Seattle, Washington Property Tax Law
Laws of Seattle, 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 Seattle, Washington is simply a percentage of a piece of property's appraised value, paid to the state and/or local government on a periodic - normally 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 Seattle, Washington
Normally, Seattle, Washington property taxes are determined as a percentage of the property's value. Tax rates vary widely, but they usually run from less than 1% up to about 5%.
To collect the property tax in a fair and consistent manner, Seattle, Washington tax authorities need to have an objective formula for determining the value of land under its jurisdiction.
Value is subjective in many respects. The home that you grew up in is probably 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.
With that in mind, the land appraisers in Seattle, Washington look at several factors, including the state of the local real estate market, the square footage of the house, and the permissible use (zoning) of the land.
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How A Seattle, Washington Property Tax Attorney Can Help.
Property tax law in Seattle, Washington is not always simple. Legal disagreements about property taxes can arise from almost any example. For instance, you might have reason to suspect that the taxable value of your home was overestimated, creating a bigger property tax bill. And, the government might claim that you have underpaid your property taxes, while you think that you have paid the proper amount.
If you encounter a legal issue with your Seattle, Washington property taxes, and don't handle it properly, unnecessary inconvenience and expense can result. If you have the help of a qualified tax attorney in Seattle, Washington, however, the odds of encountering such a problem will be small.