Property Tax Lawyers in San Mateo
In San Mateo, California, the government imposes a tax (a legally-mandated payment made to the government) on real property. "Real property" is defined as any piece of land, or object permanently or semi-permanently affixed to the land (such as buildings, trees, minerals, etc.).
In San Mateo, California, property taxes are measured as a percentage of the land's value. They are most commonly paid annually. But in any case, they are paid at some set interval.
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 San Mateo, California
San Mateo, California property taxes are normally calculated as a percentage of the value of the taxable property. Rates vary widely across the country, normally ranging from less than 1% at the low end, to about 5% at the high end.
To collect the property tax in a fair and consistent manner, San Mateo, California tax authorities need to have an objective formula for determining the value of land under its jurisdiction.
In many ways, the value of a piece of land is relative. After all, many people ascribe sentimental value to their homes, which goes well beyond its market value. To ensure that the system is fair, the government uses only objective standards to determine value.
To this end, the San Mateo, California appraiser will look at things like the state of the real estate market, the size of the land, the presence of additions to the land such as buildings, and the way in which the property is zoned.
How A San Mateo, California Property Tax Attorney Can Help.
The property tax system in San Mateo, California can get pretty convoluted. There are many reasons why you might run into a legal dispute regarding your property tax. For example, 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 affected by one of these, or any other, property tax legal issues in San Mateo, California, you should deal with it properly. If you fail to do so, a relatively minor issue can become much more expensive and inconvenient than it might otherwise have been. Therefore, the assistance of a brilliant tax attorney in San Mateo, California is highly useful in avoiding these issues in the first place, or handling them if they do arise.