Property Tax Lawyers in Shreveport

The government of Shreveport, Louisiana requires most individuals who own real property to pay taxes on its value. "Real property" refers to land and buildings, as well as anything else which is permanently fixed to a piece of land, including trees, oil, groundwater, minerals, and the like.

In Shreveport, Louisiana, property taxes are measured as a percentage of the land's value. They are most often paid annually. But in any case, they are paid at some set interval.

Federal authorities do not gather a property tax. Only state and local governments gather property taxes, as a general matter.

How Property Tax is Calculated in Shreveport, Louisiana

Most often, property taxes in Shreveport, Louisiana are simply a set percentage of the property's value. Across the country, state authorities impose a wide range of various tax rates. The highest rates in the country are in the area of 5% of the property's value, and the lowest are less than 1%.

To levy this tax, Shreveport, Louisiana tax authorities must initially figure out how much a house or piece of land is worth.

As you probably know, value is not always objective. For example, the owners of family heirlooms usually place far more value on them than their objective monetary value. So tax officials have to be careful to only use objective criteria in valuing property for tax purposes.

To that end, the Shreveport, Louisiana employees in charge of appraising land look at objective facts to calculate value, like the size of the land and any buildings on it, the way in which the land may legally be utilized (zoning), and the health of the local real estate market.

How A Shreveport, Louisiana Property Tax Attorney Can Help.

The property tax system in Shreveport, Louisiana can get pretty perplexing. There are numerous reasons why you might run into a legal dispute regarding your property tax. For instance, you may believe that the appraised value of your property was too high, increasing your tax burden unjustly. Or, the state might accuse you of failing to pay your property tax.

If you are involved in a property tax dispute with the tax authorities of Shreveport, Louisiana, you should seek the advice of a Shreveport, Louisiana tax attorney. Your attorney can help you prevent a small tax problem from turning into something much bigger and more expensive than it needs to be.