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Property Tax

Property taxes are beneficial because they support many of our community’s public services. Property taxes can support schools, police and fire, parks services, and street maintenance.  But, because most people pay different, varying sums in property tax, it can be confusing to know if you are paying your fair share, or too much.  The following is the how/why of property taxes.

Tax Assessments

Tax assessments are the basis for all property tax. These assessments are based on how much a home is worth. Usually, the higher a home’s value, the higher it’s property taxes. This is something to consider if you are planning to trade-up for a new home, know your property taxes will likely be assessed at a higher rate, because the new home possesses a greater value. This could also be true of the neighborhood, if the other houses in the neighborhood are considered to have considerable value. That value will likely be figured into the assessment of your new home (even in the case of buying a less expensive home in a neighborhood). The reasons for this is that a tax assessment is conducted by an assessor who groups together comparable homes, comparing all the home’s in the value range, and comes up with a tax figure that they determine to best assesses the home’s value. It’s a process akin to a home appraisal, however everything, including neighborhood, etc. is put into consideration.

Appeal your Property Tax Rate

It’s not unheard of to appeal your property tax rate. There’s formal processes for those folks thinking that the assessor may have missed something in determining a home’s value. Reasons for appeal are varied, but the most common could include: incorrect assessments of the home’s square footage, missing something like an addition, or possibly even incorrectly determining the number of bedrooms within the home. It’s times like these your accountant is ready to help you get through the appeal process. You can hire also a home appraiser, who may come in, and do a private assessment as to a home’s value.

If you find yourself struggling with property taxes, or just have tax questions in general, give us a call today.

Practical Taxes

Practical Taxes is a full service accounting firm in Billings, Montana. We can help you get the most from your taxes, and make sure that you will get the maximum refund every year. But we don’t just do taxes! We can help with your bookkeeping, payroll, bank reconciliation, budgeting, and more. Give us a call at 406-894-2090 to learn more.