The Property Transfer Affidavit must be filed within 45 days with the Department of Assessment whenever a transfer of ownership occurs. This form is reviewed by our staff to determine whether a property is to have its taxable value "capped" or "uncapped."

Proposal A, passed by the voters on March 15, 1994, places a limit on the value used to compute property taxes. Starting in 1995, your property taxes were calculated on Taxable Value. Prior to 1995, your taxes were calculated on State Equalized Value.

If there was a transfer of ownership on your property during the current year, the following year's Taxable Value will be the same as your new State Equalized Value.

If there was not a transfer of ownership on your property in the current year, the following year's Taxable Value is calculated by multiplying the previous year's Taxable Value by the Consumer Price Index for the current year.

Physical changes in your property may also increase or decrease your Taxable Value. Your Taxable Value cannot be higher than your State Equalized Value.

Available Form

This form can be downloaded and printed and then filled out for return to the Department of Assessment via fax or mail. This form can be viewed and printed using Adobe Acrobat Software, available by clicking on the following link:

 Property Transfer Affidavit

A basic example is shown below of an $110,000 house with no new construction to the house:

$55,000 State Equalized Value

$38,080 Capped Value (.997% 2010 Inflation Adjustment Multiplier)

If a property transferred ownership in 2009, the 2010 Taxable Value would become the $55,000 State Equalized Value

If a property did not transfer ownership in 2009, the 2010 Taxable Value would become the $38,080 Capped Value.