• Owners of sailboats and canoes will also see their property tax bills reduced after tax changes passed last year were revised; those types of watercraft are not taxed at the same rate as far more expensive cabin cruisers.

• Business owners will no longer have to account for every piece of personal property because of a new law and a constitutional amendment that exempts property of minimal value, such as chairs.

• Truth in Taxation notices will be more clear by requiring that the average percentage of increase is included.

• Rental car companies can register their vehicles for six months, instead of a year, the first time they register them.

No-smoking laws will also be expanded, as country clubs, private dining establishments and fraternal organizations will become smoke-free. In 2009, taverns and bars will also be forced to ban smoking, making smoking indoors illegal almost everywhere outside of private residences.

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E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com