Ohio Property Taxes

Overview of Ohio Property Taxes

---

Property taxes are the oldest tax in Ohio. Every homeowner in the Buckeye State is required to pay Ohio property taxes every year. The taxes are the primary revenue source for county and city governments, funding important local government services, like parks, schools, police, and fire departments. The state and its local governments collect $106 billion in total revenue annually, with $15 billion or 14.4% of total revenue from property taxes.

Ohio's property tax rate is 1.60%, although that figure can fluctuate across different counties in the state. For instance, the tax rate in Cuyahoga County is 2.41%. On average, homes in Ohio are worth $157,380. Homeowners pay 1.60% of their home value in property taxes or $15.95 for every $1,000 in home value. Ohio property taxes are based on your home's assessed value, which is determined by auditors in the county where your home is located. Properties are appraised once every six years, with home values updated three years after appraisals. The appraised value should be 100% of the market value.

For property tax purposes, Ohio homes are assessed at 35% of their appraised, full value. This means if your home is worth $100,000, your Ohio property taxes will be based on the assessed value of $35,000. Counties in Ohio use different appraisal methods, and subsequently, assessed values can vary from one county to the other. However, the state issues "sales ratios" every year where the assessed values in every county are represented as a per centum of actual value. Ohio property tax rates are calculated in millage rates. A mill is equal to $1 per $1,000 of taxable value.

Homeowners have an option of appealing their property taxes if they disagree with their home's assessment. However, it is not possible to appeal the Ohio property tax rates because they are set by the local taxing jurisdictions, depending on their fiscal requirements.

If you are planning to buy a home in Ohio and want to understand how much your property tax bill could potentially cost, check out our Ohio Property Tax Tool to see what your bill would be.

Ohio Property Tax Due Dates

---

Ohio property taxes are paid in arrears, with taxes for the previous year collected during the current year. The taxes are collected by the various County Treasurers. Homeowners are billed twice a year, and while you have the option of paying your Ohio property tax bill in two installments, you can also opt to pay them in full during the first installment. But when are property taxes due in Ohio? The first installment is mailed in January and due by February, while the second payment is sent in June and due by July. Tax bills are mailed 28-30 days before the due date.

Homeowners who don't comply with Ohio property tax due dates receive a penalty of 10% on the taxes due. If you clear the taxes within ten days, the penalty reduces to 5%. However, if the taxes remain unpaid for a year, the penalty is compounded, and interest added. Suppose your Ohio property taxes are delinquent for more than a year and a half. In that case, state laws will allow the County Treasurer to file with the County Prosecutor's Office, after which your house is subjected to an auction to recover the delinquent taxes and interests

It is noteworthy that failure to receive a tax bill does not excuse you from paying Ohio property taxes. Neither does it shield you from the mandatory penalties/interests for late payments. Additionally, wrongfully received tax bills are to be returned to your local Treasurer's Office. You can use TaxProper's search tool to determine if you are overpaying your property taxes.

Ohio Property Tax Exemptions

---

In addition to offering you the option of appealing property taxes, the state of Ohio provides several exemptions to qualified homeowners. The most common are homestead and senior exemptions. Note that, even if you qualify for the exemptions, you are still required to pay your taxes by the Ohio property tax due dates.

Ohio Homestead Exemption

The homestead exemption protects some of your home's market value from taxation. Eligible homeowners can exempt up to $25,000 from Ohio property taxes. If, for instance, your home is worth $100,000 and you qualify for this exemption, it will be presumed to be worth $75,000. To be eligible, you must own the home in question, be an Ohio resident, and use the home as the primary residence.

Ohio Senior Citizens Exemption

The senior exemption or senior homestead exemption shields up to $25,000 of the eligible taxpayer's home value from Ohio property taxes. This translates to $8,750 in taxable value. The exemption is available to homeowners 65 years of age or older with a total annual income not exceeding $32,800. However, that figure is adjusted every year due to inflation.

Other Exemptions

Other Ohio property tax exemptions include the veteran's exemption, which shields up to $50,000 of the veteran's home value from property taxes. There is no income limit for homeowners eligible for this exemption. Surviving spouses of eligible veterans who continue residing in the home can continue receiving this exemption. A disabled exemption caters to the totally and permanently disabled homeowners or their surviving spouses. Their total annual income must not exceed $33,600. Contact your local Assessor for more information regarding these exemptions.

How to Appeal Your Property Taxes in Ohio

---

If you own property in Ohio, it is your responsibility to know its market value so you can dispute the Assessor's valuation if necessary. The state allows you to appeal Ohio property taxes if you believe you have been overassessed. The first appeal option is an informal hearing with the County Appraiser where you present the proper documentation supporting your claim for a change of value. If you disagree with the appraiser, the next step is filing a "Complaint Against Valuation" with the local Board of Revision (BOR). A successful appeal can lower your Ohio property tax bill.

The process of filing an assessment appeal varies across California, though it generally follows the same steps from county to county:

1. Obtain your assessment
2. Determine if you are overassessed
3. Complete forms needed to appeal
4. File property tax appeal
5. Prepare for hearing
6. Attend hearing
7. Appeal the decision

How to Appeal Your Property Taxes in Franklin County

---

To further explain how to appeal property taxes in Ohio, here is a breakdown of the process in Franklin County, the most populous county in the state.

Obtain your assessment

Residents of Franklin County can obtain their assessment details from Franklin County Assessor's Office, which can be found in a county government building, or you can visit their website.

Determine if you are over-assessed

A successful appeal process requires you to prove that the Assessor's value is incorrect. The Franklin County Assessor's website has a search tool that can help you determine the market value of properties similar to yours. Alternatively, you can use TaxProper's search tool or other websites, such as Zillow.

Complete forms needed to appeal

To challenge the Assessor's valuation of your property, you have to complete a BOR Form, which can be obtained from Franklin County Auditor's website.

File property tax appeal

Property tax appeals can be filed with the Franklin County Board of Revision either in person, via email, or by fax (614-525-6252). It is noteworthy that the Board only hears appeals for the current fiscal year, and no appeals for prior years will be accepted.

Prepare for hearing

By law, the Assessor is presumed to be right, and the burden of proof lies with you, the appellant. As such, you are required to provide evidence supporting your claim of overvaluation. This can include photos of interior damage to the property, comparable sales, and copies of purchasing contracts for similar properties sold recently.

Attend hearing

The Franklin County Board of Revision requires you to attend a property appeal hearing in person. Failure to appear in the hearing forces the Board to use previously submitted evidence, which can count against you. However, due to the current health situation with COVID-19, the Board is currently only conducting hearings via Zoom.

Appeal the decision

If you are not satisfied with the BOR's decision, you can further appeal to the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals. As a last resort, you can appeal the Board of Tax Appeal's decision to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Property Tax Information for Ohio Counties

---

The table below provides county-level information about how property taxes work in each Ohio county.

Want to learn more? Click the county links to learn more about a specific Ohio county.