Making the most of property assessors offices in Mississippi will require the office to assess the market value of a property. This value is then multiplied by the tax rate to determine the actual tax that the owner must pay on the property each year. Property tax rates may be set by organizations such as cities, counties or school districts.

Mississippi property assessors offices use several factors such as location and size to determine the value of a property. This assessment is usually accurate and requires a property value appeal only on rare occasions. There are three things you need to do when evaluating the property value as determined by the assessor’s office:

1. Obtain the information the property assessors offices in Mississippi use to make the assessment. You should already know the size and location of the property, but the assessor also will be able to provide the value of other properties in your area.
2. Get professional appraisals so you may compare them to the official Mississippi property assessments.
3. Appeal the assessor’s valuation of your property if needed. Mississippi assessors have a specific procedure for accomplishing this.
   

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Learn more about the laws regarding Mississippi property assessments

Each state has laws that provide guidelines on the way that property values are assessed. There also may be laws that specify what property tax information is publicly available.

I recommend: The Mississippi State Tax Commission offers legal information on property taxes, including the portion of the Administrative Code that deals with property taxes. The Mississippi Development Authority provides a list of tax incentives such as property tax exemptions.

Find out how professional appraisers determine Mississippi property values

Appraisers may use different methods to estimate the value of your property. You will want to ensure the professional appraiser considers the same factors as the property assessor.

I recommend: The Appraisal Shop in Gulfport provides various resources on appraisals including a blog. Global Valuation Services offers a summary of the appraisal process and also has a sample appraisal.

Learn how your county performs a Mississippi property assessment

Many counties have online resources available to help you with your property tax assessment. You should be able to locate this information on your county's website, in addition to other information regarding property taxes.

I recommend: The Hinds County Tax Assessor provides the duties of the tax assessor and a summary of the property assessment process. The De Soto County Tax Assessor describes the Homestead Exemption and also offers other resources such as a property search and tax estimator.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Check with your Mississippi property assessor to see if you qualify for any exemptions on your property assessment. Exemptions may be recognized for disabled veterans, senior citizens or non-profit organizations. File any appeals to your current tax assessment before the tax deadline. It will be more difficult to obtain a favorable ruling on an appeal after the deadline.

Mississippi property assessors are not employed by the state, but rather by counties. They check out the exterior of your property and assign a value to it. The assessments will cause your taxes to go up or down depending on the condition and value of your property.

In addition to property tax records, Mississippi property assessors have information regarding ownership changes, up-to-date maps of property lines and property descriptions. They also analyze trends in property sales prices, the costs of constructing a new property and the average expense for renting property. It pays to get familiar with Mississippi property assessments because the records can help you:

1. Learn if Mississippi property assessments are fair based on comparable properties.

2. Determine property value in Mississippi.

3. Negotiate with a Mississippi property assessor if you don't think your property has been assigned a fair and equitable value.

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Get to know Mississippi property assessment laws

There are 5 classes of taxable property taken into account when determining Mississippi property values. It's assessed at a percentage of its true value. For instance, property assessors in Mississippi assess single family homes at 10% while other property is assessed at 15%.

I recommend: Check out Bankrate.com's section on Mississippi property values. It outlines the basics of taxable property and includes valuable information on Homestead Exemptions. The Mississippi State Tax Commission provides information on Ad Valorem Tax and the percentage of property's true value.

Review Mississippi property assessments online to determine property values

Property assessors' offices in Mississippi are very busy. Thus, assessors cannot look at every property, every year. It may be a several years in between assessments but you can still use the data to determine where your potential investment property falls in with neighboring properties.

I recommend: DirectPass, Searchsystems.net’s online database, allows you to get information from property assessors in Mississippi. It costs about $5 per month and is categorized by municipality. Skipease lists information about property assessment in Mississippi, including links to property assessors' offices in Mississippi for your specific county. Locate property values using interactive software by Delta Computer Systems for Lafayette County and Lee County online.

Estimate your taxes based on a similar property assessment in Mississippi

If you're buying an investment property that's similar to several others in the same vicinity, it's safe to assume that Mississippi property assessors will assess your property at an amount close to what the neighbors will pay. Unless there are vast discrepancies in the condition, age or size of the building or lot, your taxes will be comparable.

I recommend: Hinds County's Land Roll Query allows you to search property assessors offices in Mississippi by taxpayer name, street address, parcel or map number. Get property tax information by simply typing in your neighbor's address or the address of an investment property into Assessor Links USA’s search tool, a free database of property assessors' offices in Mississippi.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Appeal an assessment to property assessors' offices in Mississippi if you think your property taxes are way out of proportion. If they don't allow an informal hearing, file a grievance form.

Employees who undergo property assessors offices in Mississippi education and training must be able to determine the fair market value of real estate and personal property. Property assessors who work for the government may also assess property taxes by appraising the property and using prescribed tax schedules.

The qualifications necessary to work in property assessors offices of Mississippi primarily depend on the value of the property and manner in which the transaction will be financed. These requirements can be grouped into three general categories:

1. Education. Property assessors in Mississippi usually hold at least a bachelor’s degree, preferably in economics, finance or real estate. A property assessor will also need to complete additional coursework that is specific to property appraisal. This specialized education is usually taken from a community college or professional organization for appraisers.

2. Experience. Property appraisers will also need to acquire on the job training under the supervision of a qualified professional appraiser.

3. Licenses and certifications. Appraisers who perform property appraisals are required by federal law to have a license if the transaction will involve a federal loan of $250,000 or more.

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Complete the courses needed to work in property assessors offices in Mississippi

There are a variety of on-site universities and distance learning classes that teach students to assess Mississippi property values. These institutions should update their curriculum frequently to reflect changes in the state's educational requirements for property appraisers.

I recommend: The Real Estate Training Institute is approved by the Mississippi Appraisal Board (MAB) to teach the required courses for appraisers in Mississippi. The National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers is also approved by MAB and offers the courses needed for appraisers in a variety of states, including Mississippi.

Get on-the-job training for Mississippi property assessment

Job training for property appraisers in Mississippi has specific requirements, as laid out by the Mississippi Appraisers Board. These requirements stipulate the length of time the training must take, the way in which the mentor must monitor the process, and the type of experience the trainee must acquire.

I recommend: The MAB provides all of the requirements for each type of appraiser, including work experience. Dynasty School specifies the experience requirements for each licensing level of appraiser which is documented on forms provided by the MAB.

Become a licensed Mississippi property assessor

The MAB recognizes two categories of appraisers. A licensed certified residential real estate appraiser can appraise residential property in federally related transactions and all property in non-federally related transactions. A licensed certified general real estate appraiser may appraise all types of real estate.

I recommend: Title 73, Chapter 34 of the Mississippi Code specifies the laws on appraisers in Mississippi, including licensing requirements. The Career Web School provides the licensure requirements for Mississippi appraisers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Mississippi property assessors must meet the minimum certification and licensing requirements established by the Appraisal Qualifications Board (AQB) of the Appraisal Foundation. However, many states have more stringent licensing requirements than those required by the AQB. For example, a state may require an appraisal license for all appraisers regardless of the transaction value of the property.

Mississippi property assessors offices laws and regulations control the methods that property assessors use to estimate the value of real property. Mississippi property appraisers usually perform assessments against a given standard, such as fair market value, distressed sale value or foreclosure value. The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) provides quality control standards for the appraisal of real property in the United States. The USPAP does not actually define standards of value for property assessments, but does provide guidance on how they should be defined.

There are many different sources of information on the laws regarding property assessors in Mississippi. These sources include the three following categories:

1. The Mississippi state government. These sources provide the state laws and other official information on Mississippi property assessments.
2. County and municipal governments in Mississippi. These sources provide the rules and procedures for a specific property assessors office in Mississippi.
3. Law firms in Mississippi that specialize in property law. Many of these firms provide general information on the property tax laws in Mississippi.
   

Action Steps
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Examine the laws that control assessors of property values in Mississippi

The state government of Mississippi will have specific laws for property tax assessors. Private organizations also provide summaries and general information on property tax assessor laws in Mississippi.

I recommend: Article 4, Section 112 of the Mississippi Code from LawNetCom provides information about the assessment of property taxes in Mississippi. The Mississippi State Tax Commission has a link to Title 35, Part 6 of the Mississippi Administrative Code, which covers property tax regulations.

Study the procedures for obtaining Mississippi property values in a particular jurisdiction

Local governments have specific procedures for property assessments and also may offer a Mississippi property tax search. A complete list of Mississippi property tax records may also be available.

I recommend: The Hinds County Board of Supervisors provides an overview of the tax assessor's duties as required by state statutes. Jackson County offers a summary of the legal requirements for setting tax rates in that county.

Review Mississippi property assessors laws from law firms in Mississippi

Mississippi lawyers who specialize in property law frequently offer summaries on the property taxes that are assessed in Mississippi. They also may write articles on specific issues regarding property taxes in Mississippi.

I recommend: The Brunini Firm practices tax law in Mississippi and also offers additional information on property taxes, such as the final report of Governor Barbour's Mississippi Tax Study Commission. Kalom Law Firm compares the differences in property taxes between owning and renting a home under Mississippi property laws.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The laws on Mississippi property assessment are generally guided by the Financial Institutions Reform and Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA) of 1989. This federal legislation requires all states to have a system to certify and license real estate appraisers. Prior to the passage of the FIRREA, there were no national standards for ensuring the quality of real estate appraisers in the United States.