news

Understanding Virginia Property Taxes and Key Dates for Filing an Appeal

May 3, 2019

Virginia Property Taxes at a Glance: Here are some interesting facts and figures to help you better understand property taxes and filing deadlines in Virginia.

The median property tax in Virginia is $1,862.00 per year for a home worth the median value of $252,600.00. Counties in Virginia collect an average of 0.74% of a property’s assessed fair market value as property tax per year.

Virginia falls within the middle third of states in terms of property tax rates, and is ranked 20th among all states. Virginia’s median income is $73,565 per year, so the median yearly property tax paid by Virginia residents is 2.53% of their yearly income. Virginia is ranked 29th of the 50 states for property taxes as a percentage of median income.

The exact property tax levied depends on the county in Virginia the property is located in. Falls Church city collects the highest property tax in Virginia, levying an average of $6,005.00 (0.94% of median home value) yearly in property taxes, while Buchanan County has the lowest property tax in the state, collecting an average tax of $284.00 (0.46% of median home value) per year. (Source: tax-rates.org)

How Property Taxes are Assessed in Virginia

In Virginia, property taxes are collected on a county-by-county basis, and each has its own method for assessing and collecting property tax. Due to this variability, there is no single property tax rate applicable to all properties within the state.

Exact property tax rates vary by country and are determined by the local property tax assessor. Median property taxes for each county have been calculated based on taxes owed on millions of properties in the state. Virginia contains over 100 counties, and while space prohibits listing the median property tax for each here, these values can be found by clicking here.

Appealing a Property Tax Assessment

If you are a Virginia property owner, you do have the right to appeal a property tax assessment. Appeals must be received within 90 days of the date of assessment. Under the rules of Administrative Appeals (23VAC10-20-165):

“The Code of Virginia gives a taxpayer the right to an administrative appeal of an assessment issued by the Department of Taxation, if the taxpayer believes that the department has incorrectly assessed tax, penalty or interest.”

The 90-day deadline for filing an appeal is strictly enforced. Filing can be done:

“…by hand delivery, email, common carrier, delivery service, United States mail, facsimile transmission or by any other means that ensures the filing of a complete appeal to the department within the 90-day limitations period.”

Your appeal must include a complete statement of facts relevant to your petition as well as the reason you are challenging the assessment. You are not obliged to make any partial payments while the appeal s under review. You will receive a notice of final determination on your appeal from the state’s Tax Commissioner.

If you are unable to meet the 90-day deadline, you must pay the tax amount in full, but you may file a Protective Claim for Refund. For more info, see the Virginia Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

If you believe you have cause to appeal your home’s assessed value or believe your property taxes are unduly high due to an assessment error, Home Tax Savings can help.

Home Tax Savings will provide you with a COST FREE assessment to help you determine whether your property has been overvalued, and whether your appeal is worth pursuing. We base our assessment on a careful analysis of property sales in your neighborhood to see how your home compares. If we find that an appeal would not be in your best interests, you pay nothing.

If we find that an appeal is warranted and would prove beneficial to you, Home Tax Savings can provide the expert guidance, documentation and e-filing tools you need to file your appeal.

Contact Home Tax Savings today and learn what how much we can save for you.

______________________________________________________________________  

About HomeTaxSavings.com


HomeTaxSavings.com is wholly owned by Assessment Solutions, LLC and was established in 2016 as the nation’s first fully automated and integrated real estate assessment review and appeal system. The principals of HomeTaxSavings.com have worked in the real estate and IT world for over 100 years. Founders Keith McIntosh, Stuart Smith, Rachel Brown and Mandeep Sandhu possess a vast knowledge of the industry with many years of experience.  The group is gaining wide popularity having covered The District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, Texas, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, California and Washington.

Disclaimer:  This article is for informational and educational purposes only. The HomeTaxSavings.com website is not a market value appraisal, rather it is an assessment tool.