logoalt Hacker News

achenatx • today at 2:01 PM • 2 replies • view on HN

In most jurisdictions (not califoria) property tax increases are somewhat unlinked from your actual property value

1) the tax entity sets their budget (usually an increase)

2) the valuation group values all properties

3) the tax entity sets a tax rate to raise their budgeted amount. budgeted amount = tax rate * total value

Most people think if their value doubles, their tax doubles. This mostly isnt the case. If everyone's value doubles, the rate decreases so they raise the budgeted amount. Mostly property tax increases are due to ever increasing budgets not rising values.

1) If everyone's value stayed the same, and the budget increased, your tax would increase by the amount of the budget increase

2) if everyone's value doubled, but the budget stayed the same, your tax would not increase

3) if your value doubled, everyone else's stayed the same, and the budget stayed the same, your tax would double.


Replies

goalieca • today at 2:18 PM

Let’s say you wee solid middle class and bought your forever home, in what was at the time, the near suburbs. Now that neighbourhood is unaffordable. The city might set a percentage of the home value as their target but now your well placed forever home is beyond your what your pension can afford. This happened a lot in Canada.

The worst part is that for all these taxes, the level of service has dropped since that home was bought.

➕ show 1 reply
guelo • today at 2:25 PM

Depends on the jurisdiction. I've lived in both, budget based rates like you describe (Minnesota), and fixed rates with market based assessments (D.C.). I wonder which is more common.