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Address

Mailing Address:

Assessor’s Office
P.O. Box 36819
Charlotte, NC 28236-6819

Personal Property
P.O. Box 36819
Charlotte, NC 28236-6819

Real Estate
P.O. Box 31127
Charlotte, NC 28231

Office Location:

Assessor's Office
Valerie Woodard Center
3205 Freedom Drive - Suite 3500
Charlotte, NC 28208

MAP

Hours: Mon-Fri  8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Contact

County Assessor's Office
980-314-4226
Send an Email

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Questions and Inquiries

If you have questions regarding your property assessment information or other business with the County Assessor’s Office, please call 980-314-4226. You can also visit our office at 3205 Freedom Drive, Suite 3500, Charlotte, NC, 28208 between the hours of 8 a.m. -​ 5 p.m. ​​​


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Q: Why have a real property tax?

Properties are appraised so that those of us who want the advantages of having schools, fire and police protection, and other public benefits (which means just about all of us), can absorb our fair share of the cost, in proportion to the amount of money our individual properties are worth.

Q: What is fair market value?

The price, in terms of money, that a property will bring if exposed on the open market, between a willing seller and buyer, both of whom are fully informed of all the uses, advantages and disadvantages of the property, and each acting in a prudent manner.

Finding the market value of your property involves discovering the price most people would pay for it in its present condition. It is not quite that simple, however, because the assessor has to find what this value would be for every property, no matter how big or small.

The property tax is part of a well-balanced revenue system. It is a more stable source of money than sales and income taxes because it does not fluctuate when communities have recessions. When the community spends your tax dollars on better schools, parks, and so on, your property values rise. Some of the windfall benefits you receive are recaptured by the property tax.


Q: Why assessed values may change?

When market value changes naturally so does assessed value. For instance, if you were to add a garage to your home, the assessed value would increase. However, if your property is in poor repair, the assessed value would decrease. The assessor has not created the value. PEOPLE MAKE VALUE by their transactions in the marketplace. The assessor simply has the legal responsibility to study those transactions and appraise your property accordingly.

Q: How is property appraised?

To find the value of any piece of property the assessor must first know what properties similar to it are selling for, what it would cost to replace it, how much it takes to operate and keep it in repair, what rent it may earn, and many other dollar facts affecting its value, such as the current rate of interest charged for borrowing the money to buy or build properties like yours. Using these facts, the assessor can then go about finding the property value in three different ways.

  1. Sales Comparison Approach: The first method compares your property to others that have sold recently. These prices, however, must be analyzed very carefully to get the true picture. An example, one property may have sold for more than it was really worth because the buyer was in a hurry and would pay any price. Another may have sold for less money than it was actually worth because the owner needed cash right away. The property was sold to the first person who made an offer.

    When using the sales comparison approach, the assessor must always consider such overpricing or underpricing and analyze many sales to arrive at a fair valuation for your property. Size, quality, condition, location, and time of sale are also important factors to consider.


  2. Cost Approach: The second way to value your property is based on how much money it would take, at current material and labor costs, to replace your property with one similar. If your property is not new, the assessor must also estimate how much a lot like yours would be worth if vacant.


  3. Income Approach: The third way is to evaluate how much income your property would produce if it were rented as an apartment house, a store or a factory. The assessor analyzes market rents, market vacancy, market operating expenses, taxes, insurance, maintenance costs, and the capitalization rates found on these respective property types.



Q: Why did my local taxes Increase?

The increase might have been the result of any of the following:
  • A change in the tax rate by the Charlotte City Council, the County Commissioner's or any of the townships
  • The assessed value was increased during a revaluation
  • Additional taxable property was acquired (land and/or buildings)
  • Property is subject to both county and city taxes due to annexation



Q: Does the County Assessor’s Office determine the tax rate?

The County Assessor's Office has nothing to do with the total amount of taxes collected. The assessor's primary responsibility is to find the fair market value of your property, so that you may pay only your fair share of the taxes.

The amount of tax you pay is determined by a TAX RATE applied to your property's ASSESSED VALUE. The tax rate is determined by all the taxing agencies-city or county, school districts, and others -–and depends on what is needed to provide all the services you enjoy.

The County Assessor's Office also keeps track of ownership changes, maintains maps of parcel boundaries, keeps descriptions of building and property characteristics up to date, keeps track of individuals and properties eligible for exemptions and other forms of property tax relief, and, most important, analyzes trends in sales prices, construction costs, and rents to estimate the value of all assessable property. All this must be done economically (less than 1/10th the cost of hiring someone to appraise your property).

Q: How did the county determine my property value?

Real property (land and buildings) are assessed as of January 1st of the latest revaluation and is based on its market value.

Q: Is there any relief available to elderly or disabled individuals from local real estate taxation?

If you are 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled, you may be eligible for a Low Income Homestead Exclusion. The Real Property Division can assist you in making an application.

Q: What are your rights and responsibilities?

If your opinion of the value of your property differs from the assessor's, by all means go to the office and discuss the matter. Staff will be glad to answer your questions about the appraisal and explain how to appeal if you cannot come to an agreement. The County Assessor's Office relies on the property owner for information. You can help by providing accurate information.

If you feel taxes are too high, you should make your opinion known to the proper taxing authorities. Ask about your eligibility for special exemptions.

Q: Can I appeal my real estate assessment when I get the bill?

No, an assessment must be appealed by the date of adjournment of the Board of Equalization and Review in a given tax year or within 30 days after a notice of a change in value. You cannot appeal tax valuations on the following basis:
  • Taxes are too high
  • Owner cannot afford to pay the taxes
  • I was annexed into the city but do not receive city services yet
  • I compared my property to others in the neighborhood and have based my appeal on percentage value increases.

Q: My property is exempt from ad valorem tax. Why was I billed for a solid waste fee?

The solid waste fee applies to all residences in Mecklenburg County, taxable or exempt. This includes the Town of Matthews as of July 1, 2008. An organization can be exempt from taxes but there is no exemption for fees.

Address

Mailing Address:

Assessor’s Office
P.O. Box 36819
Charlotte, NC 28236-6819

Personal Property
P.O. Box 36819
Charlotte, NC 28236-6819

Real Estate
P.O. Box 31127
Charlotte, NC 28231

Office Location:

Assessor's Office
Valerie Woodard Center
3205 Freedom Drive - Suite 3500
Charlotte, NC 28208

MAP

Hours: Mon-Fri  8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Contact

County Assessor's Office
980-314-4226
Send an Email