Guidelines
GUIDELINES
The Law
Authority of tax assessor, duties of taxpayer.
Code of Alabama, 1975, Section 40-7-1
Property appraised at fair and reasonable market value; basis of assessment for ad valorem taxes.
Code of Alabama, 1975, Section 40-7-62
Property to be appraised at fair market value.
Code of Alabama, 1975, Section 40-7-15
Taxpayer to attend appointment and return list of property; failure to furnish description of real estate.
Code of Alabama, 1975, Section 40-7-4
Alabama's Open Records Law
Click here to view Alabama's Open Records Law
Alabama Department of Revenue-Ad Valorem Tax Division
Annual Property Tax Equalization Plan
The Lien Date
The lien date for ad valorem taxation is October 1st. The lien date represents the point in time in which property ownership, exemptions, recorded documents (deeds, plats, wills, etc.) and market value is established for the subsequent October 1st billing cycle.
The Property Tax Timeline
Click here for a copy of Alabama's Property Tax Timeline
The Definition of Market Value
The most probable price, as of a specified date, in cash, or in terms equivalent to cash, or in other precisely revealed terms, for which the specified property rights should sell after reasonable exposure in a competitive market under all conditions requisite of a fair sale, with the buyer and seller each acting prudently, knowledgeably, and for self-interest, and assuming that neither is under undue duress.
“The Appraisal of Real Estate” The Appraisal Institute, 12th Edition, 2001
What is an "appraisal"?
An appraisal is an "opinion" of value or the act or process of estimating value.
