Property taxation which recognises the social and economic value of
real estate and provides revenue (normally) to fund public services, for
the benefits of the wider community.
Large scale land acquisition for agriculture, which follows on from
the highly successful previous four years work on compulsory purchase
and compensation, and is investigating the issue of land grab – a highly
topical and controversial issue causing international concern, as well
as severe individual and social hardship in relevant communities. It is
anticipated that this work should link into the interests of the wider
international community, thereby providing opportunities for
inter-organisational collaboration; and finally,
The management of public property assets in developing countries
with a view to presenting guidelines on best practice for the public
sector management community.
Work Plan
Terms of reference
Valuation, being the estimating of value of all kinds of real estate by
valuers and appraisers for various purposes, including market value,
property taxation, eminent domain, investment, redevelopment and
refurbishment, and for both public and private purposes;
Investment in real estate, investment planning and real estate
investment vehicles;
Real estate finance, development finance, land use feasibility planning;
Real estate economics, markets and market analysis;
Management of all kinds of real estate at all levels;
Asset management for corporate private and public sectors;
Management of the use of buildings to ensure optimum benefits to
occupiers.
Mission statement
The mission of Commission 9 is:
To advance the professional practice of valuers and property managers
working in all areas of real estate valuation and management;
To research and publish ?best practice? for the benefit of valuers and
property managers in different jurisdictions and sectors of the industry,
for the benefit of the surveying community and to improve our services to
the wider public;
To facilitate and generate the exchange of information, knowledge and
experience between surveyors for the benefit of the profession, our clients
and the wider public;
To publicise and promote the work of surveyors to the public,
particularly to young people, governments and non-government organisations
and to enhance their perception of the value of surveyors and the services
they can deliver, especially in support of the global sustainability agenda
and the Millennium Development Goals;
To co-operate and work with fellow surveyors in all specialisms of the
profession to further the objectives of FIG.
Property taxation is ubiquitous ? there are very few countries which do not
impose some kind of tax specifically on land and / or buildings. It is usual for
such a tax to be levied, collected and spent by local authorities, even if the
rate of tax is fixed by a higher tier of government, but this is not always the
case.
The working group will comprise three study groups, the work plans of which are
presented below.
Study Group 9.1.1 - Tax Bases
Policy issues
Land taxation policy includes many aspects.
On the one hand, land taxation should bring fiscal revenues. Which is
tax base is most easy to administer and to assess? Which tax base is
justifiable? Which brings sustainable and high fiscal revenues? Will the tax
be accepted by the tax payers? Particularly for valuation purposes it has to
be asked whether the tax is levied annually and in a comprehensive way (as
the property tax) or only occasionally (e.g. betterment tax). Does it make
sense to use the same tax base and the same valuation methods for different
sort of taxes (land taxation, income tax, property transfer tax)? Especially
if the tax is levied annually and in a comprehensive way, mass valuation is
necessary. Mass valuation always faces a trade-off between efficiency and
justice. Hence, group 9.1. A will work in close co-operation with group
9.1.2.
On the other hand, aspects beyond fiscal revenues also have to be
considered. Land taxation is discussed more and more as a tool for land use
policy and settlement policy. It is required to support land use planning
and ecological targets. Is there any trade off between the targets to be
taken into account? Are there any distortions of the market to be
considered? These and other questions need systematic analysis and
examination. Maybe different answers have to be given for different
institutional environments.
Moreover, different countries have different stages of institutional
development and governance. Is there one size that fits all? Or do different
stages of development, different cultures etc. have to be taken into account?
Co-chairs
Prof. Dr. Dirk Löhr,
GERMANY,
e-mail: d.loehr[at]umwelt-campus.de
Prof. Dr. Fabian Thiel,
GERMANY
Email: fabian.thiel[at]fb1.fh-frankfurt.de
Study Group 9.1.2 - Mass Appraisal Systems
Policy issues:
Valuers contribute to an efficient, effective and socially acceptable
property tax in their role as assessors of the tax base. Technical valuation
skills support appropriate methodologies, in particular, the use of Computer
Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) techniques, as well as ensuring improved
access for the public to relevant information, advice and data.
However, the use of mass appraisals involves a degree of technical skill
and knowledge which is beyond the understanding of the average taxpayer and
which may involve a trade-off between efficiency and ?justice?. This
therefore imposes an additional responsibility on the valuation profession
to ensure that the highest degrees of equity and ?fairness? are achieved
within the limitations of the technology, and that acceptable levels of
explanation and reassurance are available to all parties, particularly
taxpayers.
This working group will investigate and publish appropriate guidelines
for the development of mass appraisal techniques to support property tax
assessments, including the appropriateness original data sources (property
characteristics, sales, rents, yields, costs asking prices, or valuations)
and of indices to monitor the property market, which will be particularly
useful during the current economic climate.
Study Group 9.1.3 - Successful and Efficient Taxation Systems for Emerging Economies
Policy issues
This working party will investigate property tax systems in emerging
economies focusing on a case study approach, seeking examples of best
practice.
Regions of interest for the sourcing of case studies are likely to be
South America, and potentially Africa and Central and Eastern Europe,
depending on interest and data availability.
Chair
Steven Nystrom
USA
E-mail: nystrom[at]tampabay.rr.com
Working Group 9.2 - Large Scale Land Acquisition for Agriculture
Policy Issues
This working party builds on the earlier of 2007-2010 Working Group 9.1
(Compulsory Purchase and Compensation in Land Acquisition and Takings, led
by Professor Kauko Viitanen), which has resulted in the Hanoi Declaration
(FIG Publication 51) and the Compulsory Purchase and Compensation.
Recommendations for Good Practice (FIG Publication 54).
There remains an appetite within the Commission 9 delegations to
continue FIG work in this area and, of increasing international concern is
the related topic of land grab, being the acquisition by foreign corporates
of productive farmland from indigenous land holders. Certain international
organizations has expressed concern about the possibility of exploitation.
Chair
Dr. Ibimina Kakulu
NIGERIA / UNITED KINGDOM
E-mail: ibkakulu[at]hotmail.com
Working Group 9.3 - Management of Public Property Assets in
Developing Countries
Policy issues
This working group will investigate fixed public property assets within
developing countries with a view to establishing how such real estate assets are
managed and to develop ?best practice? guidance within such environments. This
working group will focus on management issues, rather than legal frameworks
(which vary between countries); and it will not cover the technical, computer
tools involved in management.
The programme will cover three components:
documentation, defined as the permanent process of collecting,
preparing, evaluating, and updating of the necessary information. The
working group will seek to define a generalised and simplified data
structure for fixed public assets in combination with recommendations for a
professional inventory system;
administration, to define the needs, duties and responsibilities of a
property management unit in public administration (principles, tasks,
organisation, equipment, personnel etc.). This will reflect on the clients
of property management and their needs; the organisation of processes; and
the definition of the interfaces to the clients and other processes; and
operation of public properties. Recognising that the operational costs
during the life cycle of real estate are higher than the original
construction costs, the working group will consider the following issues:
the principles/responsibilities of public/corporate real estate
management;
