Taxable Personal Property

A general definition of personal property is property that is not attached to the land and can therefore be moved from place to place. Some states use other terms for personal property, such as personal effects, movable property, and goods and chattel. The tax status and legal definitions of personal property vary considerably from state to state. As a result, and so that meaningful detail can be presented, only the four categories of property most typically considered personal property are examined. These are mobile homes, inventory, machinery and equipment, and motor vehicles. For taxation purposes, states variously consider these four types to be real property, personal property, or possibly both, and the table’s content reflects this variety.