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Assessment Regressivity and Property Taxation

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel McMillen

    (University of Illinois at Chicago)

  • Ruchi Singh

    (University of Georgia)

Abstract

Homestead exemptions typically produce a moderately progressive statutory incidence for the property tax in the US when progressivity is measured using the ratio of a household’s tax to the sale price of a home. However, the tax is levied on the assessed value of a home rather than the sale. A stylized fact from the assessment literature is that assessment rates tend be lower for higher-priced home. In this paper, we first document the pattern of assessment regressivity. Next, we show that this pattern of regressivity is capable of reversing the statutory progressivity incidence of the property tax, particularly for low-priced homes. We then use HMDA data to show that this pattern of assessment regressivity also leads to regressivity when measured as the ratio of taxes to household income.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel McMillen & Ruchi Singh, 2020. "Assessment Regressivity and Property Taxation," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 155-169, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jrefec:v:60:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s11146-019-09715-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11146-019-09715-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Alaina Barca & Lei Ding & Yulin Hou & David Schwegman, 2021. "Assessment Frequency and Equity of the Real Property Tax: Latest Evidence from Philadelphia," Working Papers 21-43, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

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