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Property Taxes
Penalties
Penalty on real estate taxes is 1 1/2 percent per month. Penalty is added on the first half payment on October 1 or 30 days after certification by the County Auditor to the County Treasurer (whichever is later). Second half penalty is added April 1st.
Annual Tax Sale
The annual tax sale is held on the third Monday of June at 1:00 PM. Prior to the sale, an advertising fee of four dollars for each description attached and, if sold, $10.00 is added for each certificate. Tax sales certificates are redeemable at the office of the County Treasurer as follows: 2 percent interest per month (counting each fraction of a month as and entire month) from the month of the sale, and the total amount paid by the tax sale certificate purchaser or their assignee. Additionally, 2 percent interest on the amount of the payment for each subsequent year's taxes from the month of payment (counting each fraction of a month as an entire month). The amount of interest is a minimum of $1.00 and shall be rounded to the nearest whole dollar.
Assessment
All property used in the operation of railroads, electric, gas, express, telephone, and telegraph companies is assessed annually in July by the Iowa Department of Revenue & Finance. Agricultural property is assessed by the County Assessor at 100% of productivity analysis. All other classes of property are assessed based on current market value analysis. Mobile homes are taxed on a per square footage basis. All property classes are subject to equalization every odd numbered year by the Iowa Department of Revenue & Finance. Every year, new buildings erected since January 1 of the previous year are assessed and added to the value of real estate as shown by the previous assessment.
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Equalization
In odd-numbered years, the Department of Revenue reviews the level of assessment of property within each property class. If the County's level of assessment for any class is at least 5% above or below the statewide level, the Department will order the equalization of those levels. This equalization order is given to keep assessments for each class of property for varying too much across the state.
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Property Assessment
The Clayton County assessor classifies taxable property located in Clayton County. Property is placed in one of four classes: agricultural, residential, commercial, or industrial.
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Property Tax Credits
Information about property tax credits such as Homestead Credit, Elderly and Disabled Property Tax Credit, Manufactured or Mobile Home tax credit, and more.
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Property Tax Exemptions
If an application is required, but no specific filing deadline is given, the form must be filed by July 1 in order to be applied in the current assessment year. It is up to the taxpayer to prove that an exemption should be granted. If property is given as a gift or purchased by a library; art gallery; religious, literary, or charitable society; or educational institution if the transfer happened after the filing deadline for a tax credit if they would have been entitled to that credit had an application been turned in before the deadline.
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Protesting Your Assessment
If you are not satisfied with your property assessment, you can file a written protest against the assessment with the Board of Review between April 16 and May 5. Any local government official or taxpayer within the same city or township where the property is located can also file to protest the assessment the same way a property owner or taxpayer can.
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Tax Levies
Property tax levies are assessed to all owners of property in the county in order to fund the services the county provides to its residents. The total levy rate varies from one taxing district to the next; it is a combination of county, city or township, school district and special levies.
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Tax Payments
Property taxes are collected and distributed by the Treasurer's Office to the other levying bodies in the county. That office is also required to mail a property tax statement to every taxpayer. There are two installments to pay per year. The treasurer may also permit all taxpayers to make partial payments.
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Rollback
A limitation on growth in assessed value of 4% (8% for utilities) has been in effect since the 1980 assessment year. As a result of this, the value of your property subject to taxation may be a percentage of the original assessed value. In November, the Director of Revenue certifies limitation percentages to the County Auditor. This rollback percentage is multiplied by the value originally assessed to come up with the taxable value of the property.