Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

THEATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS Honorable 5. K. Long CMntg Attorney Jefferson County Beaumont, Texas Dear Sir: Opinion No. fj-7005 Re: Are Taxes on Intangibles Included ln the 8/9’s tb be refunded to the Port Arthur Sea Wall Dlstrlot? We have your request of February 2, 1946 wherein you request the opinion of this offloe on the above captioned aubjeot. Your letter reeds In pert as follows: “The queatlon ham arisen In Jefferson County aa to the lntergrstation of the above named House Bill relative to the meaning of “8/9’s of ad valorem taxes oolleoted on property both real and personal.” The State Comptroller pueationa the meaning of thla apart of the bill as quoted from the oaptlon es to whether or not It Include8 lntanglble properties, a list of which is furnished by the State Comptroller’8 Department to the Asssssor'a Offloo of Jefferson County and Is never broken down In any way as to the preolnots but a total for Jsfferaon County. “My queatlon is am to whether or not ad valorsm taxen on Intangible propertlerr 18 lnialudsd in the 8/t tr, be rehrnded to the Port Arthur Sea Wall Dintriot. Section 1 House Bill 410, amad at the regular rension of the 49th Leglsla&re, oh. 353, 9. 815 of Vernon’s Tsxr8 Seasion Laws reads es follows: “That commencing wlth the fiaoal year beginning September 1, 1929, and ending August 31, 1961 there be and hereby are donated and granted by the state of Texas to the Clty of Port Arthur, Texan situated In Jeffsraon County Texan eight -ninth8 (b/9) of the net amounts of ihe Btab ad valorem taxes ool- looted on all property, both real and personal, In Commlsslonerls Preolnot No. 2 of Jefferrron Carnty, Texas, an It existed on January 1, 1945, whioh Honorable S, K. Long, page 2 O-7085 shall be ascertained and apportioned as now pro- vided by law; provided that from and after August 31, 1949, Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000) of the assessed taxable value of all residence homesteads, as now defined by law, in said Precinct No. 2 shall be exempt from all taxation for the purpose enumer- ated In this Act as well as for all State purposes." Taxes on intangible assets have been held to be-ad valorem taxes on personal property. 40 Tex. Jur. Sec. 60, p0 91 and cases there cited. It is therefore the opinion of this office that taxes on intengfbl~eproperty~~areincluded in the 8/g to be refunded to the Port Arthur Sea~Wall District as pro- vided by House Bill 410, Acts 49th Legislature. Yours very truly ATTORNEY GEWERAL OF TEXAS By Robert T. Donahue Robert T. Donahue Assistant RTD:ms :wc APPROVED FEB 9, 1946 s/Carlos C, Ashley FIRST ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL Approved Opinion Committee By s/BWB Chairman