County Government
Assessor
Our goal is to perform uniformed, equalized and fair assessments, enabling the same for the taxation of all taxpayers. Our office duties include assisting in filing the personal property forms, file and maintain the confidential Inheritance Tax forms, maintain non-taxable/exemption applications approved by the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals. Review and address property appeals, meeting with the taxpayer regarding appeals of assessments checking for accuracy in details and defending the counties assessments of the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals. We are responsible for maintaining copies of sales disclosure forms for public review and for use in conducting the annual market value studies. As well as providing any property record card or forms for the aforementioned.
Any and all questions are welcome and encouraged.
LOCATION
706 E 5th Street; Suite 23 Fowler, IN 47944
Benton County Courthouse (2nd Floor)
HOURS
Monday - Friday
8:30 am to 4:00 pm EST
Closed on major holidays
CONTACT
PH: 765- 884-1205
Fax: 765- 884-2074
TAX INFORMATION
If you need help accessing the property forms, please call the Assessor's Office.
Personal Property Exemption Examples
Personal Property Tax
The State of Indiana has provided the Assessor's office with a list of the new business owners in Benton County. Anyone who owns, controls, or possesses personal property, with a tax situs within the state, must file a return.
The assessment date for Personal Property is January 1st and the filing is due May 15th each year. Amended returns are allowed within 12 months from the due date of the original return. Only timely filed original returns can be amended IC6-1.1-3-7.5
Recent changes in Indiana law now require taxpayers who file a Business Tangible Personal Property Return (103 Long, 103 Short or 102 Forms) to complete the entire form. A signed and completed 104 form must accompany the 103 or 102 forms.
The following are regularly absent from the filed business personal property forms.
Principal Business Codes (see NAICS Business Activity Codes)
Federal ID Numbers/Social Security Numbers
Taxpayers Signatures.
Incomplete returns may result in fines pursuant to Indiana law IC6-1.1-37-7 (d).
All form 102's & 103's need to be coded with whichever code best describes the business that the forms are being submitted for.
The NAICS code on page one of the Business Tangible Personal Return (Forms 102 & 103), this is the same six-digit principal business activity code that apears in Schedule K, line 2(a) of a corporation's federal income tax return.
All forms must be signed, dated, phone number, and federal ID number or the last 4 digits of your SS number.
Make sure your information is correct in the event an audit occurs. Your signature is certifying the information you have submitted is reported correctly. If you do not sign the forms they are considered incomplete and we will have to send them back for your signature, which may result in late fees and penalties.
ADDITIONAL LINKS
Find data and parcel Information here
Interested in learning more about property taxes and how they are figured? Watch Purdue Extension Local Government YouTube channel for informative videos by Larry DeBoer and Tamara Ogle here
Read Larry DeBoers column, Capital Comments, where he also writes about state and local government policy here.
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS
N/A
STAFF
Kelly Balensiefer, Assessor
Amy Schniedt, Deputy
Deputy - information coming soon
Sarah Cantu, Deputy Assessor