(Bannock County Press Release, January 5, 2026; Cover photo credit: Bannock County)
It is hard to believe we are already welcoming another new year. As I reflect on the past year, I truly feel that our office has made significant progress over the last several years, and we are proud of how far we have come.
We are looking ahead to the year with optimism. New legislation will be an important focus for us, particularly legislation passed in 2025 regarding the proration of Homeowner’s Exemptions. This change will affect the way we process the exemption, and while we are still awaiting guidance on how the process will be implemented, the State Tax Commission typically provides standardized guidelines to ensure consistency across counties. There is also discussion that this legislation may be revisited this year with clearer wording to make it easier to administer.
In addition, we are in the process of updating our appraisal software. We completed this update for commercial properties last year, which helped bring those properties into better compliance with the 90%–110% valuation requirements. As a result, commercial properties are now more evenly equalized, reducing the impact on residential properties.
Beginning the week of January 5, we will be sending Property Tax Reduction reminders to individuals who have signed up in past years, as well as to new applicants who have requested a reminder. This program is meant to help seniors, people with disabilities, and widowers alleviate their property taxes. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office at 208-236-7260.
Once again, this year, we will be visiting communities to assist individuals who may not have internet access or prefer not to come into the office. A list of dates and times are on the reminder cards. I will also include them here as well.
- Feb 24- Arimo City Hall 9-10 AM
- Feb 26- Downey Community Center 9-10 AM
- March 3- Lava Hot Springs Senior Center 9-10 AM
- March 5- McCammon City Office 9-10 AM
- March 10- Inkom City Hall 9-10 AM
- March 12- Chubbuck City Hall 9-10 AM
- March 19- Pocatello Senior Center 9-10 AM
Nonprofit tax exemption reminders will also be sent by the end of the first week of January. These annual applications apply to churches, benevolent organizations, and similar entities. Applications are available on our website, and our office is happy to assist if you have questions or need help obtaining an application.
Personal Property Declarations will be mailed in early January to businesses that filed last year, as well as to new businesses. Businesses with inventory valued under $250,000 are not required to file. However, if you own multiple businesses of the same types – such as fast-food restaurants – and the combined value exceeds $250,000, filing is required. Personal property filing requirements have changed since January of 2013 to ensure that many small “mom and pop” businesses are no longer required to pay taxes on their inventory.
As mentioned in our previous newsletter, January truly marks the beginning of our busiest season, and it often feels like we are well into June before we know it.
We will continue to closely monitor new legislation affecting both our office and the DMV and will share updates as they become available.
Thank you, and best wishes for a wonderful year ahead.
~ Anita Hymas
Bannock County Assessor
