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Frequently Asked Questions
How often is property appraised in Uinta County?
Wyoming statute requires that all property be listed,
valued and assessed as of January 1 of each year. Assessment schedules must
reflect the owner of record as of that date and be mailed on or before the
fourth Monday in April.
When can I expect the Assessor’s office to complete an
on-site inspection of my property?
All properties in Uinta County are physically inspected
every four years. Properties are also inspected when a building permit is
issued or an address assigned. Inspections can also be done as deemed
necessary in the event of a disagreement with the property value as
established by the Assessor’s office or upon the request of a property owner.
What should I do if I disagree with the value on my
assessment?
You need to contact the Assessor’s office within thirty
days of the postmarked date on your assessment schedule. Bring any
information that you would like the Assessor to consider regarding the value
of your property.
Why did my value change?
Many factors affect market value – a change in property
characteristics, market supply and demand, interest rates, labor and material
costs to name a few.
How did you arrive at the value of my property?
Industry-accepted mass appraisal procedures and
methodologies are used to determine property values. Factors such as
location, property characteristics and sales information are analyzed each
year to determine the estimated fair market value.
How do you acquire actual sales prices?
Wyoming statute (34-1-142) requires a statement of
consideration be completed whenever a deed, contract or other document
transferring legal title is recorded. Information such as the date of sale,
purchase price and the sale’s terms are required. This information is not
generally available to the public.
Can I review the sales information used in establishing
the assessed value of my property?
Property owners appealing their assessment may review the
sales that were used to determine the fair market value of their property.
The review period is limited to the thirty-day appeal period following
receipt of your estimated assessment in late April or early May. Property
owners may not further disclose this sales information to anyone else. The information
may be introduced later in the event of a formal appeal of a tax assessment,
but any further disclosure is prohibited by state law.
Will my taxes go up if the market value of my property
increases?
Property taxes do not automatically increase simply
because the fair market value of the property has increased. Market value is
only a portion of the formula used in calculating tax amounts. The formula
for determining actual tax dollars is as follows:
Fair market value x level of assessment =
assessed value
Assessed value x mill levy = tax dollars
What is the level of assessment?
The level of assessment is the percentage of the market
value that determines the assessed value of a property. In Wyoming, the
level of assessment for minerals is 100 percent; the level of assessment for
industrial use properties is 11.5 percent; and for all other properties the
level of assessment is 9.5 percent. These percentages are determined by the
state legislature.
What is a mill levy?
A mill levy equates to the number of dollars in taxes that
a property owner must pay for every $1000 of assessed value. The Uinta
County Commission establishes the total mill levy for each tax district based
on budget requests from the various taxing entities – municipalities, school
districts, water or sewer districts, fire districts or other specially formed
districts as designated by state statute – within the districts’ boundaries.
How is the mill levy determined?
In order to determine the mill levy for each tax district,
taxing entities must submit their final budget requests. The budget, less
any anticipated revenues from non-property tax sources, is divided by the
assessed value to obtain the tax rate, or mill levy. Assessed values
determined by the County Assessor and values of state assessments – those
industries that are valued by the Wyoming Department of Revenue, such as
utilities and minerals – are combined to determine the total assessed value
within the taxing entities’ boundaries. An individual assessed value is multiplied
by the total mill levy for the tax district to obtain an individual tax
amount.
Is agricultural land valued differently than other
properties?
In Wyoming, land meeting the criteria for agricultural
land classification is valued based on the land’s productive capabilities
under normal conditions. Landowners must complete a sworn affidavit stating
the land met the legal requirements (blank affidavits can be downloaded
elsewhere on this website) for such classification.
What is real property?
Real property is defined as land and
all things attached to the land.
What is personal property?
Personal property is all property that does not meet the
definition of real property. Examples of personal property include furniture
and fixtures – desks, chairs, tables, couches, file cabinets, display
counters, shelves, etc.; computer equipment and software; telephones, fax
machines, copiers; heavy machinery; oilfield equipment, etc.
What is the deadline for reporting personal property?
The deadline for reporting changes to personal property
listings is March 1 of each assessment year. Personal property forms, noting
the information provided the previous year, are mailed to businesses in the Uinta County in early December of each year. Business owners are asked to make any
additions or deletions and return the form to the County Assessor. If there have been no changes, owners need only so indicate, sign and return the
form. The reporting deadline may by extended to April 1 upon written
request, provided that request is made no later than February 15.
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