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糖心vlog Investigates: Property tax forms, intended to be clear, cause some confusion

糖心vlog Investigates: Property tax forms, intended to be clear, cause some confusion
糖心vlog EIGHT NEWS AT FIVE. IOWANS ARE GETTING PROPERTY TAX NOTIFICATIONS IN THE MAIL. THEY鈥橰E MEANT TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY鈥橪L BE PAYING AND WHEN THEY CAN GO TO PUBLIC HEARINGS TO WEIGH IN. BUT AS 糖心vlog CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER SUZANNE BENKI FOUND OUT, SOME PEOPLE ARE FINDING THEM REALLY CONFUSING. SUZANNE. LAURA. JODI. THESE FORMS ARE REQUIRED TO BE SENT OUT TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS UNDER STATE LAW. THEY COME FROM YOUR COUNTY OFFICIALS AND INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX RATES FOR COUNTIES AND CITIES AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS. TONIGHT, 糖心vlog IS HELPING YOU GET THE FACTS ON THESE FORMS AND WHY IT MAY LOOK LIKE YOUR TAX RATE IS GOING UP, WHEN IT MAY NOT BE. DEFINITELY IS MISLEADING. SO THIS ANKENY RESIDENT WENT TO THE POLK COUNTY SUPERVISORS TO ASK ABOUT HIS PROPERTY TAXES. ACCORDING TO THIS, YOU WANT TO RAISE ME UP BY 6.7%, BUT THAT ISN鈥橳 THE CASE. YOU鈥橰E TELLING ME THAT MY PROPERTY TAXES WON鈥橳 GO UP? I ACTUALLY COULD SEE A SLIGHT REDUCTION. YES. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THE STATE MANDATED PROPERTY TAX NOTICE HITTING IOWANS MAILBOXES RIGHT NOW USES A HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO BASED ON A $100,000 HOME. IT ASSUMES THAT TAXES WILL GO UP BY 10%. THIS SEEMS TO BE WHAT TRIPS UP SOME PEOPLE. STATE LAW REQUIRES THE FORM LOOKING JUST LIKE THIS, AND IT HAS TO GO OUT TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS. THE GOAL IS TO KEEP TAXPAYERS INFORMED, BUT IT鈥橲 NOT WORKING AS IT鈥橲 INTENDED. THE CITY OF WAUKEE RECENTLY PUT TOGETHER A SERIES OF SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS TO EXPLAIN. THERE鈥橲 JUST A LOT THAT GOES INTO IT THAT IF YOU鈥橰E NOT IN IT ON A DAILY BASIS, IT鈥橲 VERY HARD TO UNDERSTAND IT. BRAD DIETZ IS THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR FOR WAUKEE. HE SAYS THE CITY HAS DETAILS ON ITS WEBSITE ABOUT THE FORM AND ALL PROPERTY TAXES. AND HE ALSO TOLD US RESIDENTS CAN CONTACT CITY HALL IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS. I THINK YOU鈥橠 FIND FOR MOST CITIES, WE WELCOME THE PARTICIPATION AND THE PROCESS AND JUST ASK QUESTIONS. 糖心vlog SPOKE WITH THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT ABOUT THE NOTICES. THEY WANT IOWANS TO KNOW THAT THE FORM IS NOT A BILL. IT鈥橲 FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. THE DEPARTMENT TELLS US THE FORMS SHOW THE DETAILS FOR THE THREE MAIN TAXING AUTHORITIES THAT MAKE UP YOUR TAX BILL SCHOOL, CITY AND COUNTY. THAT MAKES UP ABOUT 90% OF YOUR TOTAL TAX BILL. EACH ENTITY IS REQUIRED TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ABOUT THESE TAXES. THE HEARINGS ARE NOT MANDATORY TO ATTEND, BUT THEY DO OFFER YOU A CHANCE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RATES AND TO GIVE YOUR FEEDBACK. YOU CAN ALSO GO TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT鈥橲 WEBSITE, WHERE THERE IS A TOLL ROAD MAP ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES ACROSS THE STATE. SOME TAX EXPERTS ARGUE THERE NEEDS TO BE A CHANGE WITH THAT FORM, AND THEY POINT TO MINNESOTA. THIS FORM IS REALLY COMPLICATED. WHAT WE鈥橵E ALWAYS ADVOCATED FOR IS FOR THAT FORM TO SAY, HOW MUCH MORE AM I GOING TO SPEND ONCE THIS BUDGET PASSES? GIVE ME A DOLLAR AMOUNT. AND IN THE MINNESOTA FORM THAT WE鈥橵E USED AS AN EXAMPLE, CLEARLY LISTS THAT IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, WHEN YOUR CITY OR YOUR COUNTY IS PASSING A NEW BUDGET, YOU GET A FORM IN THE MAIL THAT SAYS YOU WILL PAY $200 MORE NEXT YEAR BECAUSE OF THIS BUDGET. THAT鈥橲 A NUMBER THAT IOWANS CARE ABOUT. IT WOULD BE UP TO LAWMAKERS TO MAKE A CHANGE. SO FAR THIS SESSION, THERE鈥橲 BEEN NO PROPOSAL RELATED TO IOWA TAX FORMS. SCHOOLS, CITIES AND COUNCILS ARE STILL PLANNING THEIR BUDGETS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR THAT STARTS JULY 1ST. NOW, PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THOSE PROPOSED TAX RATES ARE STILL GOING ON. YOU CAN FIND A LIST OF WHICH CENTRAL IOWA CITIES ARE HOLDING THOSE HEARINGS THIS WEEK ON 糖心vlog.COM. AND DON鈥橳 FOR
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糖心vlog Investigates: Property tax forms, intended to be clear, cause some confusion
An upset Ankeny man attended a recent public hearing by the Polk County Board of Supervisors. He approached the podium with a mailing in hand, asking why his property taxes were going up 6.7 percent.They weren't, he was told.The form he'd been mailed was a two-page notice required to be sent to all property owners. It uses a hypothetical situation of a $100,000 home's tax rate going up by 10 percent.The supervisors helped explain."You're telling me my property taxes won't go up, and I'll actually see a slight reduction?" the Ankeny man confirmed."That's right," said Supervisor Matt McCoy.The state-mandated two-page notice has been landing in mailboxes for the last few weeks. The goal, according to Iowa Department of Management policy analysts, is to keep taxpayers informed.But it's not working quite as intended.Cities and counties across the state are taking steps to clarify the form.Waukee city staff posted a series of explainers on social media to clear up some of the confusion."There's just a lot that goes into it that if you're not in it on a daily basis it's very hard to understand it," said Brad Deets, Waukee's city administrator.Residents can contact city hall if they have questions, he said."I think you'd find for most cities, we welcome the participation in the process and just ask questions," Deets said.The Iowa Department of Management explained the notice is to standardize the information across the state.There are a few specific parts to look at:The form shows the dollars for three different taxing authorities 鈥 city, council and school district. Those three make up about 90% of a tax bill.Each of those three taxing authorities will hold a different public hearing for your input. The place, date and time are on the notice.The hearings are not mandatory.The forms show the numbers and tax rate for the city, county and school district. This is not an individual property notice.The form shows the property taxes the taxing authority is getting this year and what's being proposed for next year. The hypothetical $100,000 property is there for an example.The department's website has an extensive website on property taxes.Some tax experts say there needs to be a change because Iowa's form is too complicated. Iowans for Tax Relief points to Minnesota's version."What we've always advocated for is for that to say how much more am I going to spend once this budget passes. Give me a dollar amount. In the Minnesota form that we've used as an example it clearly lists that in the state of Minnesota, when your city or your county is passing a new budget, you can get a form in the mail that says you pay $200 more next year because of this budget," said Chris Hagenow, president of Iowans for Tax Relief."That's a number that Iowans care about," he said.It would be up to lawmakers to make a change. So far this legislative session, there's been no proposal to change that tax form.WATCH: Don't be confused by your property tax notifications

An upset Ankeny man attended a recent public hearing by the Polk County Board of Supervisors. He approached the podium with a mailing in hand, asking why his property taxes were going up 6.7 percent.

They weren't, he was told.

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The form he'd been mailed was a two-page notice required to be sent to all property owners. It uses a hypothetical situation of a $100,000 home's tax rate going up by 10 percent.

The supervisors helped explain.

"You're telling me my property taxes won't go up, and I'll actually see a slight reduction?" the Ankeny man confirmed.

"That's right," said Supervisor Matt McCoy.

The state-mandated two-page notice has been landing in mailboxes for the last few weeks. The goal, according to Iowa Department of Management policy analysts, is to keep taxpayers informed.

But it's not working quite as intended.

Cities and counties across the state are taking steps to clarify the form.

Waukee city staff to clear up some of the confusion.

"There's just a lot that goes into it that if you're not in it on a daily basis it's very hard to understand it," said Brad Deets, Waukee's city administrator.

Residents can contact city hall if they have questions, he said.

"I think you'd find for most cities, we welcome the participation in the process and just ask questions," Deets said.

The Iowa Department of Management explained the notice is to standardize the information across the state.

There are a few specific parts to look at:

  • The form shows the dollars for three different taxing authorities 鈥 city, council and school district. Those three make up about 90% of a tax bill.
  • Each of those three taxing authorities will hold a different public hearing for your input. The place, date and time are on the notice.
  • The hearings are not mandatory.
  • The forms show the numbers and tax rate for the city, county and school district. This is not an individual property notice.
  • The form shows the property taxes the taxing authority is getting this year and what's being proposed for next year. The hypothetical $100,000 property is there for an example.

The department's website has an extensive website on property taxes.

Some tax experts say there needs to be a change because Iowa's form is too complicated. Iowans for Tax Relief points to Minnesota's version.

"What we've always advocated for is for that to say how much more am I going to spend once this budget passes. Give me a dollar amount. In the Minnesota form that we've used as an example it clearly lists that in the state of Minnesota, when your city or your county is passing a new budget, you can get a form in the mail that says you pay $200 more next year because of this budget," said Chris Hagenow, president of Iowans for Tax Relief.

"That's a number that Iowans care about," he said.

It would be up to lawmakers to make a change. So far this legislative session, there's been no proposal to change that tax form.

WATCH: Don't be confused by your property tax notifications