28 January 2025 California Governor and Los Angeles County provide property tax relief for property owners impacted by wildfires California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an order providing property tax relief to taxpayers affected by the wildfires. In addition to the relief issued by the Governor, the Los Angeles County Assessor's Office published an informational packet, containing frequently asked questions (FAQs) on tax relief available to property owners impacted by disasters, including the wildfires. The Governor's order suspends penalties, costs and any interest accrued on late property tax payments until April 10, 2026, and extends the business personal property filing deadline from May 7, 2025, to April 10, 2026, without penalty for Los Angeles communities affected by the wildfires. Additional details on the qualifying zip codes and the installment plan for property tax payments can be found on the Governor's website. The FAQs detail the process for claiming disaster-related property tax relief. The LA County Assessor's Office is planning to survey damage and flag properties affected by the recent wildfires and straight-line winds that began on January 7, 2025, but recommends that affected property owners file a Form ADS-820 (M&C Form), Application for Reassessment of Property Damaged or Destroyed by Misfortune or Calamity. Filing the M&C Form will create a record of the request to revalue the property damaged or destroyed by the calamity and allow the Treasurer and Tax Collector to defer the current-year property taxes for taxpayers who pay property taxes directly to the county (i.e. not through an impound account), without incurring penalties. The M&C Form can be filed for both real property and business personal property. Additionally, for homeowners, a base year value can be transferred to a comparable property within the same county or another county in California. Visit the Proposition 19 webpage to access the Proposition 19 Disaster Relief Transfer of Base Value. To be eligible for relief, the estimated property damage must be at least $10,000, among other criteria. Property owners who are unsure if the $10,000 damage threshold has been met should file a claim regardless and the LA County Assessor's Office will review the calculation to see if the property qualifies for relief. The assessed value of the improvement will be reduced by the amount of property destroyed and the reduced value will remain in effect until the property is fully repaired, restored or reconstructed. Once reconstructed, the factored base year value will be restored if it is substantially equivalent to the property's assessed value before the damage or destruction. Any new square footage will be assessed at market value as of the date of completion. To check the status of a claim, reach out to: relief@assessor.lacounty.gov.
Document ID: 2025-0344 | ||||