1/13/1998; 8/24/2010.