Tangible Personal Property

Key Highlights

• Tangible Personal Property is any corporeal or physical movable property that can be owned, including items such as furniture, cars, jewelry, art and collectibles, clothing, and household goods.

• Tangible Personal Property is distinguished from real property (land and buildings) in that it may be moved without changing its legal ownership

What is Tangible Personal Property?

Tangible Personal Property is any corporeal or physical movable property that can be owned, including items such as furniture, cars, jewelry, art and collectibles, clothing, and household goods. Tangible Personal Property is distinguished from real property (land and buildings) in that it may be moved without changing its legal ownership. As a form of movable property, tangible personal property is subject to different rules than real estate in terms of acquisition, registration, and taxation.

Key Features

• You can physically hold or move it.

• Its value comes from the item itself, not from legal rights or papers.

• It’s not stuck in one place like a house or land.

Examples

• Office desks, computers, or machinery

• Vehicles (though some licensed ones may not count)

• Artwork, collectibles, or sports gear

• Business tools or supplies

What’s Not Included?

• Land or buildings (real property)

• Non-physical things like copyrights or stocks (intangible property)

• In some places, household goods or inventory, unless used for business

Taxation

Tangible personal property used in business may be taxed based on its value (ad valorem tax). These taxes are usually set by local governments but follow state rules. Businesses often need to report this property yearly, though tax details vary by location.

Tangible Vs Intangible Personal Property

Tangible personal property is composed of physical objects like furniture, houses, cars, jewelry, art machines, etc. In contrast, intangible personal property includes non-physical items such as licenses, intellectual property (patents and copyrights), stocks and bonds, profit-sharing plans, and more.

When it comes to legal protection from theft or fraud, tangible personal property typically has stronger protections than intangible due to the difficulty of affirming ownership by individuals that possess the latter type of asset.