Property taxes apply to all property investments, irrespective of whether you’re living on the land, building on it, or earning an income from it. Meaning that if you own vacant land, you are going to need to pay property taxes on it though you can also be qualified for some fairly decent deductions.
Property taxes are calculated on vacant land, the amount of property taxes that you owe on vacant land are calculated from your county tax assessor and are generally based on the “highest and best use” potential of the plot–i.e. its most rewarding use. Nevertheless, you can anticipate the amount you’ll spend for vacant land is a lot less than the quantity you’d owe for enhanced land.
Based on where you live, you might have state-specific rules that govern land taxes on vacant property and just how much they can increase every year. In California, for example, Proposition 13 dictates that the assessed value of your empty land cannot go up by more than 2 percent in any given year, regardless of other changes which might have impacted its usage and profit potential.
Imagine if you disagree with the appraised value of your land? It’s not unusual for property owners to locate themselves facing higher property taxes than they anticipated. As a good guideline, it’s always a fantastic idea to examine the real estate tax history of a plot of property before buying it so that you can find a heads up on what you’re in for. But should you purchase vacant land and think the assessed value is too high–or if you believe it’s gone up a lot in the past year–then you’ve got some potential recourse.
To appeal your property tax assessment, start by digging to the data. Pull up your property’s record card and search for discrepancies in the description of your land, since if they exist you should have no trouble obtaining a fast adjustment. If that does not work, look to the comps and your land itself to make a case for why the appraised value is too high. You can then take this information to your county, where you’ll go through a formal appeal procedure.
Be aware you will probably face limitations on when you can appeal your vacant property taxes. As an example, expect that you won’t have the ability to place an appeal before a new assessment comes out after buying, which from that you might have between 30 and 90 days to launch your circumstance.
Vacant land tax deductions, on the bright side, as a property investor you are qualified to write off certain expenses related to owning your vacant property, and that includes your property taxes. You might also write off the interest that you pay in your own land loan. Both of these expenses will proceed in your Schedule A tax type, which insures personal itemized deductions.
Keep in mind that under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), certain deductions which are standard for investors of empty land–believe developments, maintenance fees, and legal and accounting charges –are no more workable write-offs unless you’re a land dealer purchasing land for a fast turnaround purchase.
