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Common
Questions
- What
are the real estate responsibilities of the County Auditor?
- While
practices vary between Counties, in general, the County
Auditor has the following statutory responsibilities:
-
Apply Equalization Rates by property class and Assessor
jurisdiction
to calculate equalized 100% Actual Values in odd-numbered
years
-
Apply annual Rollback Rates by property class to calculate
Taxable Values
-
Enter state-certified values for Utilities and Railroads
for taxation
-
Administer Tax Districts, TIF Tax Districts, and SSMID
Districts
such that taxpayers pay the correct amounts and governmental
authorities receive the correct amounts
-
Calculate and certify base value and increment value
in TIF Tax
Districts
-
Certify Taxable Values to Cities, Schools, Townships,
and other
Governmental bodies for use in preparing annual budgets
-
Review and certify the budgets of Cities, Schools,
Townships,
and other Governmental bodies for compliance with tax
rate limits
-
Certify annual Consolidated Tax Levy Rates by Tax District
-
Calculate and certify taxes to the County Treasurer
for collection
-
Calculate and certify drainage assessments to the County
Treasurer
for collection
-
Maintain the official County plat books and transfer
records
and enter ownership name changes for taxation and assessment
-
Certify amounts Military Exemption, Homestead Credit,
Ag Land
Credit, and Family Farm Credit to the State
- How
do I get my deceased Joint Tenants name off my property?
- I
have gotten married/remarried. How can I change my last name
of the property records?
- See
your local Attorney to prepare a Quit Claim Deed for
you. Be sure to file it in the Recorder’s office.
- I
am divorced. How can I get my ex-spouse’s name off my property?
- A
change of title or some kind of deed needs to be prepared and
filed in the Recorder’s office. This is usually taken care
of during the divorce proceedings.
- How
do I change the mailing address of a tax statement?
- Contact
your local Auditor, Treasurer or Assessor. You can
also fill out a change
of address form and mail
it to one of the above offices.
- How
do I remove a deceased Life Estate Holder?
- What
is a legal description?
- A
legal description is a description of real estate
that is used in legal documents such as abstracts,
deeds, mortgages, etc. For example: “Lot One
(1) in Frank’s Subdivision, Mason City, Iowa”.
- What
is an administrative real estate description?
- An
administrative real estate description is a description
of real estate used by county offices for real estate
assessment and taxation administrative purposes. Typically,
it will be similar to a legal description, but may
contain abbreviations or other summaries. For example: “L
1 Frank’s Sub”.
- What
is a property class?
- Real
estate parcels are annually assigned a property class
by the local assessor or the Iowa Department of Revenue.
Property classes include Agricultural, Residential,
Commercial, Industrial, Railroad, Utility, and Gas & Electric
Utility.
- Does
the local Assessor set the value for all real estate property?
- No.
Property owned by Railroads and Utility companies is valued
by the Iowa Department of Revenue and certified for taxation
to the County Auditor.
- What
does it mean that 100% Actual Value is “equalized”?
- The
Iowa Department of Revenue imposes equalization orders
in odd-numbered years against each property class
for each local Assessor. Sometimes called “the
Assessor’s report card”, the equalization
order is used to increase or decrease 100% Actual
Values when those values are not sufficiently accurate.
- What
is a Homestead Credit?
- The
Homestead Credit is a tax credit funded by the State
of Iowa for qualifying homeowners, and is generally
based on the first $4,850 of Net Taxable Value. In
the case of a Disabled Veteran Tax Credit, the value
of the Homestead Credit is increased to the entire
amount of the Taxable Value of the property.
- A
property just sold; can you tell me the new owner & what
they paid for it?
- What
is a real estate Military Exemption?
- Veterans
who served in active duty during certain periods of
time and who were honorably discharged are eligible
to receive a Military Exemption on their property
taxes. Pursuant to Iowa law, the Military Exemption
value is determined by the dates the veteran served
in active duty. Values for most veterans are $1,852,
or $3,704 in the case of a husband and wife who both
qualify. The value for World War I veterans is $2,778.
- How
do I apply or find out if I qualify for the Homestead Credit or
Military Exemption?
- Your
local Assessor has forms that you need to complete, sign, and
file for the Homestead Credit and/or Military Exemption. That
office can also tell you the qualifications for each.
- What
offices at the county are involved in the assessment and taxation
of real estate?
- The
County Assessor, Auditor, and Treasurer are part of the tax
cycle in that, in general, each has various administrative responsibilities
for a given assessment year. In addition, the County Recorder
records various real estate documents, including subdivision
plats, mortgages, surveys, and conveyances such as deeds, etc.
- How
can I see a plat map or an aerial photo of my property?
- Some
counties have their parcel maps and aerial photographs available
on the Internet. Find a link to the specific
county website that has this information.
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