Other Websites of Interest
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What are the Assessor's Duties?*
The Assessor is charged with several administrative and statutory duties. The primary duty and responsibility is to make sure all real
property within his jurisdiction is assessed except where the law provides otherwise. This includes residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural
classes of property.
Real property is revalued every two years. The effective date of the assessment is the first day of January of the current year. The Assessor
determines either a full or partial value for new construction and improvements depending upon their state of completion on January 1st.
The Assessor does not collect taxes, calculate taxes, or determine the tax rate. The Assessor is concerned with value, not taxes.
* based on information prepared by the public relations committee of the Iowa State Association of Assessors
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Information about the Assessor
Assessors are appointed to their position by a Conference Board consisting of the members of the Board of Supervisors, the Mayors of all
incorporated cities, and a member from each school district within the jurisdiction. A city with a population of ten thousand or more may elect to
have their own assessor.
Assessors are required by statute to pass a state examination and complete a Continuing Education Program consisting of 150 hours of formal
classroom instruction with 90 hours tested and a passing grade of 70% attained. The latter requirement must be met in order for the Assessor
to be reappointed to the position every six years.
The Deputy Assessor also must pass a state examination as-well-as successfully complete 90 hours of classroom instruction of which at least 60 hours
are tested.
The Conference Board approves the Assessor's budget and after a public hearing acts on adoption of same. The Assessor is constrained by
statute to a levy limitation for the budget. The limit depends on the value of the jurisdiction.
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What is Market Value?
Market value of a property is an estimate of the price that if would sell for on the open market on January First of the year of assessment. This is sometimes referred to as the "arms length transaction" or "willing buyer/willing seller" concept.
How does the Assessor estimate Market Value?
To estimate the market value of your property, the Assessor generally uses three approaches.
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Why Values Change
State law requires that all real property be reassessed every two years. The current law requires the reassessment to occur in odd numbered years. Changes in market value as indicated by research, sales ratio studies and analysis of local conditions as well as economic trends both in and outside the construction industry are used in determining your assessment. If you disagree with the assessor's estimate of value, please consider these two questions before proceeding.
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Tax Levies & Assessed Values
There are a number of different taxing districts in a jurisdiction, each with a different levy. Each year the County Auditor determines for that district a levy that will yield enough money to pay for schools, police and fire protection, road maintenance and other services budgeted for in that area. The tax levy is applied to each $1,000 of a property's taxable value. The value determined by the Assessor is the assessed value and is the value indicated on the assessment roll. The taxable value is the value determined by the auditor after application of state-ordered "rollback" percentages for the various classes of property and is the value indicated of the tax statement. When comparing the value of your property with other properties always compare with the value on the assessment roll or the assessor's property record cards and not the value indicated on the tax statement.
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Exemptions & Credits
Iowa law provides for a number of exemptions and credits, including Homestead Credit and Military Exemption. &It is the property owner's responsibility to apply for these as provided by law. If the property you were occupying as a homestead is sold, or if you cease to use the property as a homestead you are required to report this to the assessor in whose jurisdiction the property is located.
Visit http://www.iowa-assessors.org to read more information on exemptions and credits.
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Dates to Remember
January 1 - Effective date of current assessment.
April 16 through May 5 inclusive - Protest of assessment period for filing with the local Board of Review.
May 1 through adjournment - Board of Review meets each year.
October 16 through October 25 inclusive - Protest period for filing with Board of Review on those properties affected by changes in value as a
result of the Director of Revenue and Finance Equalization Orders (odd numbered years).
January 1 through December 31 - Period for filing for Homestead Credit and Military Exemption. One time filing is provided, by statute,
unless the property owner is (1) filing for Military or Homestead Credit the first time; (2) has purchased a new or used home and is occupying the
property as a homestead as of July 1st; or (3) owner was using as a homestead but did not previously file. If the home qualifies and the
property owner files on or before July 1, the exemption will go into effect for the current assessment year. If the property owner files after July 1,
the exemption will go into effect the year following the sign up.
Filing is required on the following, if provisions have been made for exemptions as required:
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Things to Remember