From the Desk of the County Manager - January 3, 2025
From guest writer Keyar Doyle,
Hello Durham County. This is Keyar Doyle, the Durham County Department of Tax Administrator, coming to you again with a very important reminder. It is time for all Durham County property owners to start preparing for the county-wide 2025 Reappraisal.
Let’s again identify what a reappraisal is and why they occur. Reappraisals identify the single date at which all the county’s real property is appraised or re-evaluated. The Durham County 2025 Reappraisal date is January 1, 2025. As of January 1, 2025, all real property is assessed to 100% market value, equalizing the tax base, and establishing new assessed values until the next reappraisal (2029). North Carolina General Statute §105-286 requires that all counties conduct a reappraisal at least once every 8 years. These processes are conducted while adhering to mass appraisal standards which focus on remaining fair and equitable to all property owners. The most recent reappraisals conducted in Durham County were for 2019, 2016, and 2008.
The Department of Tax Administration has been reviewing thousands of property transfers to properly analyze the local real estate market. This process of analysis has shown a historic amount of growth since Durham County’s most recent reappraisal (2019). The median sale price of a home in 2019 was roughly $230,000. As of September of 2024, the median sale price for homes in the local market was $419,000. This data illustrates tremendous change in real estate for Durham County, which in turn will have a direct impact on the assessed value of these properties. We as taxpayers need to be aware of this occurrence and prepare for an expected increase in value. It is not possible to identify the impact this change will have on actual tax bills until tax rates are established. Tax rates are usually established annually, mid-year, during the County’s budgeting process. (Tax Value / 100 x Tax Rate = Tax Bill; Example $225,000 / 100 x 1.39 = $3,127 TB; City residents must combine City & County Rates as done in the example; .5962 + .7987 = 1.3949)
The Department of Tax Administration will be communicating the new 2025 assessed values by mail in a change of value notice, and on our website (www.dconc.gov/tax). Informational Meetings will be advertised within the mailing of the change of value notice, identifying multiple scheduled locations. These meetings are designed to provide property owners with an opportunity to review their property listing with a staff appraiser, ask questions about the appraisal processes, and determine if there is a need to appeal. Please pay attention to all information included in the upcoming mailing and expect that mail during the final weeks of February.
There are multiple property tax relief programs available to assist property owners with various situations.
Any taxpayers experiencing hardships or expecting financial complexities should contact our office at their earliest convenience. Please visit www.dconc.gov/tax to review the state tax relief programs administered by the Department of Tax Administration. Also, please visit the Durham County Department of Social Services website to learn about the Low-Income Homeowner Relief (LIHR) program administered by DSS staff.
Tax Administration staff will be presenting an update to the Board of County Commissioners regarding the 2025 Reappraisal during the Monday, January 6, Commissioners Work Session, which begins at 9 a.m. The update will speak to the reappraisal date of January 1, 2025, and the remaining dates of importance within the process. We invite all residents to come to the meeting, at 200 E. Main Street, or watch online here.
For more information on tax related topics, please visit www.dconc.gov/tax.
Sincerely,
Keyar J. Doyle, AAS | Tax Administrator