HomeMy WebLinkAboutMT Department of Revenue (4)A Montana Department of Revenue
V-IW
Dan Bucks
Director
Memorandum
To: Members of the Montana Legislature
Local Government Officials
Public School Officials
Media Contacts and Other Interested Parties
From: Dan Bucks, Director of Revenue
Date: August 20, 2009
Brian Schweitzer
Govemor
Subject: Property Reappraisal Update
Certification of Taxable Value/Newly Taxable Property
Assessment Notice Mailing to Taxpayers
In our continuing efforts to keep you updated on the progress of the property reappraisal
process, I am providing this letter to address recent developments.
Certification of Taxable Value/Newly Taxable Property to Local Governments
The Department continues to be on schedule to deliver the certification of taxable values and
the newly taxable property information to all local government taxing jurisdictions starting on
Tuesday, August 251h, with all delivered by Monday, August 31st
We have posted our projected county-by-county schedule on our website at
hftg://mt-oovLRevgnue/fod-ngtLyiduals/prop-erty
ea raisal/Certifi %20Newl °/20Taxable%20Valu s°o20Data.as
We will update this schedule each day as our local property assessment offices complete the
final distribution to the local government taxing jurisdictions.
In an effort to enhance our service to local governments, we have made changes to our data
communication process so that our local offices will now have more immediate access to the
detailed data about the certified values and newly taxable information by each property class.
Thus, if any local government officials have questions about the information received, please
contact the local Department office with questions as there is now more detailed information at
the immediate disposal of our local staff. Our local office contact list can be found at
h ://mt. ov/revenue/ab u ea enc /offi elocations.as .
In the meantime, our Tax Policy Research (TPR) team in Helena will also be available to
answer questions. You may contact Ed Caplis, TPR director, at (406) 444-3531.
revenue.mt.gov A Toll free 1-866-859-2254 (in Helena, 444-6900) ? TDD (406) 444-2830
DOR Memorandum
August 20, 2009
Page 2
Improving Assessment Notice and Expanding Website Information for Taxpayers
Based on some public response to the initial real property assessment notice mailings to ten
counties, we are improving the assessment notices to include the prior market value of the
property.
Although the information was also available to taxpayers through local offices and on our web-
based tax estimating calculator, some taxpayers prefer to have the information directly
available on the notice itself--and we are glad to respond to that request.
Although we do not know how many taxpayers will actively use the additional data on the
notice, those requesting it will definitely find it helpful to them-and that interest was sufficient
to convince us to revise the notice.
This new notice will be mailed to residential, commercial, agricultural, and forestland property
taxpayers in all 56 counties-including those located in the original ten counties and owners of
mobile homes who received the first notice. Those taxpayers receiving an assessment notice
a second time will receive a special letter explaining the change.
This change to the notice and mailing process will not affect any appeal rights of
Montana taxpayers. All taxpayers-including those receiving a notice a second time-
retain their full rights to appeal their values within 30 days of receiving the new,
updated assessment notice.
We are making a further change to improve information to the public. We have received
positive public reviews of our website calculator that enabled residential taxpayers to secure
their prior market value information and estimate their taxes over the next six years, assuming
constant mill levies are constant. For that reason we are adding tax estimating calculators for
agricultural and forestland as well as for commercial property. Farmers, ranchers, forestland
and commercial property owners will be able to use these calculators to estimate their taxes
for the next six years. These calculators will be located on our website at:
http://mt.aov/revenue/forindividuals/property/reappraisal/calculating_:asp and are expected to be ready by
Monday, August 24st.
While this decision to reformat and improve the assessment notice meets important goals of
being responsive to citizens and making the property tax system more understandable, the
improvement has extended our mailing schedule through the end of this month. The new
schedule is at: http://mt,gov/revenue/forindividuals/property/reappraisal/County%2OMailino%2OSchedule.aso.
As soon as these mailing dates begin, each subsequent day we will provide an update to this
online schedule so that you and our citizens can remain updated on the status of the mailings.
Finally, I hope that you have the opportunity to browse our website as we continue to provide
information that is helpful. Our main page is located at: www.revenue.mt.aov.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions that you may have.
Enclosure: Taxpayer letter for new assessment notice