From Judy Hedding,
Your Guide to Phoenix.
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2005

People who are researching property values and the related real estate taxes in Arizona are often confused by statements they believe to have seen indicating that property taxes in Arizona are 10%. Does that mean that on a $350,000 house, you would owe $35,000 a year in taxes? No, thank goodness. Arizona property taxes are not that high.

Assessed Value vs. Market Value

The part that many people read over too quickly is that Arizona property taxes on owner-occupied residences are levied based on the Assessed Value, not current market value. In Maricopa County, where Phoenix is, the assessment ratio for owner-occupied residential property is 10 percent of Full Cash (market) Value. So if your home is valued at $350,000, you will be charged property tax based on the assessed value of $35,000.

Computing Arizona's Property Tax

It's difficult to say how much your real estate taxe bill will be, because that depends on where you live. Cities, schools, water districts, community colleges, bond issues--all these determine your specific tax rate. The tax rate applicable to each parcel of property is the sum of the state, county, municipal, school, and special district rates. The average tax rate on homes in Arizona before exemptions and rebates is approximately 1.3% of market value or 13% of assessed value. So, if your home is assessed with a Full Cash Value of $350,000, and your property tax rate was exactly at the average 1.3%, then you'd be paying $4,550 per year in real estate tax on your home.

Here's the math:
$350,000 x .1 [10%] = $35,000 x .13 [13%] = $4,550
or
$350,000 x .013 [1.3%] = $4,550

What is the Assessed Value of a home?

You can find the assessed value for a home in Maricopa County at the Maricopa County Assessor web site.

I have never found the Full Cash Value of my home (which is the number that the Assessor uses to determine the Assessed Value) to be the same as the market price. My Full Cash Values have always been lower than market. Some of this may be timing--my homes have never decreased in value, only increased. Some of this may be due to rounding by the Assessor's office, and they always round in your favor. In this case, if you use the current market price as an estimate, your Arizona property tax will probably be lower when you actually get your bill.

Why is my home assessed at a different value than my neighbor's home?

Each year, the Assessor will send an updated assessment on the value of the home, upon which your property tax computation is based. The Assessor's Office utilizes a combination of information, including previous sales in the neighborhood, distance from major intersections or areas zoned differently, topography, view, livable square footage, lot size and components, and more. The valuation is determined by a computer analysis of the information gathered. If you disagree with information you receive from the Assessor, you may appeal.

How often are Arizona Property Taxes collected?

The Maricopa County County Treasurer sends a semi-annual bill to the owner of the home, or to a party designated by the owner (like a mortgage company, if you have a monthly impound for your Arizona Real Estate tax). Remember, the Assessor determines the value of the property, and the County Treasurer, for the County in which you live, is the the entity that actually bills you for your Arizona Property taxes.

_{All tax information and rates presented here are subject to change without notice.}