Terms and Concepts |
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| Many of the procedures and duties of the Sonoma County Assessor's Office are guided or in fact mandated by the California State Legislature or state agencies such as the California State Board of Equalization. As we have fulfilled our responsibilities to California's citizens and residents over the years, a vocabulary and set of concepts has developed to facilitate the implementation of these procedures and duties. | |
Terms |
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| The terms listed and defined here are used commonly in the assessment of property values for property tax purposes. For more detailed information on any of these terms, click the term or its definition. You can also visit our offices or email or telephone us with any questions. | |
| Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) | The Assessor's identification number for a specific property. |
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| Assessed Value | The value of a property for property tax purposes. In the absence of new construction or of a reappraisable change in ownership, the assessed value may increase annually no more than 2.00 percent. The assessed value is not necessarily a property's current market value. |
| Base Year Value | The fair market value of a property at the time of the 1975 lien date, or its fair market value on the date of its new construction, purchase, or change in ownership. |
| Fair Market Value | The price that property would bring if exposed for sale in the open market under conditions in which both buyer and seller are fully informed about the condition of the property. |
| Fiscal Year | July 1 through June 30 |
| Secured Assessment | A lien attached to real property. |
| Supplemental Assessment | The reappraised value of a property minus the sum of the annual roll value and any prior supplemental assessments issued for the fiscal year affected. |
| Tax Rate Area | An area within the county that is taxed at a particular rate, usually resulting from the number of public services in the area (e.g., fire and police protection). |
| Transfer Date | The date the sale of a property is recorded. |
| Unsecured Assessment | A lien that is not attached to real property. |
| Use Code | The code that indicates how a property is being used. This code is used for assessment purposes only. |
Concepts and Topics |
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| The concepts and topics listed here play important roles in the assessment of taxable values for many properties and businesses. For more detailed information on any of these concepts, click the concept's name or its short definition. You can also visit our offices or email or telephone us with any questions. |
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| Agricultural Preserve | Agricultural preserve land is one of several types of enforceably restricted properties that are valued according to their productive capacity rather than their market value. For more detailed information about Agricultural Preserve property assessment, please contact us. |
| Business and Personal Property Assessment; Assessment of Boats and Aircraft |
Machinery, equipment, tools, furniture, fixtures, and leasehold improvements held or used in connection with a trade or business are taxable. In addition, most boats, aircraft and mobile homes are also taxable. Supplies on hand, demonstration equipment, and construction in-progress are also assessable. Click for more detailed information about business and personal property assessment. |
| CPI (Consumer Price Index) | The annual inflation factor is an integral part of the law established by Proposition 13. It requires that assessed values must be increased each year the same amount as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase for that year, up to a maximum of 2%. For more detailed information about how we use the CPI in property assessment, please contact us. |
| Mobile and Manufactured Home Assessment | Mobile homes in California are taxed either through local county tax systems or through vehicle license fees paid to the State in lieu of property taxes. Click for more detailed information about mobile and manufactured home property assessment. |
| Value Decline (Prop 8) | We sometimes refer to the process of reviewing property as "the Prop 8 review process" because of its association with temporary declines in taxable value allowed by the passage of Proposition 8 in 1978. Click for more detailed information about the Value Decline review process. |
| Supplemental Assessments | If the value of your property increases because of changes in ownership or new construction, you may receive a supplemental tax bill (or possibly two --- depending on the month in which the triggering event occurs, more than one fiscal year can be affected); if the value declines, you may receive a refund check. Click for more detailed information about supplemental assessments. |
Important Notice:
The staff of the Clerk-Recorder-Assessor's Office are forbidden by California legal codes to practice law or provide legal advice; this prohibition includes giving advice about what forms you might need or how you should fill them out.