Property Tax Lawyers in Pierce County

Laws of Pierce County, Washington require all property owners to pay a tax on the value of their property. Property taxes only apply to real property (as opposed to personal property). This includes land, buildings, and assets that are permanently or semi-permanently attached to the land.

The property tax in Pierce County, Washington is simply a percentage of a piece of property's appraised value, paid to the state and/or local government on a periodic - normally annual - basis.

The federal government almost never imposes property taxes directly. Property taxes are collected nearly exclusively by state, county, and local governments.

How Property Tax is Calculated in Pierce County, Washington

Normally, Pierce County, Washington property taxes are determined as a percentage of the property's value. Tax rates vary widely, but they usually run from less than 1% up to about 5%.

To levy this tax, Pierce County, Washington tax authorities must first figure out how much a house or piece of land is worth.

As you probably know, value is not always objective. For instance, the owners of family heirlooms normally 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.

There are many different ways to value property using objective factors. Typically, the appraiser in Pierce County, Washington will consider the current state of the real estate market, the size of the property, any improvements (buildings, roads, etc.) that have been made on the property, and the manner in which the property may be legally used (zoning).

How A Pierce County, Washington Property Tax Attorney Can Help.

The system of levying property taxes in Pierce County, Washington can get fairly difficult. Disputes about property taxes, between the taxpayer and the tax authorities, can come up in many different ways. A taxpayer may believe that an error was made in calculating their property's taxable value, resulting in bigger tax bill. Furthermore, the state or city government might allege that you have failed to pay your property taxes, while you believe that you have.

If you encounter a legal issue with your Pierce County, Washington property taxes, and don't handle it properly, unnecessary inconvenience and expense can result. If you have the assistance of a qualified tax attorney in Pierce County, Washington, however, the odds of encountering such a problem will be small.