Frequently Asked Questions
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What The Assessor Does.
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What The Assessor Does Not Do.
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What Is Fair Market Value?
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How Is My Assessment
Determined?
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What Is The Relationship Between Fair Market Value and Assessed Value For Property In Louisiana?
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What If I Disagree With The Assessor's Value Of My Property?
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What Is Homestead Exemption?
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How Long Is My Homestead
Effective?
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How Are My Taxes Calculated?
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How Do My Taxes Increase?
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What If I Don't
Receive My Tax Notice?
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What Happens To Property When Parish Taxes Are Not Paid?
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How Do I Qualify For The Additional Homestead That Applies To Disabled Veterans?
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What Are The Qualifications To Apply For The Special Assessment Level For 65 And Older?
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How Can I Qualify For The Assessment Level Freeze If I Am Not 65 But Disabled?
What The Assessor Does.
The assessor is required to list and value all
property subject to ad valorem taxation on an assessment roll each year.
The "ad valorem" basis for taxation means that all property should be
taxed "according to value" which is the definition of ad valorem.
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What The Assessor Does Not Do.
The assessor does not raise or lower taxes. The assessor does not make the
laws which affect property owners. The Constitution of the State of
Louisiana, as adopted by the voters, provides the basic framework for taxation,
and tax laws are made by the Louisiana Legislature. The rules and
regulations for assessment are set by the Louisiana Tax Commission. The
tax dollars are levied by the taxing bodies, such as the police jury, school
board, etc., and are collected by the Sheriff's Office as Ex-Officio Tax
Collector. The assessor's office has nothing to do with the total amount
of taxes collected. The assessor's primary responsibility is to determine
the "fair market value" of your property so that you pay only your fair share of
the taxes. The amount of taxes you pay is determined by the "millage
rate", which is applied to your property's assessed value. The millage
rate, as voted by the public, is levied by all the taxing agencies within
the district, city, parish or state. This include school districts, police
juries, law enforcement districts, etc. The millage rate is the basis for
the budget needed or demanded by the voters to provide for services such as
schools, roads, law enforcement, etc. Millage rates are simply those rates
which will provide funds to pay for those services.
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What Is Fair Market Value?
Fair market value is defined by Louisiana Revised Statute 47:2321 as follows:
"Fair Market Value is the price for property which would be agreed
upon between a willing and informed buyer and a willing and informed seller
under the usual and ordinary circumstances; it shall be the highest price
estimated in terms of money which property will bring if exposed for sale on the
open market with reasonable time allowed to find a purchaser who is buying with
knowledge of all the uses and purposes to which the property is best adapted and
for which it can be legally used."
Finding the "fair market value" of your property involves discovering the price
most people would pay for it in its present condition in the current open
market. It is not quite that simple, however, because the market and the
condition of the home are constantly changing.
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How Is My
Assessment Determined?
To arrive at the "fair market value" for your property, the assessor must know
what "willing sellers" and "willing buyers" are doing in the marketplace.
The assessor must also keep current on cost of construction in the area and any changes in
zoning, financing, and economic conditions which may affect property values.
The assessor may use any of the three nationally recognized approaches to value,
those being cost, income, and market. This
data is then correlated into a final value estimate by the appraiser.
After your appraisal has been made, the appropriate percentage of value, or
level of assessment, required by law is calculated as your "assessed value".
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What Is The Relationship Between Fair Market Value and Assessed Value For Property In Louisiana?
In Louisiana the classification of property subject to ad valorem taxation and the percentage of fair market value applicable to each classification
for the purpose of determining assessed value is as follows:
| Classifications |
Percentages |
| 1. Land |
10% |
| 2. Improvements for Residential (including apartments) |
10% |
| 3. Improvements for Commercial |
15% |
| 4. Business Movable Property (Personal) |
15% |
| 5. Public Service (excluding land) |
25% |
Bona fide agricultural, horticultural, marsh and timber lands as defined by Revenue Statues shall be assessed for tax purposes at 10% of use value rather
than market value. These values are set by Louisiana Tax Commission.
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What If I Disagree With The Assessor's Value Of My Property?
As a taxpayer, you have a certain legal responsibility to furnish accurate
information on your property. Our office welcomes all information provided
by the property owner. If you have complied with these legal requirements,
you are entitled to question the value placed on your property. If your
opinion of the value of your property differs from the assessor's, you may come
to our office to discuss the matter in person. Be prepared to show
evidence that the assessor's valuation of the property is incorrect. Our
staff will be glad to answer your questions about the assessor's appraisal.
If, after discussing the matter with the assessor, a difference of opinion still
exists, you may appeal your assessment to the Desoto Parish Board of Review
according to procedures. After reviewing your appeal, if the Board agrees
with the assessor and a difference of opinion still exists, you may appeal the
Board's decision to the Louisiana State Tax Commission. If the Commission
agrees with the Board and the assessor, you can plead your case before the
courts should you choose to do so.
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What Is Homestead Exemption?
The Louisiana State Constitution provides for the exemption of resident homeowners to the extent of a $7,500 assessed valuation ($75,000 home) or 160 acres
of land. The homestead exemption is applied toward parish taxes. City and municipal taxes are not exempt. The main requirement to apply for homestead is to
maintain your property as your sole place of residency, and you do not claim a homestead exemption on any other property. Mobile home owners are also allowed
this exemption, even though they may not own the land on which the mobile home is located. If you acquire additional property at a later date, which property
adjoins and is maintained as a part of your residence property, an additional homestead exemption must be applied for. The limitation of $7,500 of assessed value
or 160 acres cannot be exceeded. Application for Homestead Exemption can be made between January 1st and December 31st of the tax year.
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How Long Is
My Homestead Effective?
If it is determined that your property is eligible for a homestead exemption,
you must come by our office and make application for it. Once you have
signed your homestead exemption, it is in effect permanently, as long as you
own and reside at that location. If anything happens that affects the
ownership of your property, it is your responsibility to notify our office to
determine future homestead eligibility.
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How Are My Taxes
Calculated?
Tax rates are based on millages, bond issues, and fees that have been voted by
registered voters in the various districts which have been established by the
Legislature or Constitution. The tax monies collected for the districts go
to pay for schools, roads, law enforcement, fire protection, and other services
that the taxpayers demand and desire from local government. To calculate
the taxes on your property, you must take the assessed value, which is a
percentage of 'fair market value", and multiply it by the appropriate tax or
millage rate to arrive at the amount due. If, as an example, you have
$1000 of taxable assessed value and the tax rate is 120 mills, you would pay
$1000 x .120 = $120 in taxes. If your home is valued at $100,000, and you
are eligible and have signed for homestead exemption, you would calculate your
taxes as follows:
$100,000 (Fair Market Value)
x 10% (Level of Assessment)
$10,000 (Assessed Value)
-7,500 (Maximum Homestead Exemption)
2,500 (Taxable Value)
x .120 (Tax Rate)
$300 (Total Parish
Taxes Due)
Note: The example is for parish taxes only as homestead exemption
does not apply to city taxes.
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How Do My Taxes
Increase?
When additional taxes are voted by the people, an individual's property tax bill
will increase. Also, when market value increases, naturally, so does the
assessed value. If you were to make improvements to your existing
property, for instance, add a garage, an additional room, or a swimming pool,
the "fair market value" increases, and therefore, the assessed value would also
increase. The assessor has not created the value. People make value
by their transactions in the marketplace. The assessor simply has the
legal and moral responsibility to study those transactions and appraise your
property accordingly.
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What If
I Don't Receive My Tax Notice?
Even if you do not receive a tax notice, it is your responsibility to be sure
that the property taxes have been paid. You may contact the appropriate
tax collector (Parish or City) to determine the amount of property taxes owed
and whether or not the taxes have been paid.
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What Happens To Property When Parish Taxes Are Not Paid?
Any property with outstanding parish taxes owed is subject to an annual public sale held by the authorized tax collector. Any property not purchased
by individuals through the public sale, is then adjudicated to the governing authority. These sales are held by the parish tax collector, who publishes a list of
the tax debtors and notice of the upcoming tax sale, several times in a local newspaper. The delinquent property owner has three years from the date of the tax
purchase to redeem the property by paying all of the outstanding property taxes to date, penalties and interest. It is important to note, that the assessor does
not collect the taxes, nor do they keep a list of properties subject to impending tax sales. The parish tax sale is held by the DeSoto Parish Sheriff usually in the
month of May. Please contact the respective tax collector for more information as to the date and time of its tax sale.
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How Do I Qualify For The Additional Homestead That Applies To Disabled Veterans?
The additional homestead applies if you qualify for homestead (own and occupy) and you are 100% service related disabled. You must
get a form from the Veterans Administration that states you are 100% disabled. You can then qualify for up to $75,000 additional
homestead if you meet these qualifications.
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What Are The Qualifications To Apply For The Special Assessment Level For 65 And Older?
A Special Assessment level applies to the homestead of persons 65 and older if they have made less than $100,000 in adjusted gross income.
This special assessment level freezes the assessed value at the current level. To qualify you must come into our office and file a special form.
You also must bring in proof of income for the previous year, Income Tax Return if you file an Income Tax Return or the Social Security Benefits
Earnings Statement if you are not required to file a return. This Special Assessment Level is lost if the property is transferred or improvements
are made in excess of 25% of property value. The freeze is permanent unless one of previous mentioned reasons for losing this freeze occurs. The
surviving spouse can qualify if they are over 55 and meets the other qualifications of the exemption.
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How Can I Qualify For The Assessment Level Freeze If I Am Not 65 But Disabled?
A Special Assessment level can apply to the homestead of persons that are disabled if they have made less than $100,000 in adjusted gross income.
You can qualify for the disability freeze if you are 100% disabled for Social Security disability or 50% disabled Veteran for service related disability.
This special assessment level freezes the assessed value at the current level. To qualify you must come into our office and file a special form. You also must
bring in proof of income for the previous year, Income Tax Return if you file an Income Tax Return or the Social Security Benefits Earnings Statement if you
are not required to file a return. This Special Assessment Level is lost if the property is transferred or improvements are made in excess of 25% of property
value. You must bring in a statement from the Social Security stating you are 100% disabled or a statement from the Veterans Administration stating that you
are 50% service related disability. This assessment level freeze has to be applied for each year and is not permanent like the senior level freeze.
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