09/23/2026
Buying, selling, or owning a home in the West Valley or Phoenix area? Property taxes belong in the budget, not as an afterthought. 🌺
A quick Arizona refresher:
• The County Assessor establishes a property’s valuation and mails the annual Notice of Value.
• The County Treasurer issues and collects the actual tax bill.
• The tax rate isn’t set by the home’s price alone. It reflects overlapping taxing districts, including the city, county, school district, community college district, and special districts. Two similarly priced homes can carry noticeably different tax bills depending on location.
• Property taxes are generally billed in two installments, due October 1 and March 1.
• At closing, taxes are typically prorated between the buyer and seller based on the contract and closing date.
• A lender escrow or impound account spreads taxes and insurance across monthly payments. Build your budget around the current parcel’s actual tax history, not a Zillow-style estimate or rough percentage of the purchase price.
Buyers: pull the parcel’s tax history, verify which districts apply, and confirm projected escrow figures with your lender.
Sellers and long-time owners: keep Notices of Value and tax bills handy. Expect tax and district questions at resale, and disclose pending special assessments or improvement-district items.
This is general information only. Verify parcel-specific details with the county Assessor and Treasurer, and confirm escrow numbers with your lender. Jan is not a tax advisor or attorney.
Questions about how property taxes fit into your next move? Call 623-297-4110 Jan.