Erroll G. Williams, Assessor Orleans Parish Assessor’s Office

FAQ What does the Assessor's Office do? What does the Assessor NOT do? How do I dispute my Assessment? What is a millage/How are my property taxes spent? How do I calculate property taxes? How often is property valued? How do I pay my taxes online? What is Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA)? How does the Assessor define a 'neighborhood' for valuation purposes? What causes my property value to change during a valuation period? When are assessment notices mailed to property owners? Do changes in property values impact the property tax rate? How to file for a Homestead Exemption How to file for 100 Percent Disable Veterans Exemption How to qualify for an Age Freeze How to qualify for Disability Freeze How does my Non-Profit apply for an exemption? What does the Assessor's Office do? Every property in Orleans Parish has value. The Assessor's Office places a value on land, homes, commercial buildings and other taxable property in Orleans Parish as fairly and accurately as possible. The Orleans Parish Assessor utilizes a Computer-Assisted Mass Appraisal system for maintaining property data and values to achieve greater tax equity through a uniform, transparent automated system. The public can access this data through our Search Records function and can learn more by downloading our informational flyer, The Mass Appraisal Process. Back to Top What does the Assessor NOT do? Please note that your Assessor does not set the tax rate, mail out tax bills, seize or sell property for any reason, nor collect payments for taxes. All of these questions should be directed to the City Bureau of the Treasury, (504) 658-1701 or visit Room 1W40, City Hall, 1300 Perdido St., New Orleans. Back to Top How do I dispute my Assessment? When a property owner disagrees with the estimated market value the Assessor has placed on a property, the owner is allowed to personally appeal to the Assessor for review during the open rolls period, weekdays from July 15 to August 17. Instructions for appeals are on your property valuation notice or you may contact (504) 658-1300. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a property owner must schedule an appointment, walk-ins will not be allowed entry. Meeting with a staff member in-person should be viewed as a last resort. If possible, please submit an appeal online or schedule a virtual or telephone appointment with staff through our website nolaassessor.com or by calling our office at (504) 658-1300. Be sure to bring documentation to support what you think the assessed value of the property should be. This includes a recent appraisal, builder's contract, insurance documents, and/or pictures. All pictures must be recent, printed, and dated.   Alternatively, you may file a formal appeal online or by dropping the appeal documents off at the Assessor's Office. Instructions on how to appeal your assessment are included with your revaluation notice. You may submit an appeal throughout the open rolls period (July 15 - August 17) plus three business days after the closing of the rolls.   You do not dispute or “appeal” your property assessment to the Assessor’s Office because you think your taxes are too high. That is a discussion to take up with the taxing authorities. Property assessment appeals are made because you think the value placed on your property is too high because of inaccurate estimations on its size (i.e., the living area of your home is 1600 square feet not 2000), or that other neighboring properties have been recently sold at a relatively lower market value than the estimated value of your property. Back to Top What is a millage/How are my property taxes spent? Property taxes are levied by what is known as a millage rate. One mill is one-tenth of one percent or .001. There are many different public authorities that receive a portion of property taxes collected in Orleans Parish, or millages. Property taxes pay for schools, street repairs, water and sewerage systems, levees, and to keep government services – like the police and fire departments – operating. Some neighborhoods have voted to levy additional fees for their geographic district to support enhanced security, economic development or other special purposes. Two examples are the Downtown Development District and the Garden District Security District. Below is a complete list of parish-wide millages. Back to Top How do I calculate property taxes? The best way to calculate your property taxes is to use our online Tax Estimator. However, due to the number of special security and development taxing districts levied by individual neighborhoods in Orleans Parish, we cannot guarantee the estimate will be 100 percent accurate as it does not take these into account. Back to Top How often is property valued? The Louisiana Constitution requires the Assessor to review the value of all properties in a parish at least once every four years. Circumstances, such as those which occurred after Hurricane Katrina, may prompt an extraordinary property reevaluation when properties within a neighborhood or geographic area of the parish experience damage, demolition, renovations/additions, or some significant change. Back to Top How do I pay my taxes online? You can pay your taxes online by visiting http://www.nola.gov/HOME/Pay-Taxes/. Back to Top What is Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA)? The Orleans Parish Assessor employs a Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) system to make the revaluation process as fair, equitable and comprehensive as possible. The key ingredient in a CAMA system is data: gathering, analyzing and reporting, and integrating it into a functional formula that helps keep property valuations current and accurate. Your Assessor's Office reviews properties to determine their valuation. Detailed and accurate inspection data, along with land sales, land uses and imaging, and maps, are entered into the CAMA system to create neighborhoods. An assessment neighborhood shows uniformity for similar property characteristics rather than exclusively geographic boundaries. A Geographic Information System, or GIS, enhances the property assessment functions of CAMA. GIS integrates data and pictometry to capture, manage, analyze and display all property information in Orleans Parish in a geographically-referenced format. This enables the individual to view, understand, question, interpret and visualize data in ways that reveal relationships, patterns and trends in the form of maps and reports which define neighborhoods in a way more conducive to assessment planning. Your Assessor's office is committed to CAMA in order to meet a high standard of fair and effective government. For more information see The Mass Appraisal Process. Back to Top How does the Assessor define a 'neighborhood' for valuation purposes? An assessment "neighborhood" is a geographical area within Orleans Parish that has a high degree of uniformity in character, even though the size, age and construction-type of homes vary. Back to Top What causes my property value to change during a valuation period? Your property can gain or lose value. Assessed property value changes due to market fluctuations on a local, regional and national basis. Back to Top When are assessment notices mailed to property owners? A Notice of Assessment will be mailed by the Assessor's Office to the owner if the property's value has changed since the last assessment. The open rolls period is from July 15 to August 15 in any given year to discuss your Notice of Assessment. Do changes in property values impact the property tax rate? Remember, taxing authorities - not the Assessor - set the rate at which property is taxed; the Assessor estimates the value of the property. If your property's value increases and the tax rate remains the same, you will most likely pay more in property taxes because the calculation of your taxes is based on the estimated fair market value of the property. The Louisiana Constitution requires residential properties and land to be assessed at 10 percent of their fair market value.  For example, a $100,000 home has an assessed value of $10,000. This is the value to which the tax millage rate is applied  Commercial and industrial buildings are assessed at 15 percent of their fair market value. Back to Top How to file for a Homestead Exemption  To claim a Homestead Exemption, all owners who occupy the property must appear in person at the Assessor’s Office and present the following: 1. Proof of ownership (Act of Sale or Warranty Deed); 2. A valid Louisiana Driver’s License or Louisiana State I.D. (address must correspond to property’s address on application); 3.  A current unpaid Entergy bill for the property, with service location and mailing address being the same, showing standard residential usage; OR 4.  A landline telephone bill or cable bill (Direct, Dish or Cox). The office does not accept Sewerage & Water Board bills as proof of residency. How to file for 100 percent Disabled Veterans Exemption To claim a Homestead Exemption for a 100 percent Disabled Veteran, the following must be presented: 1. Proof of ownership (Act of Sale or Warranty Deed); 2. Proof owner qualified for the current year’s Homestead Exemption; 3. A valid Louisiana Driver’s License or Louisiana State I.D. (address must correspond to property’s address on application); 4. A current unpaid Entergy bill for the property, with service location and mailing address being the same, showing standard residential usage; 5. A letter from the Veterans Administration (VA) which states the veteran owner is 100 percent disabled. Back to Top How to qualify for an Age Freeze To qualify for an age-freeze, the homeowner must be at least 65 by December 31st in the year preceding the year the freeze goes into effect and meet certain income restrictions. The maximum qualifying income changes annually; please call 504.658-1300 to verify the current maximum. Once successfully gained, this SAL is permanent and you do not need to reapply for it on an annual basis. Age-related abatements or “freezes” must be documented by: 1. A valid Louisiana Driver’s License or Louisiana State I.D. (address must correspond to property’s address on application); 2. Proof of annual income: 1040 adjusted gross income of prior year’s income tax return or Social Security award letter for individual with no income or job. How to qualify for a Disability Freeze Disability SAL must be reapplied for annually. This special assessment is not to be confused with the 100 percent Veterans Disability. Disability-related abatements or “freezes” must be documented by: 1. A valid Louisiana Driver’s License or Louisiana State I.D. (address must correspond to property’s address on application); 2. A letter from a federal or state agency confirming the total disability; OR 3. A service-connected disability of 50 percent or more with a Veterans Administration (VA) letter of determination or notice of award (address on letter must correspond to address on application); and 4. Proof of annual income: 1040 adjusted gross income of prior year’s income tax return or Social Security award letter for individual with no income or job. Back to Top How does my Non-Profit apply for an exemption? Non-Profit Organizations must apply to the Assessor's Office for property tax exemptions for any non-income producing properties in their possession. To obtain an exemption, a Non-Profit Organization must provide this documentation to the Assessor's Office: 1. State of Louisiana Non-Profit Exemption Application; 2. Determination Ruling Letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); 3. IRS T-900 Form; 4. Articles of Incorporation; and 5. State of Louisiana Non-Profit Certification. All Non-Profit properties will be inspected regularly by the Assessor's Office to determine continued eligibility. Back to Top

EAST BANK: City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street, City Hall Room 4E01 • (504) 658-1300 WEST BANK: Algiers Courthouse, 225 Morgan Street • (504) 368-7642 Office Hours (East and West Bank): Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

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