What do rollback taxes refer to?

Rollback taxes specifically relate to taxes that are imposed when there is a change in the use of land, particularly when farmland is no longer utilized for agricultural purposes. In New Jersey, these taxes are designed to recapture tax revenue that would have been generated had the land been assessed at its full market value instead of its reduced agricultural value. When a property that qualifies for farmland assessment transitions to a non-farm use, the owner may be required to pay a rollback tax, which typically reflects the difference between the taxes paid under the farmland assessment and what would have been owed had the land been taxed at its full market value for the prior years.

This system is an incentive aimed at preserving agricultural land, ensuring that landowners do not unfairly benefit from lower taxes associated with farming while potentially transitioning to more profitable land uses without contributing to the tax base at the appropriate level. This underscores the importance of land use in tax assessments and the regulatory measures in place to uphold fair taxation practices in agricultural zones.