Property Tax Lawyers in North Berwick

The government of North Berwick, Maine requires most people 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 adhered to a piece of land, including trees, oil, groundwater, minerals, and the like.

North Berwick, Maine determines property taxes simply by taking a percentage of the property's value. Usually, they are paid on a yearly or monthly basis.

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

How Property Tax is Calculated in North Berwick, Maine

Property tax in North Berwick, Maine almost always takes the form of a tax levied on the appraised value of the property in question. Property tax rates in the U.S. range from 0.2% to around 5% of the property's value.

To collect the property tax, the authorities of North Berwick, Maine have to first determine the value of a particular piece of land.

Value is subjective in many respects. The home that you grew up in is probably worth more to you than its going market rate. So, to ensure that property taxes are fair and uniform, tax collectors have to use purely objective factors when appraising property.

Therefore, the people in charge of appraising the value of property in North Berwick, Maine have to consider only objective, factual criteria when calculating the value of a piece of land. These criteria include the state of the real estate market, the zoning of the land (which determines how it can be used), and any improvements that have been made to the land, among other things.

How A North Berwick, Maine Property Tax Attorney Can Help.

The system of levying property taxes in North Berwick, Maine can get fairly complex. Disputes about property taxes, between the taxpayer and the tax authorities, can come up in several different ways. A taxpayer may believe that an error was made in calculating their property's taxable value, resulting in bigger tax bill. Also, 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 North Berwick, Maine property taxes, and don't handle it properly, unnecessary inconvenience and expense can result. If you have the help of a competent tax attorney in North Berwick, Maine, however, the odds of encountering such a problem will be small.