Assessment Cycle

Iowa Property Tax Assessment Cycle

  1. January 1– Assessment date
  2. April 1– Assessors complete assessments and notify taxpayers
  3. April 2 – 25– Taxpayers may request informal review of assessment by assessor
  4. On or before April 25– Following informal review, Assessor may enter into a signed written agreement with the property owner or aggrieved taxpayer authorizing the assessor to correct or modify the assessment according to the agreement of the parties
  5. April 2 – 30 – Taxpayers may protest assessments to local boards of review.
  6. May 1 – May 31– Local boards of review consider protests. This time may be extended to July 15 by the Iowa Department of Revenue Director.
  7. June 15– Local boards of review submit reports to the Director.
  8. July 1– Assessors submit abstracts of the assessments to the Director.
  9. August 15– The Department issues tentative equalization notices to assessors.
  10. September– The Department holds equalization hearings, which are held for public input.
  11. October 1 – The Department issues final equalization orders to county auditors.
  12. October 2 – 12– Assessing jurisdictions may apply for alternative methods of implementing equalization orders.
  13. By October 8– The county auditor must publish notice of the final equalization order by this date, and must provide notice by mail to the taxpayers if the equalization order results in an increase in valuation.
  14. October 9 – 31– Taxpayers may protest the final equalization order to local boards of review.
  15. October 10 – November 15 – Local boards of review meet to hear equalization protests.
  16. November 1– The Director certifies assessment limitation percentages to county auditors.
  17. November 15– Local boards of review submit a report about the equalization protests to the Department.
  18. 1 – Feb. 28 – The taxing authorities adopt the budgets based on the valuations.
  19. March 1– The county board of supervisors levies the taxes.
  20. July 1– The county treasurer receives authorization to collect taxes.
  21. September 30– First half of taxes are due.
  22. March 31– Second half of taxes are due.