Property Tax Lawyers in Falls Church

Laws of Falls Church, Virginia require all property owners to pay a tax on the value of their property. Property taxes only apply to real property (as opposed to personal property). This includes land, buildings, and assets that are permanently or semi-permanently adhered to the land.

The property tax in Falls Church, 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 Falls Church, Virginia

Most often, property taxes in Falls Church, Virginia are simply a set percentage of the property's value. Across the country, state authorities impose a wide range of different tax rates. The highest rates in the country are in the area of 5% of the property's value, and the lowest are less than 1%.

To collect the property tax, the authorities of Falls Church, Virginia have to first determine the value of a particular piece of land.

In some ways, value is a subjective thing. For example, the home in which you grew up is probably worth far more to you than its market value. To get around this, the government uses nothing but objective factors in determining how much a piece of real property is worth.

To that end, the Falls Church, Virginia employees in charge of appraising land look at objective facts to calculate value, like the size of the land and any buildings on it, the way in which the land may legally be used (zoning), and the health of the local real estate market.

How A Falls Church, Virginia Property Tax Attorney Can Help.

The system of levying property taxes in Falls Church, Virginia 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 are involved in a property tax dispute with the tax authorities of Falls Church, Virginia, you should seek the advice of a Falls Church, Virginia 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.