The Assessor’s Division is making it more convenient for new homeowners to submit applications to establish their primary residency in Richland County for real property tax purposes.
Through a new online portal or kiosks available at the Assessor’s Division, homeowners can apply for the special assessment for legal residence. By receiving the special assessment as legal residence, the property is assessed at the four percent assessment ratio. The four percent assessment ratio is a special assessment for property owners who own and occupy the property as their primary residence. Otherwise, the property will be assessed at the six percent assessment ratio for all other real property. The Assessor’s Division developed this idea to alleviate long lines and make the application process more convenient for residents.
“Our office receives approximately 12,000 applications a year,” said Deputy Assessor Katie Marr. “We saw the idea of the legal residence application from other counties that had online applications and we brought the idea to the Information Technology (IT) Department.”
The IT Department and the Assessor’s Division spent more than a year working together to develop the application. The time put into the development of this online tool ensures the ease of completion for the property owner, as well as enabling the Data Control Specialist to track and process the application much more efficiently.
“Now we’re making it accessible to the public and helping the Assessor’s Division increase productivity,” said IT Program Analyst Timothy Gurley.
If you are a new homeowner or recently modified the ownership of your property and need to complete an application for the Special Assessment for Legal Residence (four percent ratio) online, click here.