Property Tax Facts
Property tax is an ad valorem tax based upon the value of property, both real and personal. Ad valorem is a Latin term that means “according to value”. The amount of taxes owed on these properties is determined by their value.
- Personal property includes boats, personal watercraft, and airplanes as well as any inventory, equipment, furniture, and fixtures needed to run a business.
- Real property is defined as land and generally anything that is erected, growing, or affixed to the land.
Property taxes play an important role in contributing to the quality of life and they are levied to make up the difference between all other revenues received and the total revenues needed to fund essential services for Banks County Government and the Banks County Board of Education. These governmental organizations provide roads, fire and police protection, library services, parks and recreation, emergency management, planning and zoning, economic development, schools and education, public health, entertainment, and other vital services from which all of us benefit directly and indirectly.
There are several key participants in the property tax process beginning with county government. They are the Board of Commissioners, the Board of Tax Assessors, and the Tax Commissioner. Each of those groups plays a vital role in the overall property tax process.
The Board of Commissioners are responsible for providing the funds, or budget, that actually pays for the services previously mentioned. They are also required by state law to appoint the Board of Tax Assessors, an independent body responsible for estimating property values. State law also requires the commissioners to provide county funds to finance and administer the property tax process. This includes the operation of the Board of Assessors and all appraisal functions, appeal activities, and tax collection. The Board of Commissioners, however, does not have any role in the appraisal or assessment of property other than making appointments and funding the process. And, while the county commissioners appoint the Board of Tax Assessors, state law provides that the Board of Tax Assessors operates independently.
Another participant in the property tax process is the Tax Commissioner, an elected county constitutional officer, who compiles the county tax digest for state review and approval. The Tax Commissioner sends tax bills and collect taxes for counties, for schools, and many times for the cities that levy property taxes. The Tax Commissioner, however, has no role in property appraisal and no role in setting the county budget or millage rate.
