Payments in Lieu of Taxes Action Center
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Basic pageThe Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program was created in 1976 and provides payments to counties and other local governments to offset losses in tax revenues due to the presence of substantial acreage of federal land in their jurisdictions.Payments in Lieu of Taxes Action Center
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Payments in Lieu of Taxes Action Center
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The Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program was created in 1976 and provides payments to counties and other local governments to offset losses in tax revenues due to the presence of substantial acreage of federal land in their jurisdictions. As federal land is not taxable by local governments, public land counties have struggled to provide adequate services to the public in light of the annual losses in tax revenue.
Overview
Counties with public lands in their jurisdictions often provide critical services on those lands including law enforcement, search and rescue, fire management, solid waste disposal, and emergency medical services. Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior makes PILT payments to over 1,850 counties in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The federal government owns roughly 635-640 million acres, or 28 percent, of land in the U.S. Approximately 62 percent of counties have federal public land within their jurisdictions. As federal land is not taxable by local governments, PILT provides payments to counties to offset losses in property tax revenues and also to reimburse counties for the critical services they provide on that land.
Even though they are not able to collect property taxes on federal land, county governments must still provide essential services for their residents and those who visit these public lands each year. Such services include road and bridge maintenance, law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency medical, fire protection, solid waste disposal and environmental compliance.
The Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program was created in 1976 and provides payments to counties and other local governments to offset losses in tax revenues due to the presence of substantial acreage of federal land in their jurisdictions.2018-12-21Basic page2022-08-04
The Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program was created in 1976 and provides payments to counties and other local governments to offset losses in tax revenues due to the presence of substantial acreage of federal land in their jurisdictions. As federal land is not taxable by local governments, public land counties have struggled to provide adequate services to the public in light of the annual losses in tax revenue.
Overview
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Counties with public lands in their jurisdictions often provide critical services on those lands including law enforcement, search and rescue, fire management, solid waste disposal, and emergency medical services. Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior makes PILT payments to over 1,850 counties in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The federal government owns roughly 635-640 million acres, or 28 percent, of land in the U.S. Approximately 62 percent of counties have federal public land within their jurisdictions. As federal land is not taxable by local governments, PILT provides payments to counties to offset losses in property tax revenues and also to reimburse counties for the critical services they provide on that land.
Even though they are not able to collect property taxes on federal land, county governments must still provide essential services for their residents and those who visit these public lands each year. Such services include road and bridge maintenance, law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency medical, fire protection, solid waste disposal and environmental compliance.
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Advocacy
PILT Advocacy Toolkit
In this toolkit you will find several useful resources designed to help county officials educate Congress, the administration and the public on the importance of the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program -
Policy Brief
Support Continued Revenue Sharing Payments to National Forest Counties
Urge your members of Congress to enact a long-term legislative solution for continued revenue sharing payments to forest counties through the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program. Congress reauthorized SRS and removed the annual 5 percent funding reduction through FY 2023 in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (P.L. 117-58) enacted on November 15, 2021. Counties rely on SRS payments to provide numerous critical services including infrastructure, conservation projects, search and rescue missions and fire prevention programs. -
Policy Brief
Provide Full Mandatory Funding for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Program
Urge your members of Congress to support mandatory full funding for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. Because local governments are unable to tax the property values or products derived from federal lands, PILT payments are necessary to support essential local government services. Unless Congress acts, counties will have received their last fully funded PILT disbursement in 2022. Without mandatory full funding, PILT will remain a discretionary program (subject to the annual appropriations process) and could fall back to pre-2008 funding levels, which would devastate local government service delivery in areas with significant federal land ownership. -
County Profiles
2018 Payments in Lieu of Taxes
61.6 percent of counties have federal land within their boundaries. -
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Policy Brief
Provide Full Mandatory Funding for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Program
Urge your members of Congress to support mandatory full funding for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. Because local governments are unable to tax the property values or products derived from federal lands, PILT payments are necessary to support essential local government services. Unless Congress acts, counties will have received their last fully funded PILT disbursement in 2022. Without mandatory full funding, PILT will remain a discretionary program (subject to the annual appropriations process) and could fall back to pre-2008 funding levels, which would devastate local government service delivery in areas with significant federal land ownership. -
Policy Brief
Support Continued Revenue Sharing Payments to National Forest Counties
Urge your members of Congress to enact a long-term legislative solution for continued revenue sharing payments to forest counties through the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program. Congress reauthorized SRS and removed the annual 5 percent funding reduction through FY 2023 in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (P.L. 117-58) enacted on November 15, 2021. Counties rely on SRS payments to provide numerous critical services including infrastructure, conservation projects, search and rescue missions and fire prevention programs. -
Video
Implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Restoring Healthy Ecosystems
Learn about efforts to implement the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to restore healthy ecosystems, reduce the threat of and mitigate the effect from wildland fire, safeguard water supplies, and ensure greater access to federal public lands. -
Video
2022 Capitol Hill Briefing on PILT
On September 15, county officials from across America will advocate on Capitol Hill for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. As part of these advocacy efforts, NACo will host a PILT briefing at 12:30 p.m. EDT. -
Reports & Toolkits
Legislative Analysis for Counties: The Inflation Reduction Act
The IRA offers counties the opportunity to pursue clean energy initiatives and reduce emissions through new competitive grant programs, local resiliency investments and clean energy tax credits. -
Blog
U.S. Forest Service to host SRS allocation election trainings for counties
The U.S. Forest Service will host online training sessions for county officials on the county allocation election process for the newly reauthorized Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program. This meeting will focus on the history, reporting requirements, recent legislative changes and county allocation election requirements for SRS.
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Public Lands Steering Committee
All matters relating to federally-owned public lands including federal land management programs, natural resource revenue sharing payments, payments in lieu of taxes, and property tax immunity concerns.pagepagepage<p>All matters relating to federally-owned public lands including federal land management programs, natural resource revenue sharing payments, payments in lieu of taxes, and property tax immunity concerns.
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American County Platform
The American County Platform is NACo’s permanent policy document. When necessary, it is amended at the annual meeting. Divided into substantive policy areas covered by ten policy steering committees, the platform reflects the philosophy and broad objectives of NACo’s membership.pagepagepage<p>The American County Platform is NACo’s permanent policy document. When necessary, it is amended at the annual meeting.
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2023 Policy Briefs
Check out the updated legislative policy briefs for NACo's ten policy steering committees. In each policy brief, you will find information on the type of action needed on the issue, background information, key talking points and a listing of the Congressional committees of jurisdiction.pagepagepage<p>Check out the updated legislative policy briefs for NACo's ten policy steering committees.
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Government Affairs Staff
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Document
Get Involved: Join a Committee and Make a Difference
Making a Difference for Every County NACo members have the opportunity to serve on 31 committees, caucuses, task forces and advisory boards to inform national policymaking and help solve problems impacting counties, boroughs and parishes.Documentdocument08014:00 pmDocument<h2>Making a Difference for Every County</h2>
Advocacy Resources
More From
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Legislative Analysis for Counties: The Inflation Reduction Act
The IRA offers counties the opportunity to pursue clean energy initiatives and reduce emissions through new competitive grant programs, local resiliency investments and clean energy tax credits.
Learn More
Contact
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Legislative Director – Public Lands | Western Interstate Region(512) 965-7268