Publications
Property Taxes
The property tax is a tax on the market value of privately owned property, including land, cars, business inventory, etc. Although the property tax is the principal source of revenue for localities, broad consensus has not been reached on the basic issue of whether property taxes are regressive, proportional or progressive. Property tax liability is calculated by multiplying the nominal property tax rate by the assessment ratio (the percentage of the value of the property that is taxed) by the value of the property.
Additional questions about property taxes? Call (202) 464-6200.
Publications from The Tax Foundation
- Tangible Personal Property Tax Reform: Options to Foster Simplicity and Competitiveness in Florida’s Tax Code, by Scott Drenkard, February 1, 2012
- New York, New Jersey Lead Nation in Property Tax Burden, by Nick Kasprak, May 17, 2011
- Census Bureau Releases 2010 State Tax Collection Data, by Mark Robyn, April 5, 2011
- Recent State Tax Reforms in the United States and Opportunities for California at a Time of Fiscal Challenge (Testimony before California's Select Committee on Recovery, Reform, and Realignment), by Joseph Henchman, February 2, 2011
- Illinois Considers Sharp Income Tax Increase, Highest Corporate Tax Rate, by Joseph Henchman and Kail Padgitt, January 7, 2011
- Property Tax Revenue Increased As Property Values Fell, by Aaron Merchak and Kail Padgitt, August 31, 2010
- Where Do State and Local Governments Get Their Tax Revenue?, by Kail Padgitt and Ryan Forster, August 27, 2010
- Virginia Constitution Requires Uniform Distribution of the Metrorail Tax Burden in Fairfax County (FFW Enterprises v. Fairfax County and the Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County ), by Joseph Henchman and Arushi Sharma, June 3, 2010
- Virginia Constitution Requires Uniform Distribution of the Metrorail Tax Burden in Fairfax County: FFW Enterprises v. Fairfax County and the Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County, by Patrick M. McSweeney and Joseph Henchman, June 1, 2010
- State Provisions for Property Reassessment, by Justin Higginbottom, April 29, 2010
- Illinois Should Respond to Recession by Broadening Tax Bases and Spending Frugally, Not by Raising the Personal Income Tax Rate, by Justin Higginbottom, March 11, 2010
- Testimony to the Maryland Ways and Means Committee on HB366 State Property Tax -- Homeowner's Property Tax Assessment Cap Reduction, by Kail Padgitt, March 4, 2010
- New Jersey and New York Counties Rank Highest in Property Tax, Louisiana Parishes Lowest, by Gerald Prante, October 28, 2009
- Where Do State and Local Governments Get Their Tax Revenue?, by Gerald Prante, October 9, 2009
- New Census Data on Property Taxes on Homeowners, by Gerald Prante, September 22, 2009
- The Price of Paradise: Hawaii Becomes Fifth State to Adopt New Income Tax Brackets on High-Earners, by Mark Robyn and Joseph Henchman, May 12, 2009
- States Use Gentle Hand in Taxing Timberland, by Travis Greaves, March 25, 2009
- New Census Data on Property Taxes on Homeowners, by Gerald Prante and Mark Robyn, December 12, 2008
- NYC May See Higher Income, Sales and Property Taxes, by Josh Barro, November 12, 2008
- Would the Proposed Bailout Affect Local Property Tax Collections?, by Joseph Henchman, September 29, 2008
- New Census Data on Property Taxes on Homeowners, by Gerald Prante, September 23, 2008
- Sound Tax Policy Coming to New York (?), by Josh Barro, June 6, 2008
- Tax Foundation Testimony Before the Ways and Means Committee of the Vermont Legislature, by William Ahern and Gerald Prante, December 11, 2007
- New Census Data Shows Where Property Taxes Hit Homeowners Hardest, by Gerald Prante, September 12, 2007
- Protecting Taxpayers From Discriminatory Taxes at the U.S. Supreme Court: CSX Transportation, Inc. v. State Board of Equalization of Georgia, by Brian E. Bailey and Chris Atkins, July 30, 2007
- Appropriation by Litigation: Estimating the Cost of Judicial Mandates for State and Local Education Spending, by Chris Atkins, July 26, 2007
- What West Virginia Needs to Do in Order to Compete in the 21st Century, by Curtis S. Dubay, December 11, 2006
- Property Tax Collections Surged with Housing Boom, by Gerald Prante, December 1, 2006
- State and Local Property Taxes, by Michael Lorelli, August 1, 2001
- State and Local Property Tax Collections, by J. Scott Moody, October 1, 1999
- Impact of Virginia's Gubernatorial Personal Property Tax Relief Plans Vary Widely by Locality, by Patrick Fleenor, October 1, 1997
- Property Taxes on the Rise Again Across Nation, by Chris R. Edwards, August 1, 1993
- Tax Review: Property Taxation: Classifying Types of Property to Differentiate Burdens, by C. Lowell Harriss, May 1, 1980
- Tax Review: Proposition 13: A Prostitution of Conservative Principles, by Donald G. Hagman, September 1, 1978
- Tax Review: Property Taxation after the California Vote, by C. Lowell Harriss, August 1, 1978
- Property Taxation in Government Finance, by C. Lowell Harriss, November 1, 1974
- Issues In Federal Tax Revision: Tax Developments in 1973, November 15, 1973
- Tax Review: The Property Tax Under Fire, by Kenneth Back, March 1, 1973
- Tax Review: Property Tax: Who Pays?, by C. Lowell Harriss, April 1, 1972
- Property Taxation: Economic Aspects, by C. Lowell Harriss, August 1, 1968
- State Aid and Local Property Taxes, December 17, 1943