Have You Paid Your Horse Tax?

By Steve Bigham

The number of horses reported to the town for tax purposes has jumped from a total of 37 in 1999 to 165 this year, Tax Assessor Denise Hames announced this week.

Last year, the town worked to remind horse owners that horses are more than just a pet – they are considered a piece of personal property subject to taxation.

With no proper count on the number of horses in town, the tax assessor’s office has had to rely on the good-faith effort of residents to do the reporting. Horse owners must also place a value on the horse as that is what the tax amount is based on.

Last year, some members of the Newtown Bridle Lands Association (NBLA) admitted they were unaware of any law that empowered municipalities to place a tax on horses. Dogs are not taxed, so why should horses be, they said. The town does not provide any services for horses.

“I’ve lived here all my life and never knew anything about it,” said one NBLA member.

According to a state statute, all horses and ponies can be taxed. While other livestock – such as cows, chickens, and pigs – receive some exemptions, horses and ponies do not.

“All horses are to be reported to the town assessors office as personal property in October,” Mrs Hames said.

NBLA members say they wonder how the town is able to put a value on horses since there is no Blue Book to refer to. The tax assessor is expected to rely on information provided by each horse’s owner.

“If this money for taxing horses is going into the town coffers, we bloody well better get some of that money back for trail maintenance,” noted horse owner and NBLA member David McCauley last year.

Mrs Hames said with the very high concentration of horse owners in Newtown, the actual number of horses could be in the thousands.

“I would say there are between 2,000 and 3,000 horses in town,” Mr Macauley estimated.

“There are supposedly more horses per square mile in Newtown than in any other town in Connecticut,” Mrs Connolly said. “I’m not sure if that’s fact or long-term bragging rights. We do have a heavy horse population.”