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Frequently Asked Questions About Property Taxes
Check our online glossary section
for a definition of terms on your tax bill.
Will I receive a tax bill if I pay taxes through
an impound account?
If your taxes are paid through an impound account, your lender
will receive your annual tax bill and you will receive an information
copy. Supplemental tax bills, however, are not sent to your lender;
they are mailed directly to you. It is your responsibility to contact
your lender to determine who will pay the supplemental tax bill,
you or your lender.
What determines the amount of taxes that I pay?
The County Assessor determines the taxable value of your property.
Generally, the taxable value is the cash or market value at time
of transfer. This value increases not more than 2% per year until
the property is resold or any new construction is completed, at
which time the portion which changes must be reassessed. Additional
information may be obtained from the County Assessor at 805-568-2550.
After the Assessor has determined the property value, the Auditor-Controller
applies the appropriate tax rates, which include: the general tax
levy, locally voted special taxes, and any city or district assessments.
The general tax levy is determined in accordance with State law
and is limited to $1.00 per $100.00 taxable value of your property.
After applying the tax rates, the Auditor-Controller calculates
the total tax amount. The Treasurer-Tax Collector prepares property
tax statements based on the Auditor-Controller's calculations, mails
the tax statements and collects the taxes.
What can I do if I disagree with the valuation
the Assessor has placed on my property?
You should first discuss the matter with the Assessor's Office
and if the question is not resolved to your satisfaction there is
an Assessment Appeals Board established for the purpose of reviewing
taxable values and such matters. Appeals on regular assessments
must be filed each year between July 2 and September 15. The valuation
information may be obtained from the Assessor's Office by July 1
each year. If you choose to appeal your assessment, you should nonetheless
pay the tax installment presently due and payable by the appropriate
deadline. If your appeal is granted a refund will be made. If you
have not made a timely payment, you may incur penalties while the
case is in appeals.
What are the consequences if I fail to make
a timely payment?
If you do not pay the first installment of your annual tax bill
at the Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office by 5 p.m. on December 10
* or payment is not postmarked by that date, then the taxes become
delinquent and a 10% delinquent penalty is added to any unpaid balance.
If you fail to pay the second installment by 5 p.m. on April 10,*
or payment is not postmarked by that date, it becomes delinquent
and a 10% penalty plus a charge of $20.00 is added to the unpaid
balance. If you fail to pay either or both installments at the Treasurer-Tax
Collector's Office by 5 p.m. on June 30,** or payment is not postmarked
by that date, then the property becomes tax defaulted and additional
penalties and costs accrue. Please see page on Delinquent
Property Taxes for full information.
If you fail to pay the installments of your supplemental taxes
by the applicable delinquency dates, the same penalties accrue as
for delinquent secured taxes. Please see page on Supplemental
Property Taxes for more information.
*If either December 10 or April 10 falls on a weekend
or holiday, taxes are not delinquent until 5 P.M. the next business
day.
**If June 30 falls on a weekend or holiday, taxes
must be paid by 5 P.M. of the preceding business day or the property
will be tax defaulted.
Will payment of part of current taxes
stop property from becoming tax defaulted on June 30?
ANY unpaid taxes as of June 30 will cause the property
to become tax defaulted and further penalties and costs will accrue.
Please see the page on Delinquent
Property Taxes for more information.
When will I receive my property tax bill?
Annual secured Property tax bills are mailed during October of
each year to the owner of record (as of January 1st). As a courtesy,
a tax bill will be mailed to the new owner of the property if a
deed change occurs after the first of the year. Depending on when
the property is transferred, new owners should contact their title
company or review their closing statement to determine who is responsible
for paying the taxes. However, unpaid taxes will continue to accrue
against the property.
When are my property tax payments due?
Due dates for annual secured taxes in Santa Barbara County are
as follows: taxes for the first installment are due November 1 and
are considered late after December 10. Taxes for the second installment
are due February 1 and considered late after April 10. You may pay
both installments, if you choose, by December 10. If you choose
to pay the total amount, it must be paid by December 10.
What if I miss the deadline for my tax payment?
There is a 10% penalty for late mail-in payments of the first
or second installments if the envelope is not postmarked by December
10 and April 10, respectively. There is also a $20 charge for a
late 2nd installment payment. If you mail your payment on time,
but the Post Office fails to postmark it by those dates, it will
be considered a late payment. Office meter dates are not acceptable
for mail-in payments. Payments made on ezProperty are recognized
by the County as paid on the date of the online transaction.
Where can I find a definition for some of the
terms on my tax bill?
Check our online glossary section
for a definition of terms on your tax bill.
As a Santa Barbara County property owner, am
I eligible for special tax exemptions?
There are several exemptions for property owners with special circumstances
that must be filed with the County Assessor's Office.
Builders' Exclusion
There is an exclusion from the supplemental assessment for a new
construction. The property must be held for sale, and the builder
must file the necessary claim form with the Assessor prior to or
within 30 days from, the start of construction. If the form isn't
filed, a supplemental assessment is made to the builder upon completion
of the construction. If the form is filed, a supplemental assessment
is not made until the property is sold to the new owner.
Homeowners' Exemption
If you own a home and occupy it as your principal place of residence
as of January 1, you may apply for an exemption of $7,000 of your
assessed value. New property owners should automatically receive
an exemption application in the mail. A Homeowners' Exemption also
may apply to a supplemental assessment if the property was not previously
receiving a Homeowners' Exemption on the regular Assessment Roll.
Veterans' Exemption
To be eligible for a Veterans' Exemption, a veteran must have been
a resident of California as of January 1. Also, a single veteran
or a non-remarried surviving spouse of a veteran must not have assets
valued at more than $5,000. A married veteran must not have assets
valued at more than $10,000.
Disabled Veterans' Exemption
If you are a California veteran who is rated 100% disabled, blind
or a paraplegic due to service-connected disability while in the
armed forces (or if you are the non-remarried surviving spouse of
such a veteran or one who died of service-connected causes while
on active duty) you may be eligible for an exemption of up to $150,000
off the assessed value of your home.
Institutional Exemptions
Property used exclusively for a church, college, cemetery, museum,
school or library may qualify for an exemption. Properties owned
and used exclusively by a non-profit religious, charitable, scientific
or hospital corporation are also eligible. A claim must be filed.
Property Tax Postponement
If you are blind, disabled or 62 years of age or older, and if you
have an annual income of $24,000 or less, you may have the option
of having the state pay all or part of the property taxes on your
home or mobile home. This deferred payment is a lien on the property
and becomes due upon sale, change of residence, or death. The filing
period for property tax postponement is between May 15 and December
10. For more information and an application, call the State Controller's
office at 1-800-952-5661.
Where can I pay my bill in person?
There are two offices where you can pay your property tax bill
in person:
Santa Barbara Administration Building
105 East Anapamu Street Suite 109
PO Box 579
Santa Barbara CA 93102
(805) 568-2920
Mon- Fri 8:00am- 5:00pm
Santa Maria
511 E. Lakeside Parkway, Bldg. D
Santa Maria, CA 93455
(805) 346-8330
Mon- Fri 8:00am- 5:00pm
Where can I find information about the assessed
value of my property?
The County Assessor is responsible for the appraisal and assessment
of property. You can visit the County
Assessor's Web site (http://www.sb-democracy.com/) for more
information regarding property appraisal in Santa Barbara County.
You may also contact the County Assessor's office by phone at (805)
568-2550.
What is the relationship between the County
Assessor's Office and the Tax Collector's Office?
According to state law, the County Assessor is responsible for
the appraisal and assessment of property. The Tax Collector's office
is responsible for billing and collection of taxes based on assessments.
The Tax Collector has no authority over the amount of assessment,
nor can he be involved in the appraisal process.
How do I appeal?
If you disagree with the assessed value as shown on the tax bill,
you have the right to an informal assessment review for the following
year by contacting the County Clerk-Recorder-Assessor’s Office by
January 1. If the taxpayer and the assessor are unable to reach
an agreement throught the informal review, the taxpayer has the
right to file an application for reduction in assessment with the
county assessment appeals board or the board of equalization, as
applicable. The filing period is July 2 through September 15. Forms
are available from the Clerk of the Assessment Appeals Board, 105
E. Anapamu Street, Room 407, Santa Barbara CA 93101, or by phoning
(805) 568-2240.
How do I change my mailing address for property
tax bills?
You must send your change of address in writing, signed by the
property owner, to the Assessor's office. To download a fill in form to send to the Assessor's office click here. Include the Parcel Number
(APN) of all properties included in the mailing address change.
Send your address change to:
Clerk-Recorder-Assessor
P.O. Box 159
Santa Barbara, CA 93102-0159
phone: (805) 568-2550
Information on Property Tax Sales in Santa
Barbara County
There is currently no tax sale scheduled for Santa Barbara County
Sales of tax defaulted properties occur rarely in Santa Barbara County,
due primarily to the high value of property within the County, and
a diligent effort on the part of the Tax Collector's staff to locate
any and all responsible parties prior to auctioning property. Usually,
if there is a tax sale, it will be in January or February of the year.
Most often, the properties are of low value and may be un-developable
due to water or toxic waste problems. The best way to be informed
of these tax sales is to send a self-addressed stamped #10 envelope
to:
Property Tax Sales
Treasurer-Tax Collector
County of Santa Barbara
P.O. Box 579
Santa Barbara CA 93102-0579
The County of Santa Barbara does not sell Tax Lien Certificates. There
is currently no county within California which sells Tax Lien Certificates.
Some other states, such as Texas and Arizona, may sell Tax Lien Certificates,
but this is not yet a practice within the state of California.
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