Regular property tax levies are generally considered to be those levies that are subject to several statutory limitations.
The Assessor must adhere to the following statutory limitations:
- 1% constitutional limit
- $5.90 aggregate limit
- Amount authorized by resolution/ordinance
- District budget
- Levy limit (a.k.a., 101%)
- Statutory dollar rate limit
- For more information, please read the Homeowners Guide to Property Tax (PDF)
The 1% Constitutional Limit
Washington State's Constitution limits the regular (non-voted) combined property tax rate applied to an individuals property to 1% ($10 per $1,000) of market valuation. Voters may vote for special levies that are added to this figure. Special levies for schools are a common example.
The Levy Limit
The Levy Limit applies to a taxing district's budget and not to increases in the assessed value of individual properties. Since 2001, taxing districts may collect a 1% increase in their regular, non-voted levy over the highest lawful levy amount from the previous year. The governing board of the district must pass a resolution authorizing this increase. New construction, annexations, and excess levies approved by the voters are not included in the levy limit. Therefore, a taxing district's actual revenue Increase may be greater than 1%.