Property Tax Lawyers in Newcastle

Laws of Newcastle, Washington 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 Newcastle, Washington 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.

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 Newcastle, Washington

Usually, Newcastle, Washington property taxes are determined as a percentage of the property's value. Tax rates vary widely, but they typically run from less than 1% up to about 5%.

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

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 Newcastle, Washington 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 Newcastle, Washington Property Tax Attorney Can Help.

The system of levying property taxes in Newcastle, Washington 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 encounter a legal issue with your Newcastle, Washington property taxes, and don't handle it properly, unnecessary inconvenience and expense can result. If you have the help of a competent tax attorney in Newcastle, Washington, however, the odds of encountering such a problem will be small.