Property Tax Lawyers in Columbia

The government of Columbia, Missouri 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.

Property tax in Columbia, Missouri is derived by taking a percentage of the appraised value of the property in question. They are typically collected on an annual or monthly schedule.

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 Columbia, Missouri

Typically, Columbia, Missouri property taxes are determined as a percentage of the property's value. Tax rates vary widely, but they normally run from less than 1% up to about 5%.

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

Value, in some ways, is not an objective thing. For example, your childhood home is probably worth much more to you than its simple market value. However, the tax authorities use only objective factors in calculating a home's taxable value.

Consequently, the people in charge of appraising the value of property in Columbia, Missouri 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 Columbia, Missouri Property Tax Attorney Can Help.

The property tax system in Columbia, Missouri can get pretty intricate. 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 Columbia, Missouri, 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. Thus, the assistance of a knowledgeable tax attorney in Columbia, Missouri is highly useful in avoiding these issues in the first place, or handling them if they do arise.