What This Statute Says
A.R.S. § 42-11126 exempts livestock and animals held for the production of food, fiber, or other agricultural products from Arizona personal property tax.
Livestock and poultry as defined in section 3-1201, aquatic animals as defined in section 3-2901 and colonies of bees are exempt from taxation as provided by article IX, section 13, Constitution of Arizona. For purposes of this section, "poultry" includes ratites.
A.R.S. § 42-11126Cattle, sheep, goats, chickens, and similar production animals are exempt from personal property tax. The exemption keeps Arizona's ranching and dairy sectors competitive with neighboring states.
For families with ranching operations in their estate, the statute simplifies the personal property inventory the personal representative has to prepare. Livestock still has value and still has to be inventoried for probate purposes; it just is not separately taxed.
When This Statute Comes Into Play
This statute typically becomes relevant in three situations. A property owner is reviewing an annual tax bill. An estate is being administered and the personal representative has to address ongoing property tax obligations. Or a charitable or nonprofit organization is claiming or maintaining an exemption. The statute is part of a larger framework in chapter 11 of title 42 and operates alongside the related sections cross-linked below.
What This Means for Arizona Families
Most families never think about Arizona property tax statutes until they are sitting at a closing table on an inherited home, reviewing an unexpected tax bill, or trying to claim an exemption for a surviving spouse. When that moment arrives, the rules in chapter 11 of title 42 are the framework you are working inside.
If you are holding real property in a revocable living trust, the trust structure does not by itself remove the property from the tax rolls. The exemption has to come from a specific statute. Our FAQ on what to do with property you inherit in Arizona covers the immediate practical questions, and our FAQ on probate timelines covers how a contested or stalled administration can affect tax filings and exemptions.
If you are administering an estate, the personal representative has a duty to keep property taxes current, to claim available exemptions where appropriate, and to maintain documentation in case the assessor reviews a claim later. Calendar the February exemption filing window each year for any property where a widow, widower, or disability exemption applies. Once the deadline passes, the saving for that year is usually lost.