Updates on Tax Assessment

Previously, I told you how to look up the value of property belonging to anyone in the state. At the time, I wasn't sure what all the terms meant. After a visit to the Tax Assessor's office, I can report the following:

• True Improved Value is the value of your house.
• True Land Value is the value of your land.
• True Value is the value of your house and land combined.
• Assessed Value is 10% of the True Value and is what your taxes are based on.
• You pay taxes for the county and for the school district - plus the city if you live in Natchez. All three together add up to .1662, unless someone raises taxes.
• Multiple your Assessed Value by .1662 to determine your taxes.
• Then subtract your homestead exemption.

Don't forget the Mayor & Board of Aldermen meet Tuesday at 6 pm. I hope to be on the Agenda about the raises, and I requested it in time. We'll see!

Find Tax Appraised Value of Anyone's House

This is a very interesting site, which was found accidently by an anonymous friend who passed it on to me. It's from the State Treasurer's office. If you click on the link (which is the title above), you'll see a list of counties. Click on Adams for our county - but you can do any county. Then put in a name., and you'll see a list of properties in that name. Click on one, and you'll see the 2005 landroll information.

Here are two examples: my house and Trent Lott's, which I guess is no longer there.

Casey - Trent
True Value (TV): 87,060 - 308,940
Assessed Value: 8,706 - 30,894 (10% of TV)
Cultivated Value (CV): 900 - 0 (10% of TLV)
True Improved Value (TIV): 78,060 - 122,060 (TV-CV/UC)
Improved Value: 7,806 - 12,206 (10% of TIV)
Uncultivated Value (UV): 0 - 186,880 (100% of TLV)
True Land Value (TLV): 9,000 - 186,880

I have no idea what all this means. What is cultivated and uncultivated value? Why deduct only 10% of cultivated and 100% of uncultivated? Most importantly, how are my taxes figured on this? If anyone knows the answer, please post a comment. Otherwise, I think I'll trot myself over to the Tax Assessors Office to find out.

One interesting thing: Trent starts with a True Value worth more than 3.5 times mine. He ends up with an Improved Value worth only 1.5 times mine. Maybe that vegetable garden in my back yard is hurting me!