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Taxation Taxing authorities such as the State Legislature, School Board, County Commission and City Councils set tax rates and levy taxes. Levy rates differ according to the class of property. In West Virginia, there are four classes of property: Class I: personal property employed exclusively in agriculture, products of agriculture including livestock, and money, notes bonds, bills and accounts receivable, stocks and other similar intangible personal property. Class II: all property owned, used, and occupied by the owner exclusively for residential purposes and farms occupied and cultivated by their owners or tenants. Class III: all other real or personal property situated outside of municipalities (vacant land and buildings, rental property, vehicles, commercial real estate, equipment, inventory). Class IV: all other real or personal property situated within municipialities (vacant land and buildings, rental property, vehicles, commercial real estate, equipment, inventory). A listing of the 2008 levy rates in Marshall County for each class of property for each district and municipality is contained in the FORMS pages.
You should note the levy rates associated with the School Bond Levy, which was
passed by Marshall County voters in November, 2006. With the addition of the
new levy beginning with the 2007 tax bill, both personal property taxes and
real estate taxes will increase for every property owner in Marshall County.
The amount of the increase depends on the assessed value of the property
that you own. You can visit the ASSESSMENT RECORDS ONLINE page to obtain your
2008 real estate taxes.
Valuation The
Assessor's Office studies the Real Estate market and collects information
about properties to estimate value. The goal of the Assessor's Office
is to estimate each property's fair, current market value - the price
your property could sell for today on the open market. To estimate
current market value, the Assessor's Office considers the characteristics
of the property, the neighborhood, recent sales of similar property
and local building and construction costs. Property Value Changes A property's value can change for many reasons, the most obvious is the property changes - an addition, a new garage, or the property undergoes renovation or demolition. Another frequent cause of change is a change in the market - properties in certain neighborhoods begin selling for higher prices. The
Assessor's Office must, however, maintain property values that are
at least 90% of recent sales prices. A quick method to determine if
your value is fair is to compare it to sales prices in your neighborhood,
taking into account various differences in structures. To guard against
future dramatic increases in your property's value, an inflation adjustment
of 2-3% is annually applied. Real Estate Assessments In
1990, the West Virginia Legislature ordered a statewide reappraisal
of all property in West Virginia. Reappraisal occurs in three year
cycles. During each three year cycle, the Assessor's Office must visit
every piece of real estate to confirm and update characteristics of
the property. Exemptions
If you are 65 years of age or older, or if you are permanently and totally
disabled, you may be eligible for the
Homestead Property Tax Exemption. If approved, $20,000 will
be deducted from the assessed value of the home used as your primary
residence. To claim this exemption, you must file the application
with the Assessor's Office between July 1 and December 1. The Homestead
Exemption saves senior citizens in Marshall County over $800,000 in
property taxes annually. Personal Property Assessments Personal property assessments differ somewhat from real estate assessments. All persons must report to the Assessor all personal property owned as of July 1 of each year whether visited by a deputy or not. This can be done in one of four ways:
Vehicle assessments are based on 60% of the lowest value listed in the N.A.D.A. Used Car Guide. Assessment discounts for vehicles with high mileage are available. High Mileage Certifications must be turned in each year prior to October 1. By being assessed for your vehicles each year, you will avoid any late penalties and interest, be eligible for 2 1/2% discount, and reduce the time it takes to renew your vehicle registration each year. BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY All
business in the county are mailed a blue, four-page reporting form
in early July. The form requests that accurate costs be entered for
all personal property owned as of July 1 of each year, including machinery
and equipment, inventory, computer equipment, vehicles and furniture
and fixtures. All business returns must be submitted no later than
October 1st. Those businesses not submitting a return are automatically
subject to a 10% increase on the previous year's assessment, are liable
for a $100 penalty, and lose any right to appeal the value established.
Out-Of-State Plates Program The Marshall County Assessor's Office has a program to identify and register those vehicles with out-of-state plates that are owned by residents of Marshall County. West Virginia Code § 17A-3-1a requires every owner of a motor vehicle who is a resident of the state to obtain registration and title to the vehicle(s) from the Department of Motor Vehicles within 30 days of establishing their residency. It is simply a question of fairness. It is not right that while most vehicle owners in Marshall County pay their personal property taxes annually, others evade their taxes by getting out-of-state plates. This increases the burden on the honest taxpayers and costs the County and School Board rightfully-owed revenue that could be used to address other pressing problems. If you are aware of any vehicles that are in violation, please report the information to the Out-of-State Plates Investigator, Carla Vessels, by calling the Assessor's Office at 845-1490. You may remain anonymous and will not be involved in any manner once our investigation begins. Please remember, however, that investigations can take up to 120 days to complete in order to assemble evidence to present in court, especially if the alleged violator disputes his West Virginia residency. Appealing Your Property Rights An assessment appeal is not a complaint about higher taxes. It is an attempt to prove that your property's estimated current market value is not accurate. You can ask for a review of your assessment by the Assessor's Office at any time during the year if you believe either of two things:
If
you are not satisfied with the Assessor's Office review, you then
have the opportunity to appear before the Board of Review and Equalization
during the month of February each year. The Board is only concerned
whether the value placed on your property is fair and accurate, not
whether or not your taxes are too high. After the Board adjourns at
the end of February, no changes in assessments can be made until the
following year. YOUR TAX BILL The
Sheriff's Tax Office is responsible for the layout, printing, and
mailing of the tax bills. Questions regarding any of those processes
should be directed to the Sheriff of Marshall County. You should also
pay your bill at the Sheriff's Tax Office. If you do not receive a
bill and believe that you should have, questions regarding amounts
due, delinquencies, or payment due dates should also be directed to
the Sheriff's Office.
Annual Assessment & Application Deadlines July
1 July
1 - September 1 July
1 - December 1 July
1 - January 31 February
1 - 28
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