Some local homeowners could be paying too much property tax due to Bucks County’s decades-old tax records, which experts say are overdue for reassessment, writes Jess Rohan for the Bucks County Courier Times.
Bucks County has relied on property data from its last countywide reassessment in 1972 to calculate taxes. This is longer than any of its neighbors, as Montgomery County last had a reassessment in 1996, Northampton in 1995, Lehigh in 2012 and Philadelphia last year.
According to standard housing measures estimating property assessment accuracy, some homeowners are paying more than their fair share while others, particularly owners of more expensive properties, are effectively receiving a tax break.
Bucks County commissioners have been avoiding reassessment for decades. In August, Commissioner Bob Harvie said he is against it, and there is currently no movement from the board to authorize one. However, a new state Senate bill that would require a full canvassing of property data once every ten years could force the county to reassess property taxes for the first time in over 50 years, potentially changing tax bills for some homeowners.
Read more about how outdated assessments may be impacting your tax bill and what legislative changes could mean for Bucks County homeowners in the Bucks County Courier Times.
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