Complications regarding property taxes in Clark County are in the news again. Last month, the initial real property tax bills and statements for Clark County residents were mailed and some homeowners were surprised by what they got.
After filling out paperwork that should have kept their property tax increase capped at 3 percent, the new statements and bills defaulted to a much higher cap of 8 percent anyway.
But the County issued a statement last week addressed to homeowners telling them not to worry. Everything will work out in the end.
The tax cap percentage is the maximum percentage that a property owner’s tax can increase by annually. This percentage is calculated each year by the Nevada Department of Taxation. For this fiscal year (2022-2023), the property tax cap rate for primary residences is 3 percent. Other properties (investment, commercial, etc.) have an 8 percent cap.
But any one of a number of changes to a primary residence can trigger a default back to the 8 percent cap rate. These changes can include the sale of the property, a transfer of the title into the name of a trust, adding the name of a new co-owner and more. In those cases, a declaration must be made by the homeowner to prevent the new tax cap.
Because of a miscommunication, something of a panic took place among many Clark County homeowners just ahead of the June 30 filing deadline this year. Scores of people rushed the County Assessor’s office in Las Vegas forming long queues in an attempt to file the Tax Cap declaration at, what they thought, was the last minute.
According to a Clark County news release last week, because of this last minute rush, the recently mailed tax bills do not reflect all of the appropriate changes. Residents are encouraged to read the notice accompanying their mailing to understand any next steps.
“If you recently filled out the form to correct your tax cap percentage, please know that the Clark County Assessor has received a large volume of corrections which may take some time to process,” the notices state. “If you receive a tax bill with the incorrect property tax cap percentage and you have submitted a correction form, the Treasurer’s Office will send you a revised bill once the updated tax cap information has been processed.”
Those who do not receive a revised bill showing their correct tax cap information by October, should contact the Assessor’s Office at (702) 455-3882 or by email at AOCustomerServiceRequests@ClarkCountyNV.gov, according to the notice.
A homeowner can still correct the information at any time, each year before June 30 through the Clark County Assessor’s Office, the press release stated.
For those who paid a higher property tax percentage for the previous fiscal year (2021 – 2022) and submitted the correction form by June 30, 2022, any refund owed may be applied to current taxes due or refunded.
The county statement said that if this has not occurred by October, homeowners should contact the Clark County Treasurer’s Office at (702) 455-4323 or by email at TRCustomerService@ClarkCountyNV.gov.
