FAQs • Clayton County, IA • CivicEngage

How is Taxable Value calculated?: Taxable Value for most property is calculated by multiplying the Rollback Rate for the correct property class by the equalized 100% Actual Value. Taxable Value for gas & electric utility property is calculated by the Iowa Department of Revenue. One exception is agricultural land within an incorporated city. City ag land is subject to a different Tax Levy Rate limit than other Property classes within a city, and ag land parcels are assigned to a separate city ag Tax District. The result is that the various ag parcels within a city ag Tax District do not have to be geographically contiguous. For more information, please call the Auditor's Office at 563-245-1106.

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Real Estate - Value

1. Does the assessor set the value for all real estate property?: No. Property owned by railroads and utility companies is valued by the Iowa Department of Revenue and certified for taxation to the county auditor. For more information, please call the Auditor's Office at 563-245-1106.

2. What does it mean that 100% Actual Value is “equalized”?: The Iowa Department of Revenue imposes equalization orders in odd-numbered years against each property class for each local assessor. Sometimes called “the assessor’s report card,” the equalization order is used to increase or decrease 100% Actual Values when those values are not sufficiently accurate. For more information, please call the Auditor's Office at 563-245-1106.

3. How does the Iowa Department of Revenue know when an assessor’s 100% Actual Values are not sufficiently accurate?: The Department receives a copy of the Declaration of Value required to be filed with the county recorder when real estate is sold. Actual sales values are then compared to the assessor’s 100% Actual Values. For more information, please call the Auditor's Office at 563-245-1106.

4. What is Taxable Value?: Taxable Value is the value used to calculate taxes and on which the tax askings of the various Levy Authorities are based. For more information, please call the Auditor's Office at 563-245-1106.

5. What is the Rollback Rate?: The Rollback Rate is an annual statewide rate set annually for each property class by the Iowa Department of Revenue. In effect, the rate of growth in value for a given property class may be limited by the rate of growth in value of another property class. Somewhat similar to two people tied together in a three-legged race, neither property class can get too far ahead of the other one. For more information, please call the Auditor's Office at 563-245-1106.

6. How is Taxable Value calculated?: Taxable Value for most property is calculated by multiplying the Rollback Rate for the correct property class by the equalized 100% Actual Value. Taxable Value for gas & electric utility property is calculated by the Iowa Department of Revenue. One exception is agricultural land within an incorporated city. City ag land is subject to a different Tax Levy Rate limit than other Property classes within a city, and ag land parcels are assigned to a separate city ag Tax District. The result is that the various ag parcels within a city ag Tax District do not have to be geographically contiguous. For more information, please call the Auditor's Office at 563-245-1106.