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Property Tax Mailings
Each March, a Notice of Valuation is mailed to all property owners along with the current year's tax statements.
The notice provides:
- The estimated market value of your property
- Your property's classification
- Information about the Local Board of Appeal and Equalization
Property Assessments are based on the value as of January 2 each year and are used to determine taxes payable the following year. For example, a notice mailed in March 2026 is used to calculate 2027 property taxes.
For more information: Assessment and Values.
See a video How Valuation is Determined in Washington County.
Each year in mid‑November, property owners receive a Proposed Property Tax Notice, also known as the Truth in Taxation notice. This notice provides an estimate of the property taxes you may owe in 2026, based on the budget proposals currently under consideration by local taxing jurisdictions.
Property owners are encouraged to participate in the budget process by attending public meetings hosted by local government units. These meetings offer an opportunity to share feedback and ask questions about proposed budgets and tax impacts.
2026 Truth in Taxation Public Budget Meetings
Facts About Your 2026 County Property Taxes
Washington County mailed a factsheet along with your Proposed Property Tax statement in November. This factsheet applies only to the portion of your proposed property taxes that are paid to Washington County. Property taxes are also paid to cities, townships, school districts, and other taxing districts.
Each year, Washington County mails Property Tax Statements by March 31. A Notice of Valuation and Classification for taxes payable in the following year is mailed in the same envelope.
Property Tax Statements are also available on our online property information website. You will need to have your property identification number or your address available to access this information.
- How Property Taxes are Determined
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Property taxes work differently from income or sales taxes. There is no fixed tax rate. Instead, each taxing jurisdiction decides how much money it needs to raise through property taxes—this amount is called the levy.
Once the levy is set:
- The levy is divided by the total taxable value within the jurisdiction (the tax base) to determine the tax rate.
- That tax rate is applied to the value of each parcel to calculate its share of the total property tax.
Because of this process, property taxes can increase even when property values decrease. Several factors influence the tax amount for an individual parcel, including:
- Budget and spending decisions (levy) made by each taxing jurisdiction
- Changes in value (tax base) of a taxing jurisdiction
- Changes in value of your specific parcel
- How your parcel’s value change compares to others—did it increase or decrease more or less than average?
- Changes due to Homestead Classification
- School District Referenda & Taxes
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School District Taxes
The school tax amount is broken down between Voter approved levies and Other local levies. Contact your school district for specific information for your district.
School District Referenda
The proposed 2026 property tax notice does not reflect any referendum results from the November 4, 2025 election. Two school district referendums will appear on that ballot: ISD 622 and ISD 832.
- Property Tax Refund Programs
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Homestead property owners in Minnesota may qualify for two state‑administered refund programs:
Regular Refund
Often referred to as the “circuit breaker,” this refund is based on your household income and the amount of property tax you pay.
Special Refund
This refund is not income‑based. To qualify, your net property tax must have increased by at least 12% and $100 from the previous year.
Forms, instructions, and eligibility details are available from the Minnesota Department of Revenue.
- Want to Compare your Tax Change?
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You can view countywide information on property tax changes in Washington County, including:
- The number of parcels by tax increase or decrease range
- Maps showing percentage changes in property taxes
Click here to explore this data.
If you want to estimate taxes based on homestead status, an interactive calculator is available. Enter the property value and select the location to see estimated taxes for:
- Homestead
- Non-homestead
- Apartment
- Commercial/industrial properties
- Help for Business Owners
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Business seeking assistance with property taxes may contact the Washington County Community Development Agency for more information.
- Resources regarding property taxes
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