Arizona Property Taxes

Arizona Property Taxes

  • Brenda O’Brien
  • 09/11/23

How Much Are They and How Do They Work?

If you are thinking about moving to Tucson, Property Taxes might be something you are interested in learning more about. Regardless of whether Property Taxes are an important part of your decision or not, it is best to understand them now, so that there are no surprises later.
 
Arizona charges a property tax on all owner-occupied residential real property.
By Law, all Tucson Real Estate transactions must be reported to the Pima County Tax Assessor and must include the price paid for your Tucson Home.
 
There are different classifications of property with various assessment ratios. The current assessment ratio for owner-occupied residential property is ten percent of the full cash value (Market Value). People get confused over that 10% number. Would that mean that a $400,000 home would have a tax bill of $40,000 per year? No, No indeed, Our Property Taxes here in Tucson are not that high.
 
The confusing part is the difference between Assessed Value and Market Value. Remember, Arizona property taxes are levied based on the Assessed Value, not Market Value. Thus in our $400,000 example above, your property tax would be based on the assessed value of $40,000 (10% of the Market Value).
 
The Tax Rate is different in every jurisdiction and is the total of the state, county, municipal, school, and special district rates. Tucson and Oro Valley are under the jurisdiction of Pima County, which sets the Tax Rate Annually. For budgeting purposes we recommend an estimated rate of 1.25% of the Sale Price. Using our $400,000 example that would work out like this: $400,000 x .0125 (1.25%) = $5,000 (Your tax bill would be approximately $5,000 per year)
 
What is the Assessed Value of the Tucson Home you are considering purchasing? We can provide that information to you upon request, or you can go the Pima County Tax Assessors site and obtain it yourself by entering the parcel number or the address.
 
The Full Cash Value of the home as listed on the Assessors Site will never exactly match the Asking Price for the home. This is because the assessments usually lag the market by some margin. Thus if you use the Listing Price of the home as an estimate to compute your taxes, your Property Tax Bill will probably be lower once you actually receive your bill.
 

Disclaimer

All tax information provided herein is subject to change without notice.

As always, check with your Tax Professional for Fully Informed & Qualified Advice.

For more information about Arizona taxes, visit the Arizona Department of Revenue web site.
Brenda O’Brien

Brenda O’Brien

About The Author

Brenda O'Brien, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRS, is an Associate Broker and REALTOR® with Long Realty and a Tucson real estate agent with over $800,000,000 in real estate sales and more than 30 years of experience serving Tucson, Oro Valley, and Southern Arizona. Known for her professionalism, integrity, and exceptional customer service, Brenda specializes in residential and luxury real estate, buyer and seller representation, creative marketing, and home staging strategies. She has earned numerous industry awards and designations, including Certified Residential Specialist, Graduate, REALTOR® Institute, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller Representative Specialist, and Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist with Million Dollar Guild recognition. Brenda is passionate about helping clients achieve their real estate goals and giving back to the community through the Long Realty Cares Foundation.

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