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Maricopa County Assessor's Office Receives Summit Award for Innovative Training and Development Program

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MESA, Ariz. (Dec. 13, 2024) – The Maricopa County Assessor’s Office has been recognized by the Arizona Association of Counties (AACo) with a 2024 Summit Award for its dynamic training program and Team Development and Collaboration initiative.

The prestigious Summit Award in Employment & Training highlights exceptional efforts in workforce development and innovation, and the Assessor’s Office stood out for its commitment to empowering its team. The Team Development & Collaboration initiative was implemented as part of the office’s Strategic Plan in 2021 to address skill gaps, foster professional growth, and enhance overall employee satisfaction.

Since its launch, it has achieved a remarkable 290% increase in employee training hours and contributed to significantly improved employee retention and promotion rates.

“We are deeply honored to receive the Summit Award,” said Eddie Cook, Maricopa County Assessor. “Our employees are the backbone of our office, and this initiative was designed with their success and professional development in mind. The results have been incredible, and this recognition affirms our commitment to investing in our team.”

Another initiative established in the Strategic Plan was the Digital First initiative, which centered around the deployment of a new mass appraisal system, AA-GAMA. With the rollout of AA-GAMA, our training team tailored courses and sessions dedicated to learning the new system. This robust and thorough training curriculum was another component of AACo selecting the Maricopa County Assessor’s Office for the 2024 Summit Award.

The Maricopa County Assessor’s Office serves one of the nation’s largest counties, with a mission to provide accurate and transparent property assessments while delivering exceptional service to the community. This award reinforces the office’s dedication to operational excellence and its role as a leader in local government.

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Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report

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We are pleased to present the 2024 Fiscal Year Annual Report for the Maricopa County Assessor’s Office, a comprehensive overview of our work over the past year. This report highlights key accomplishments, initiatives, and financial data that demonstrate our commitment to serving the residents of Maricopa County with accuracy, transparency, and efficiency.

As your Assessor’s Office, our primary goal is to fairly and equitably assess property values, ensuring that everyone contributes their fair share to essential community services like schools, infrastructure, and public safety. During FY2024, we made great strides in modernizing our processes, improving accessibility for taxpayers, increasing public awareness about our work and the many options available to property owners, and fostering a work culture where each team member feels empowered and valued.

You’ll find detailed financial statements, performance metrics, and updates on our ongoing efforts to enhance technology and communication with the public. We invite you to review the report and see how the Maricopa County Assessor’s Office is working to meet the needs of our community today and in the future.

Thank you for your continued support and trust in our work.

Read FY2024 Annual Report.

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Notices of Intent to Reclassify Mailed

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MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. (Sept. 23, 2024) – Nearly 14,000 Notices of Intent to Reclassify Residential Property forms were mailed today for the 2025 tax year. The County Assessor is statutorily required to continually review residential property classifications to determine whether the owner on record uses the property as their primary residence. Part of this process is mailing Notices of Intent to Reclassify Residential Property for any of the following reasons:

1. The owner has a mailing address outside the county where the property is located.
2. The owner has a mailing address, other than a post office box, that is different from the physical property address
3. The owner has the same mailing address for more than one class three property in this state.
4. The owner appears to be a business entity.

If you receive this form, please review the definitions of "Primary Residence" and "Qualified Family Member" below to help us determine if the property can be classified as a primary residence.

Primary Residence (3.1): The homeowner can have only one primary residence, no matter how many homes they own within or outside the State of Arizona per A.R.S. § 42-12053 (B).
Standard criteria for determining whether the property is the owner's or relative's primary residence:

1. The period of occupancy each year.
2. The owner's registered voting precinct.
3. The owner's driver's license address.
4. The registration address of the owner's motor vehicle.
5. Other appropriate indicators of primary residency.

Primary Residence of Qualified Family Member (3.2): Owner's qualified family member's only primary residence where they reside per A.R.S. § 42-12053 (A).
Criteria for determining a qualified member:

1. The owner's natural or adopted child or a descendant of the owner's child.
2. The owner's parent or an ancestor of the owner's parent.
3. The owner's stepchild or stepparent.
4. The owner's child-in-law or parent-in-law.
5. The owner's natural or adopted sibling.

Failure to respond truthfully to this Notice and request for information within 30 days of the mailing date will result in a second, final Notice being sent. If the property owner does not respond to the final Notice within 15 days of its mailing date, the referenced property will be reclassified as a 4.1 or secondary residence. The County Treasurer may impose a civil penalty against the property if this occurs equal to the additional state aid rebate applied to the property taxes.

SUBMITTING THIS NOTICE WILL NOT REGISTER THE PARCEL AS A RESIDENTIAL RENTAL PROPERTY IN ARIZONA.

Under A.R.S § 33-1902, rental properties are required to be registered with the Assessor. To register a parcel as a residential rental property in Maricopa County, complete the Residential Rental application online through our customer portal at mcassessor.maricopa.gov.

You can find more information on our FAQ page under Legal Class.

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Business Personal Property Notices Mailed

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Approximately 27,500 Business Personal Property (BPP) Notices of Value for roughly 70,000 accounts were mailed Friday, Aug. 16.

Business Personal Property can include assets such as tables, desks, computers, and machinery and equipment. Business owners must report the acquisition costs of all active assets used in the operation of their business on an annual basis. Once the BPP unit receives this report, they apply depreciation factors to the costs to determine the Full Cash Value.

Owners can appeal their value. The deadline to appeal is Monday, Sept. 16.

You can find more information and access the necessary forms here.

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Notice of Proposed Correction Reversal Letters Mailed

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MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz, (June 14, 2024) – The Maricopa County Assessor's Office is sending out another batch of Notices of Proposed Correction related to a court decision on Limited Property Value. This group of Notices will reverse the initial Notice of Proposed Correction (NOPC) we mailed to thousands of property owners last October.

Our office sent the first NOPC after the Tax Court ruled in Qasimyar et al. v. Maricopa County that a change from a Class 3 (primary residence) to a Class 4 (non-primary residence or rental), or vice versa, is technically a "change in use." As a result, the property's Limited Property Value (LPV) must be determined using a specific statutory calculation, which, in turn, affects the property's taxes. This ruling was ultimately upheld by the Arizona Court of Appeals in 2021.

Since we value properties a year ahead of the tax year, and in compliance with the Court decision, our team began identifying the properties that moved between Class 3 and Class 4 in tax years 2022 and 2023 – more than 78,000.

Before the ruling, our office did not consider a change from Class 3 to 4 or vice versa a "change in use" because it remained a residential property and calculated its LPV using the "standard" Rule A method. Rule A increases the property's LPV by up to 5% each year but can never exceed its Full Cash Value (FCV). However, if there has been a "change in use," Rule B is triggered, and the LPV is now calculated using a countywide ratio.

To implement the Court's decision, we had to recalculate the roughly 78,000 properties' LPV using Rule B. Over 34,000 properties were identified to receive a decrease in LPV while more than 44,000 properties would see an increase. In October 2023, we mailed NOPCs to the properties getting a decreased LPV.

However, following the court decision, the Arizona Legislature passed Senate Bill 1267, clarifying that a change between Class 3 and Class 4 does not qualify as a "change in use" and, therefore, will not trigger a Rule B. SB 1267 went into effect in October 2022, coinciding with the start of tax year 2023.

Updated guidance from the Maricopa County Attorney's Office stated that SB 1267 required us to reverse any NOPCs already sent for the 2023 tax year because of the Qasimyar case. We had yet to start mailing NOPCs to the properties receiving an increased LPV, so only about 14,000 properties were affected. Today, we issued those additional NOPCs, reverting the property's LPV to its original value.

The Maricopa County Assessor's Office acknowledges that this process may raise questions and concerns. We are committed to providing transparency and support to ensure property owners understand the changes and their options clearly.

We are offering virtual public education sessions where our subject matter experts will help property owners understand their revised value. They are as follows:

Property owners can RSVP for one of the sessions here.

If they cannot attend one of the virtual sessions, they can schedule a 20-minute virtual appointment with a representative.

Property owners are encouraged to review their Notice of Proposed Correction promptly and respond within 30 days if they choose to contest the correction. If they do not, we will correct the tax roll as proposed in the NOPC.

For more information or assistance regarding a Notice of Proposed Correction, affected property owners are encouraged to contact the Maricopa County Assessor's Office at 602-506-3406 or email [email protected].

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Notices of Proposed Correction Mailed

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MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz, (May 24, 2024) – The Maricopa County Assessor's Office is sending out about 19 thousand Notices of Proposed Correction to address a court decision on Limited Property Value. This group is the final mailing for properties receiving an increase to that value as a result.

In Qasimyar et al. v. Maricopa County, the Tax Court ruled that a change from a Class 3 (primary residence) to a Class 4 (non-primary residence or rental), or vice versa, is technically a "change in use." As a result, the property's Limited Property Value (LPV) must be determined using a specific statutory calculation, which, in turn, affects the property's taxes. This ruling was ultimately upheld by the Arizona Court of Appeals in 2021.

In Arizona, a property's LPV (taxable value) is calculated using either Rule A or Rule B. Rule A is the “standard” calculation for LPV. Over 95 percent of all Maricopa County properties receive a Rule A, which increases the LPV by up to 5 percent each year but can never exceed the property's Full Cash Value (FCV).

Rule B is triggered when the prior year’s LPV cannot be used as a baseline because the property was omitted from the preceding year’s tax roll, was split, had an addition or deletion worth at least 15 percent of its FCV, or the use of the property changed. Rule B requires our office to recalculate the LPV using a countywide ratio. For example, for tax year 2022, the LPV ratio was 68 percent of the Full Cash Value for Class 3 parcels and 67 percent for Class 4 parcels.

Before the court decision, our office did not consider a change between Class 3 and Class 4, or vice versa, as a "change in use" because it remained a residential property. To implement the Court of Appeals' decision, our office had to recalculate the LPV of all properties that changed between Class 3 and Class 4 from tax year 2021 to tax year 2022 using Rule B regardless of whether the recalculation increased or decreased the property’s LPV - about 55,000 properties in total.

With this mailing, we have officially notified the roughly 20,000 property owners identified for an increase. We mailed around 35,000 Notices of Proposed Correction (NOPC) to the properties receiving a decreased LPV in October 2023.

The properties that receive an NOPC indicating an increase to the LPV will not see additional tax liability for any past or current tax years. However, these revised LPVs will serve as the foundation for the property's LPV in the future, which could impact the owner’s tax responsibility beginning in tax year 2025.

Following the court decision, in 2022, the Arizona Legislature passed SB1267, clarifying that a change between Class 3 and Class 4 does not qualify as a "change in use" and will not trigger a Rule B for tax years 2023 and later. Moving forward, Rule B will only be triggered if a property’s intended use changes, i.e., a residential property to a commercial property, it was left off the previous year’s tax roll, or there are significant changes to the property.

The Maricopa County Assessor's Office acknowledges that this court decision and subsequent NOPCs may raise questions and concerns. We are committed to providing transparency and support throughout this process to ensure property owners understand the changes and their options.

We are offering several virtual public education sessions where our subject matter experts will help property owners understand their revised value and any implications. They are as follows:

Property owners can RSVP for one of the sessions here.

If they cannot attend one of the four virtual sessions, they can schedule a 20-minute virtual appointment with a representative.

Property owners are encouraged to review their Notices of Proposed Correction promptly and respond within 30 days if they choose to contest the correction. If they do not respond after 30 days, we will correct the tax roll as proposed in the Notice.

For more information or assistance regarding the NOPCs, affected property owners are encouraged to contact the Maricopa County Assessor's Office at 602-506-3406 or email [email protected].

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2025 Notices of Value Mailed

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MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. (Feb. 23, 2024) - The Maricopa County Assessor's Office is dispatching Notices of Value to more than 1.7 million property owners this week, about 20 thousand more than last year. These Notices are for the 2025 tax year as property values in Arizona are set a full year ahead to allow for an extensive appeal process.

In a marked departure from the trend of the past decade, the median full cash value (FCV) on many property types has experienced a decrease. Manufactured housing saw the largest FCV decrease at -6.9%. Commercial properties were one of the only property types to see an increase in FCV with a gain of 2.3%. Meanwhile, the median limited property value (LPV), the value used for property tax purposes, continued to rise for all property types.

This shift in property values is attributed to the combined impact of Proposition 117 and the dynamic nature of the real estate market.

Since going into effect in 2015, voter-approved Proposition 117 has governed how LPV is calculated. If there are no significant changes to the property or how it is used, the LPV can increase by up to 5% but never surpass the FCV. 95% of all Maricopa County properties saw the standard LPV increase of 5%.

“We are committed to providing fair and equitable valuations that reflect the ever-changing dynamics of the real estate market,” said Maricopa County Assessor Eddie Cook. “The simultaneous decrease in median full cash value and increase in limited property value demonstrate the nuanced nature of our assessments."

Property owners have sixty days from the mailing date printed on their Notice to file an administrative appeal with the Assessor’s Office if they believe their property has been improperly valued or classified.

The Maricopa County Assessor's Office encourages property owners to review their Notices of Value and reach out with any questions or concerns. Online resources are available to assist property owners in understanding the valuation process, what information can be appealed, and the factors influencing their property values. They can also contact our office by calling 602.506.3406 or emailing [email protected].

2025 NOV Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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Change to Organizational Exemptions Renewal Requirements

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A revision to the organizational exemption renewal requirements will go into effect when the application period opens in January.

Senate Bill 1230, which was passed in 2023, states that a nonprofit organization with a 501(c) status is now eligible for a permanent exemption and no longer needs to renew annually. If approved, the exemption is valid until the property no longer qualifies for the exemption.

If there is a change to the property, the organization must notify the Assessor’s Office.

Contact the Organizational Exemptions team at [email protected] with any questions.

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Virtual Appointments Now Available

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Virtual appointments with the Maricopa County Assessor's Office are now available. Customers can schedule a 20-minute virtual appointment with one of our Public Assistance clerks to answer general inquiries.

Scheduling and conducting these appointments are done 100 percent online. Customers can access the link to schedule an appointment on our website and be taken to a separate page to select the date and time of their appointment and provide their name, phone number, and email address.

Property owners will also be asked to provide their parcel/account number along with a brief description of the type of service needed.

These virtual appointments will be conducted via Microsoft Teams and customers will get an original confirmation email along with several appointment reminders.

This is just one more way the Maricopa County Assessor's Office is providing first-class service to Maricopa County property owners. Inquiries can still be handled by contacting our team via email at [email protected], by calling 602.506.3406, or in-person at the County Administration Building at 301 W. Jefferson St.