Wasatch County has a new property value equity map available this tax season to add to taxpayers' toolkits.
County manager Dustin Grabau said it’s an effort to give property owners more resources.
“What we’re trying to do is increase the level of transparency that people have to the valuations that our assessor’s office puts out,” he said. “It’s a tool that people can go on and look at what are the properties individually valued at and how does that compare to properties around them.”
For every residential property in the county, the new map provides information about its history, size and value. Each property also links to notices breaking down how taxes have changed for each entity. Grabau said the information is meant to help taxpayers understand the range of factors that go into a property valuation.
“People can identify the components that go into a property’s value, which include the value of the land as well as the value of the house,” he said. “It’s based on many varieties of factors, including the age of the home and whether it’s been updated, square footage and other features that affect the market rate.”
That data can help property owners gather information on similar homes if they’re appealing their valuation this fall.
“This is just one attempt for us to be able to try and shed a little bit of light on that complex process,” Grabau said.
Applications to appeal Wasatch County property valuations are due Sept. 15. Last year, the county heard about 2,000 appeals, and roughly 80% resulted in some change.
For more information about property taxes in Wasatch County this year, visit the clerk-auditor's website.
