Section 5709.121 | Exclusive charitable or public purposes defined.
(A) Real property and tangible personal property belonging to a charitable or educational institution or to the state or a political subdivision, shall be considered as used exclusively for charitable or public purposes by such institution, the state, or political subdivision, if it meets one of the following requirements:
(1) It is used by such institution, the state, or political subdivision, or by one or more other such institutions, the state, or political subdivisions under a lease, sublease, or other contractual arrangement:
(a) As a community or area center in which presentations in music, dramatics, the arts, and related fields are made in order to foster public interest and education therein;
(b) As a children's, science, history, or natural history museum that is open to the general public;
(c) For other charitable, educational, or public purposes.
(2) It is made available under the direction or control of such institution, the state, or political subdivision for use in furtherance of or incidental to its charitable, educational, or public purposes and not with the view to profit.
(3) It is used by an organization described in division (D) of section 5709.12 of the Revised Code. If the organization is a corporation that receives a grant under the Thomas Alva Edison grant program authorized by division (C) of section 122.33 of the Revised Code at any time during the tax year, "used," for the purposes of this division, includes holding property for lease or resale to others.
(B)(1) Property described in division (A)(1)(a) or (b) of this section shall continue to be considered as used exclusively for charitable or public purposes even if the property is conveyed through one conveyance or a series of conveyances to an entity that is not a charitable or educational institution and is not the state or a political subdivision, provided that all of the following conditions apply with respect to that property:
(a) The property was listed as exempt on the county auditor's tax list and duplicate for the county in which it is located for the tax year immediately preceding the year in which the property is conveyed through one conveyance or a series of conveyances;
(b) The property is conveyed through one conveyance or a series of conveyances to an entity that does any of the following:
(i) Leases at least forty-five per cent of the property, through one lease or a series of leases, to the entity that owned or occupied the property for the tax year immediately preceding the year in which the property is conveyed or to an affiliate of that entity;
(ii) Contracts, directly or indirectly to have renovations performed as described in division (B)(1)(d) of this section and is at least partially owned by a nonprofit organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code that is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of that code.
(c) The property includes improvements that are at least fifty years old;
(d) The property is being renovated in connection with a claim for historic preservation tax credits available under federal law;
(e) All or a portion of the property continues to be used for the purposes described in division (A)(1)(a) or (b) of this section after its conveyance; ands secretary of the interior as a "certified historic structure" or certified as part of a certified historic structure.
(2) Notwithstanding section 5715.27 of the Revised Code, an application for exemption from taxation of property described in division (B)(1) of this section may be filed by either the owner of the property or an occupant.
(C) For purposes of this section, an institution that meets all of the following requirements is conclusively presumed to be a charitable institution:
(f) The property is certified by the United State
(1) The institution is a nonprofit corporation or association, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual;
(2) The institution is exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code;
(3) The majority of the institution's board of directors are appointed by the mayor or legislative authority of a municipal corporation or a board of county commissioners, or a combination thereof;
(4) The primary purpose of the institution is to assist in the development and revitalization of downtown urban areas.
(D) For purposes of division (A)(1)(b) of this section, the status of a museum as open to the general public shall be conclusive if the museum is accredited by the American alliance of museums or a successor organization.
(E)(1) Qualifying real property owned by an institution that meets all of the following requirements shall be considered as used exclusively for charitable purposes, and the institution shall be considered a charitable institution for purposes of this section and section 5709.12 of the Revised Code:
(a) The institution is an organization described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(b) The institution's primary purpose is to acquire, develop, lease, or otherwise provide suitable housing to individuals with developmental disabilities.
(c) The institution receives at least a portion of its funding from one or more county boards of developmental disabilities to assist in the institution's primary purpose described in division (E)(1)(b) of this section.
(2) As used in division (E) of this section, "qualifying real property" means real property that is used primarily in one of the following manners:
(a) The property is used by the institution described in division (E)(1) of this section for the purpose described in division (E)(1)(b) of this section.
(b) The property is leased or otherwise provided by the institution described in division (E)(1) of this section to individuals with developmental disabilities and used by those individuals as housing.
(c) The property is leased or otherwise provided by the institution described in division (E)(1) of this section to another charitable institution, and that charitable institution uses the property exclusively for charitable purposes.
(F)(1) Qualifying real property owned by an institution that meets all of the following requirements shall be considered as used exclusively for charitable purposes, and the institution shall be considered a charitable institution for purposes of this section and section 5709.12 of the Revised Code:
(a) The institution is either (i) an organization described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code that has as a primary purpose to acquire, develop, lease, or otherwise provide suitable supportive housing to individuals diagnosed with mental illness or substance use disorder and to families residing with such individuals or (ii) a limited liability company or limited partnership whose controlling or managing member or partner either is an organization described in division (F)(1)(a)(i) of this section or is wholly owned by one or more such organizations.
(b) One or more of the tax-exempt organizations identified in division (F)(1)(a) of this section receives at least a portion of its funding to assist in the organization's primary purpose described in division (F)(1)(a)(i) of this section from the department of mental health and addiction services; one or more county boards of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services; or a local continuum of care program governed by 42 U.S.C. 11381, et seq. and 24 C.F.R. part 578.
(2) As used in division (F) of this section, "qualifying real property" means real property that is used primarily in one of the following manners:
(a) The property is used by the institution described in division (F)(1) of this section for the purpose described in division (F)(1)(a)(i) of this section.
(b) The institution (i) leases or otherwise provides the property to individuals diagnosed with mental illness or substance use disorder and to the families residing with such individuals and (ii) makes supportive services available to such individuals and families.
(c) The property is leased or otherwise provided by that institution to another charitable institution, and that charitable institution uses the property exclusively for charitable purposes.
Last updated May 10, 2021 at 3:35 PM
Available Versions of this Section
- September 10, 2012 – House Bill 487 - 129th General Assembly [ View September 10, 2012 Version ]
- March 23, 2015 – Senate Bill 243 - 130th General Assembly [ View March 23, 2015 Version ]
- August 5, 2016 – House Bill 233 - 131st General Assembly [ View August 5, 2016 Version ]
- March 30, 2018 – Amended by House Bill 24 - 132nd General Assembly [ View March 30, 2018 Version ]
- August 3, 2021 – Amended by Senate Bill 57 - 134th General Assembly [ View August 3, 2021 Version ]
- September 30, 2021 – Amended by House Bill 110 - 134th General Assembly [ View September 30, 2021 Version ]
- October 24, 2024 – Amended by Senate Bill 98 - 135th General Assembly [ View October 24, 2024 Version ]