Primary Residential Exemption
Online Residential Property Declaration Forms
To complete and submit PT-19A or PT-19B online, click on the link below:
*Note: Use the PT-19A Form for the PT-19A and PT-19B
PT-19A – This form must be submitted to the County Assessor’s office where your new residential property is located within 90 days of receipt. Failure to do so will result in withdrawal of the primary residential exemption from your residential property.
PT-19B – This form must be returned to the County Assessor’s office within 30 days of mailing. Failure to do so will result in withdrawal of the primary residential exemption from your residential property.
Utah Code Ann. 59-2-103 Rate of assessment of property – Residential Property (103.5 Exemption)
The fair market value of a residential property located within the state is allowed a residential exemption equal to a 45% reduction in the value of the property. Part-year residential property located within the state is allowed the residential exemption if the part-year residential property is used as residential property for 183 or more consecutive calendar days during the calendar year for which the owner seeks to obtain the residential exemption. No more than one acre of land per residential unit may qualify for the residential exemption. A residential exemption is limited to one primary residence per household. An owner of multiple primary residences located within the state is allowed a residential exemption for each residential property that is the primary residence of a tenant.
Residential Property Declaration Form (PDF)
Residential Property Declaration Instructions for PT-19A (PDF)
For questions on the primary residential exemption, please call the County Assessor.
Your Valuation Notice (received at the end of July) or your Tax Notice (received around the start of November) will indicate if you receive the exemption. The taxable value of your property will be 55% of the market value (reflecting the 45% exemption).
Most residences in Utah receive the exemption.
In most counties, the primary residential exemption is generally assumed to apply to existing residential property. So, if you purchased a house that was used as a primary residence by the previous owner, the primary residential exemption came with it.
Utah Law amended by Chapter 323, 2019 General Session requires an application when a property changes hands, a non-residential property becomes residential, or the county has reason to believe the property may no longer qualify.
In the 2019 General Session, the Legislature passed SB13 which required county assessors to send a form to ensure homeowners are correctly receiving the primary residential exemption.
Please complete the form accurately as it may result in the withdrawal of the primary residential exemption should it indicate you are receiving it in error.
Records indicate the address of a property you own receiving the primary residential exemption does not match your mailing address, voter registration address, or the address on your driver’s license.
If you do not return the completed form within 30 days, you will receive a notice that will give a further 30 days to return the completed form, or your primary residential exemption will be removed.
You must notify the county when a property you own no longer qualifies for the exemption. For example, if a tenant moves out of an investment property and you do not intend to replace them, or if you relocate to a different residential property in the state of Utah for at least 183 consecutive days in the year.
Completing and returning this form to the county is a good way to achieve this.
There is also a question on the Utah state income tax return concerning the residential exemption that you should complete accurately.
The exemption was initially enacted in 1982. This was the result of an amendment to the State Constitution passed by Utah voters that election year. It was set at 25% of market value (so property taxes were paid on 75% of the value of homes). The language of the amendment allowed the exemption to be set at a maximum of 45%.
The exemption was raised to 45% in 1995, where it currently sits, after being increased in smaller increments between 1982 and 1995.
If you receive the primary residential exemption on a property in Utah, there is a rebuttable presumption that you are domiciled in Utah for income tax purposes.
Put simply, your worldwide income may be subject to Utah state income tax, unless you establish otherwise. This would primarily affect individuals (or their spouse) who live out of state but own residential property in Utah. Individuals in such circumstances or believe they could be effected may wish to seek advice form an income tax professional.
As well as verifying if the primary residential exemption is being applied accurately, this form attempts to ensure recipients are not in a position where they are inaccurately subject to Utah state income taxes, and must then prove they are not domiciled in Utah.
Many factors can affect whether you qualify for the exemption. For example, if you separate from your spouse but are not legally separated, you are still counted as one household and only one home can qualify for the exemption if living separately.
Or, if you are still building a property that is intended to be used a primary residence upon completion, you may already qualify for an exemption upon approval by the county assessor.
Also, if you own multiple residential properties across the state, you may need to return a copy of this form to multiple counties, or submit multiple primary residential exemption applications in future.