|
California
Property Tax Information and FAQs
How
much are property taxes?
Although
property taxes change due to local assessments, the general rule
of thumb is about 1.25% of your properties assessed value.
When
are the taxes due?
Annual property
tax bills are mailed in early October of each year. The bill is
payable in two installments.
The 1st installment
is due on November 1 and is
delinquent if the payment is not received by 5:00 p.m. or postmarked
by December 10. A 10% penalty is assessed for delinquent payments.
The 2nd installment
is due on February 1 and is
delinquent if the payment is not received by 5:00 p.m. or postmarked
by April 10, a 10% penalty and $10.00 cost fee are assessed.
If December
10 or April 10 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a legal holiday,
the delinquency date is the next business day.
Both installments
can be paid at the same time. If you choose to pay both installments
in one payment, please include the first and second installment
stubs with your payment.
Payment Deadline
Summary
Installment
Due Date Delinquency Date* Penalty, if delinquent
1st November
1 December 10 10% of amount due
2nd February 1 April 10 10 % of amount due + $10.00 Cost Fee
*If December
10th or April 10th falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a legal holiday,
the delinquency date is the next business day.
How
can I save money on property taxes?
Every homeowner
who occupies their home and it is a primary residence in entitled
to what's known as the homeowners exemption (HOX). In short the
exemption will reduce your homes assessed value by $7,000 and will
alter your property taxes accordingly. It's not necessarily much,
but it's free to apply. For more information go to our Homeowners
exemption page.
What
is proposition 13 and how does it benefit me?
Proposition
13 gives homeowners long-term security by providing predictability
in taxes. Property taxes are levied once a year. The tax "rate"
is applied to the value of your home to determine your tax bill.
Proposition 13 helps you by limiting the maximum tax rate to 1%.
If a home has a value of $250,000, the owner will see a tax bill
of $2,500. For more information visit our Prop
13 page.
What
about special assessments?
Visit our mello-roos
information page to learn more about special assessments to your
property tax bill.
|