How to Calculate Galveston County Property Taxes
In Galveston County, Texas, property tax balances can be obtained and paid online at the Galveston County Central Appraisal District website, which is located at galvestoncad.org. Additionally, Galveston County's Tax Office sends out a property tax statements every October. These statements outline the annual amount of property taxes due. However, for property owners looking to calculate their own property taxes or to estimate taxes for the coming year, a few simple steps can be taken to determine the total annual payment required.
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Instructions
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Calculating Property Tax Values in Galveston County
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Determine the appraised value of your property. To find this value, contact the county appraisal district's website at www.Galvestoncad.org, which appraises the properties in all of Galveston county and sends out an appraised property value notice to all property owners each spring. If the property owner does not agree with the appraised value, which is based on the market value of the home as of January 1st of the current year, appeals can be made on the website until May 31st, or 30 days after the date of the appraisal notice.
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Identify the your county, local government, and school district or improvement district's current tax rate. In Texas, there is no state property tax, but both the county and local government, such as a city or town, sets the tax rate, which is based on the county and local government's annual budget for the current year, and may include additional school or improvement districts. A list of Galveston County taxing districts and their current property tax rates, as well as tool for finding which district your property falls into, can be found online at www.GalvestonCAD.org.
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Find out if a residential homestead exemption can be claimed. If the property owner resides on the property as of January 1st , a residential homestead exemption can be claimed by filling out application form 50-144. In Texas, homeowners under age 65 are eligible for a $15,000 homestead exemption, while seniors 65 years of age and older, and the disabled, qualify for $25,000.
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Calculate the property tax amount due for the current year. The property tax amount can be calculated by multiplying the assessed value of the property (minus the amount of residential homestead exemption claimed) individually by the county's tax rate, the local tax rate, and any school or improvement district tax rates. For example, in 2009, the Galveston County tax rate was .62 percent. For a property valued at $100,000 with a $15,000 residential homestead exemption, the .62 tax rate would be multiplied by $85,000, which equals $527.00. If the property owner lived in Texas City, which had a property tax rate of .43 percent in 2009, the property tax would be $365.00 for the same homeowner. If the owner lived in the Galveston County Drainage District I, an additional tax rate of .12 would be applied to their property value, which equals $102. The total property taxes for 2009 would equal the sum of all three, or $994.50.
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