It's property tax time. (Sacramento, Alameda: flat fee, assessor, purchase)

[davidt1]

I just received the property tax bill for 2016-2017. The assessed value is $164,109. The tax is $1,865 (base tax). Does this seem high or normal for Sacramento County? Every online calculator I tried gave a lower value between $1,100 -- $1,555.

There seems to be a few thousand dollars in improvement assessment added every year. But I have not made one improvement to the property. Where/how do they come with this figure? I just want to know I am not the only one here. Does your improvement increase every year too?

Edit: I meant to ask this in the Sacramento forum. Not sure I can post the same thing twice in different forums.

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by davidt1

I just received the property tax bill for 2016-2017. The assessed value is $164,109. The tax is $1,865 (base tax). Does this seem high or normal for Sacramento County? Every online calculator I tried gave a lower value between $1,100 -- $1,555.

There seems to be a few thousand dollars in improvement assessment added every year. But I have not made one improvement to the property. Where/how do they come with this figure? I just want to know I am not the only one here. Does your improvement increase every year too?

Edit: I meant to ask this in the Sacramento forum. Not sure I can post the same thing twice in different forums.

1% of $164,000 is $1640. I don't know what online calculator you are using, but the base tax rate is 1%.Plus any voter approved fees and taxes.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by davidt1

There seems to be a few thousand dollars in improvement assessment added every year. But I have not made one improvement to the property. Where/how do they come with this figure?

"Local Real Property Is Assessed at Acquisition Value and Adjusted Upward Each Year. The process that county assessors use to determine the value of real property was established by Proposition 13. Under this system, when real property is purchased, the county assessor assigns it an assessed value that is equal to its purchase price, or “acquisition value.” Each year thereafter, the property’s assessed value increases by 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower."

Understanding California’s Property Taxes

[davidt1]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

1% of $164,000 is $1640. I don't know what online calculator you are using, but the base tax rate is 1%.Plus any voter approved fees and taxes.

Thanks. $1865 - $1640 = $225. I wonder if they overcharge me by $225.

[kettlepot]

No, the $225 isn't an overcharge.

If you review the bill, undoubtedly there is a school district bond that you are paying off, and probably a Sacramento City our County bond. These are all charged on a percentage basis of your assessed value.

Then I assume there are some flat fees you are paying that are outside your "base tax."

County Assessors offices have this down pat and rarely make errors.

The other possibility is that these are some kind of Mello-Roos tax, that most newly built housing is charged for things like roads, parks, fire stations, etc.

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by kettlepot

No, the $225 isn't an overcharge.

If you review the bill, undoubtedly there is a school district bond that you are paying off, and probably a Sacramento City our County bond. These are all charged on a percentage basis of your assessed value.

Then I assume there are some flat fees you are paying that are outside your "base tax."

County Assessors offices have this down pat and rarely make errors.

The other possibility is that these are some kind of Mello-Roos tax, that most newly built housing is charged for things like roads, parks, fire stations, etc.

kettlepot is spot on.

If you don't see it on your bill, you can check all of the special assessments and bonds for the county of Sacramento on the county website here: http://www.finance.saccounty.net/Aud...xAcctRpts.aspx

Or, just call the County Tax Collector and ask. I'm sure they get these sorts of questions all the time.

[davidt1]

Thanks, everyone. Yeah, I missed the Los Rios College and Sacto Unified something taxes which account for the $225.

In addition to the base tax, there are six other levies totaling $249, a $80 increase over last year. There are two library taxes: a core library tax and an additional library tax. Aren't libraries obsolete already? Who goes to the library these days?

I can't wait to see what special levy they come up with for homeowners in 2018. The way things are going I wouldn't be surprised if these special taxes exceed the base tax one day. No need to repeal Prop 13. Just pile on special taxes.

[Ultrarunner]

It's a bargain compared to some areas... my tax rate is about 1.7% or 50% higher than friends 10 minutes away...

[kettlepot]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

It's a bargain compared to some areas... my tax rate is about 1.7% or 50% higher than friends 10 minutes away...

I bet Ultrarunner lives in Alameda County. As a core part of the People's Republic, they vote to approve every tax increase.

[49erfan916]

Mine jumped up 5 percent and I only live in Sacramento.