Property Tax Lawyers in Arlington
Laws of Arlington, Virginia require all property owners to pay a tax on the value of their property. Property taxes exclusively apply to real property (as opposed to personal property). This encompasses land, buildings, and assets that are permanently or semi-permanently affixed to the land.
The property tax in Arlington, Virginia is simply a percentage of a piece of property's appraised value, paid to the state and/or local government on a periodic - usually annual - basis.
Generally, property taxes are not levied by the federal government. This applies to everywhere in the U.S.. Usually, property taxes are imposed by state and local governments.
How Property Tax is Calculated in Arlington, Virginia
Usually, Arlington, Virginia property taxes are decided as a percentage of the property's value. Tax rates differentiate widely, but they typically run from less than 1% up to about 5%.
In order to impose this tax, the government of Arlington, Virginia initially has to decide the taxable value of a piece of property.
Value, in some ways, is not an objective thing. For instance, your childhood home is likely worth much more to you than its simple market value. Nonetheless, the tax authorities use only objective factors in calculating a home's taxable value.
Therefore, the people in charge of appraising the value of property in Arlington, Virginia 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 Arlington, Virginia Property Tax Attorney Can Help.
The system of levying property taxes in Arlington, Virginia can get very perplexing. Disagreements 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 Arlington, Virginia property taxes, and don't handle it properly, unnecessary inconvenience and expense can result. If you have the guidance of a competent tax attorney in Arlington, Virginia, however, the odds of encountering such a problem will be small.