Property Tax Lawyers in Portland

The government of Portland, 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 attached to a piece of land, including trees, oil, groundwater, minerals, and the like.

Portland, Maine measures property taxes simply by taking a percentage of the property's value. Typically, 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 Portland, Maine

Property tax in Portland, 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 Portland, Maine have to first determine the value of a specific piece of land.

As you probably know, value is not always objective. For instance, the owners of family heirlooms typically 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 this end, the Portland, Maine 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 Portland, Maine Property Tax Attorney Can Help.

Property tax law in Portland, Maine is not always simple. Legal disagreements about property taxes can arise from almost any situation. For instance, you might have reason to suspect that the taxable value of your home was overestimated, creating a bigger property tax bill. And, the government might claim that you have underpaid your property taxes, while you think that you have paid the correct amount.

If you are engaged in a property tax dispute with the tax authorities of Portland, Maine, you should seek the assistance of a Portland, Maine 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.