PUERTO RICO 
Modified Assessment Law. Optional. Enacted 1925. Amended 1931 and 
1952. 
Laws of Puerto Rico Annotated 1962. 
Title 12, Sees. 151-156. 
Classification 
Qualification. Lands on which the original 
forest has been destroyed are eligible for classifica- 
tion for a period of 5 years. Such tracts must either 
be planted with at least 600 forest trees to the 
acre, properly spaced and of species generally used 
for construction, implements, fences, or fuel, or 
they must be devoted to the conservation of forests 
already planted. 
Procedure. The owner applies to the Secretary 
of the Treasury pledging the care and cultivation 
of the trees. The Secretary refers the application 
to the Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce, 
who may direct the Forestry Service to make an 
investigation of the property. A report is made to 
the Secretary of the Treasury as to the advisability 
of classifying the property. 
The owner reports to the Secretary of Agricul- 
25 
ture and Commerce the date when any planting is 
to begin. The latter then investigates the nature 
of the planting, the area of land benefited, and 
related matters. 
Conditions governing continued classification. 
The Department of Agriculture and Commerce 
must inspect the property at least once a year to 
see that requirements of the law are being met. 
Declassification 
This may be effected by the Secretary of the 
Treasury when the owner has failed to comply 
with the law. A declassification tax is imposed 
equal to the accumulated taxes which would have 
been paid if the property had not been classified. 
Tax treatment 
Land and timber. Taxed on a fixed assessment of 
$5 per cuerda (approximately 1 acre). 
