Understanding Property Taxes for Los Angeles Home Buyers

If you are buying a Los Angeles home you are going to want to understand the property tax system, including supplemental property taxes that may be levied when a home changes ownership (there are inter-family and similar exclusions, but an expert should be consulted on those).

Important Los Angeles property tax dates

  • The property tax year runs from July 1st to June 30
  • Annual tax bills are mailed out on October 1st
  • First installment due on November 1st 
  • First installment delinquent on December 10th
  • Second installment due February 1st
  • Second installment delinquent on April 10th
Los Angeles property taxes can be loosely estimated around 1.25%, and the taxes will increase when a property changes ownership at a profit.  An explanation of Supplemental Property taxes is summarized below.
In addition to annual taxes, you may be responsible for paying supplemental property taxes. State law requires the Assessor to reappraise property upon a change in ownership or new construction. The supplemental assessment reflects the difference between the new assessed value and the old or prior assessed value. If the property is reassessed at a higher value than the old assessed value, a supplemental bill will be issued. If the property is reassessed at a lower value than the old assessed value, a refund will be issued. The taxes are prorated based on the number of months left in the fiscal year from the date of ownership change or the new construction completion date. If the change in ownership or new construction occurs between January 1st and May 31st, two supplemental tax bills will be issued. The first supplemental bill will be for the remainder of the fiscal year, and the second supplemental bill will be for the fiscal year that follows. 

They also provide a Supplemental Tax Estimator to help you gauge the amount you will be charged.  This is for a change of ownership situation and not for new property.

For more information read the Frequently Asked Questions page.
 

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