Fiscal Year Covers July 1 to June 30 (view property tax bill online)
Event Due Date
1st Installment Due Nov. 1, late if not received by Dec. 10
2nd Installment Due Feb. 1, late if not received by Apr. 10
* Always confirm your payment was received by checking online or by calling the Tax assessor’s office.
Look-up Property Tax Bill
County Assessor’s Websites (* Offers Online Bill Look-Up)
To estimate property taxes on a property in California, you can use 1.25% of purchase price as a rule of thumb for the 1st year’s tax bill. When you purchase a home, the county tax assessor reassesses the property and sets a new property tax amount based on your purchase price. Your property taxes will be approximately 1% of your purchase price, plus any voter approved bonded indebtedness of the community (hence the 1.25% rule of thumb). Additionally a community may have a “Mello-Roos” assessment. For example, every home located within the Mt. Diablo School District has a $67 per year Mellos-Roos assessment added to their tax bill. Another common item you may find on the tax bill is for “pest abatement”, or a bond for a sewer district.
Proposition 13 limits property tax increase to 2% annually
In future years, the tax assessor is allowed to increase the accessed value by 2% appreciation per year.
Homeowner’s Exemption
This is a deduction of $7,000 from the “accessed value” and applies only to owner-occupied properties. Once you’ve purchased a home you will received a card to fill out to apply for the exemption. The card must be completed and returned between March 1st and April 15th. Applications submitted after April 15th, but before the end of the year will qualify for only 80% of the exemption.
Supplemental Property Tax Bill
The Supplemental Property Tax Bill is for the difference between the tax based on the seller’s assessed value and the tax based on your new assessed value.
Income Tax Forms & Publications
- Internal Revenue Code Online
- Pub. 530 Tax Information for First-Time Home Buyers
- Pub. 587 Business Use of your Home
- Pub. 936 Home Mortgage Interest Deduction
- Pub. 521 Moving Expenses
- Pub. 523 Selling Your Home
- IRS Final Regulations for sale of residence
- Pub. 527 Residential Rental Property
- Pub. 946 How to Depreciate Property
- 1031 Tax Free Exchange
- 1031 Tax Free Exchange Reference Site
- Form 8824 Easily Calculate 1031 Deferred Gain (TRexGlobal)
- Publication 544, Sales and Other Dispositions of Assets
CA Franchise Tax Board Website
Other Helpful Tax Sites
*Any tax advice included on this website was not intended or written to be used, and it cannot be used by the taxpayer,
for the purpose of avoiding any penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer by any governmental taxing authority or agency*