Property Tax Lawyers in Washington County

The law of Washington County, Pennsylvania says that everybody who owns real property has to pay taxes on it. The term "real property" refers to land and buildings, as well as anything fixed to the land, like trees and natural resources.

Property taxes in Washington County, Pennsylvania are determined as a percentage of the appraised value of the property. Property taxes are paid to the state or local government at regular (generally yearly) intervals.

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

How Property Tax is Calculated in Washington County, Pennsylvania

Property tax in Washington County, Pennsylvania almost exclusively 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 Washington County, Pennsylvania have to first decide the value of an individual piece of land.

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

Thus, the people in charge of appraising the value of property in Washington County, Pennsylvania 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 utilized), and any improvements that have been made to the land, among other things.

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

The system of levying property taxes in Washington County, Pennsylvania can get very intricate. Disagreements 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 Washington County, Pennsylvania property taxes, and don't handle it properly, unnecessary inconvenience and expense can result. If you have the advice of a qualified tax attorney in Washington County, Pennsylvania, however, the odds of encountering such a problem will be small.