Ranch and farm land can be taxed on productivity, not market value

People call it an ag exemption, but the Comptroller describes it as a special appraisal. The land is valued for what it can produce, not simply for what it might sell for. That can matter a lot on a rural tax bill.

The use still has to be real. Qualifying land must be mainly devoted to agricultural use at the degree of intensity generally accepted in the area. Wildlife management can qualify too, but only when the land was already qualified open-space land or timberland.

In Menard County, applications go through the Menard County Appraisal District at 110 Bevans in Menard. If the land later stops qualifying, rollback tax rules can come into play.