Dallas homeowners are paying about 41% more in property taxes than they did five years ago.
That's according to a recent national report by virtual real estate company Redfin.
Recently re-elected Dallas County Tax Assessor Collector John Ames said that actually depends on a few circumstances, including whether the homeowner's city offers exemptions.
"I love to see the reports where one people say, taxes are on the rise and no one will say taxes are holding steady and another one will say, your taxes may have gone down this year," he said. "And I just laugh and I say, because every single property is so unique. It depends on what jurisdictions you live in, what the price value are, what the exemptions are that you have."
DeSoto, Lancaster, Cedar Hill and Mesquite, for example, do not offer a city homestead exemption.
The average rate as a percentage of a home’s value is highest in Texas, Redfin says. It's lowest in California.
Property taxes increased the most in Indianapolis, according to the late October report.
Tax bills were highest in New York and New Jersey and lowest in Phoenix.
Ames says property taxpayers should review their specific circumstances.
"Every property is unique depending on where you live and what your circumstances are," he said. "So if you are concerned about your own taxes, what we encourage you to do is go look at your tax history on the county website and or the appraisal district website so that you can really see is your house increasing in value and are your taxes going up or down?"
In Austin, 20% of a total housing bill is property tax. San Antonio's is 19% and Dallas and Fort Worth are each about 18%, according to the report.
Dallas, Redfin says, pays about $570 per month in property taxes.
Home insurance also contributes to higher costs.
"Property taxes are an especially important way for governments to pay for those projects in states like Florida and Texas that don’t have state income taxes," Redfin reported. "Additionally, some homes that are especially vulnerable to climate disasters, like hurricanes and flooding, are essentially uninsurable."
If the bill is financially unmanageable, verify the homes appraised taxable value and challenge it or apply for tax exemptions.
"If you do not believe your home is worth that much, you have every right to contact the appraisal district and file a protest and talk to them about your evaluation," Ames said. "And you should always, every year, double check to make sure that you have all the exemptions that you're entitled to — your homestead exemption, Your over 65, your disabled, your veterans."
Payment becomes delinquent Jan. 31.
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