Budget & Taxes (Property Tax)

in committee · Iowa · House Jan 30, 2026

HF 2224: A bill for an act relating to property assessment standards and litigation.

HF 2224 updates Iowa's property assessment rules to align with industry standards for fairness. It requires county and city assessors to maintain a coefficient of dispersion (COD) below 15.99% and a price-related differential (PRD) between 0.98 and 1.03 for property classes, using data from comparable properties within the same class. The bill also defines "like property" for appeals and limits hiring special counsel in assessment litigation to cases involving business entities. These changes directly affect local assessors, property owners appealing valuations, and county/city legal departments handling tax disputes. The law aims to standardize assessment equity metrics while streamlining appeal processes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesUpdates property assessment standards for fairness, promoting fiscal responsibility in tax collection and reducing assessment disputes.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 11, 2026

SSB 3001: A bill for an act relating to state and local government taxes, fees, financial authority, and budgets, modifying divisions of revenue, modifying appropriations, and including effective date, applicability, and retroactive applicability provisions.

SSB 3001 modifies Iowa county property tax rates for general and rural services. It sets a base rate of $3.50 per $1,000 assessed value for general county services (effective 2024-2027) and $3.95 for rural services, with adjustments tied to inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The bill requires counties to maintain tax revenue at 101.5% of the prior year's actual levy, while allowing rates to adjust if assessed property values grow by over 2% annually. This directly affects all Iowa counties collecting property taxes for local services, with changes applying to fiscal years starting July 1, 2024, through 2028.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRequires 101.5% revenue maintenance with CPI adjustments, ensuring stable county funding without tax cuts per fiscal responsibility indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Debt & Bonds Property Tax State Budget

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in committee · Iowa · House Mar 23, 2026

HSB 596: A bill for an act relating to local government taxes, budgets, and authority, by establishing property tax limitations and modifying provisions relating to the assessment and taxation of property, certain taxpayer notices, bond issuances, and councils of governments, and including applicability and retroactive applicability provisions.

This bill establishes a 102% cap on annual property tax increases for local governments (excluding school districts) by limiting new tax levies to 102% of the prior year's certified tax amount, adjusted for voter-approved levies. It creates a new residential property tax exemption of up to $25,000 in taxable value for homeowners (effective 2026), excluding school district taxes. The bill also updates disclosure requirements, mandating annual mailed statements to property owners by March 15 showing tax details and limiting county/city taxes if reports are late. These changes apply retroactively to assessment years beginning January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill caps property tax increases at 102% and creates $25k residential exemption, providing direct tax relief for homeowners (middle-income focus).95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Property Tax Tax Incentives Tags Local Government

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 23, 2026

SF 2024: A bill for an act relating to local government by modifying property tax credits and rent reimbursements, provisions governing abandoned mobile homes and personal property in rural areas, and tax sales.

This bill modifies Iowa's property tax credit system for low-income elderly and disabled residents, ensuring timely annual payments for property taxes or rent reimbursements. It streamlines the removal of abandoned mobile homes on rural property by allowing landowners or mobile home park operators to remove "valueless homes" (defined as abandoned homes with no market value) without court orders, requiring only 10 days' written notice to the county treasurer. The bill also updates tax sale rules to prevent splits or consolidations of land parcels during redemption periods or with unpaid taxes. These changes directly affect rural property owners, mobile home park operators, and low-income homeowners/renters.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesModifies property tax credits for low-income elderly/disabled, ensuring timely payments - provides tax relief per indicators.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingModifies property tax credits for low-income elderly/disabled, ensuring rent reimbursement payments, directly supporting affordable housing access.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Credits Property Taxes Renters

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 29, 2026

HF 2208: A bill for an act related to the meaning of residential property for purposes of property taxation.

HF 2208 changes how certain single-family homes are taxed in Iowa starting January 1, 2027. It directly affects property owners who individually own more than ten single-family homes, reclassifying those homes from residential to commercial property for tax purposes. The bill defines a "single-family home" as a parcel with one dwelling unit used for human habitation. This reclassification means these properties will be subject to commercial property tax rates instead of residential rates. The change aims to adjust tax classification based on ownership scale rather than property use.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesReclassifies multi-home properties to commercial tax rate, closing a loophole allowing lower residential rates, increasing tax revenue through fairer property taxation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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died · Iowa · House Feb 24, 2025

HF 10: A bill for an act relating to the attachment of the territory of a school district that is subject to an approved dissolution proposal, and including applicability provisions.

HF 10 modifies the effective date for attaching territory when a school district dissolves. It changes the rule so territory attachment takes effect July 1 of the year immediately following approval (instead of the next July 1). The bill also adds that small districts (under 600 students) may qualify for a reduced property tax levy if approved by the education director, with the director notifying the department of management. This applies to dissolution proposals approved by voters on or after the bill's effective date.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill enables small school districts to qualify for reduced property tax levies, providing direct tax relief as a fiscal management measure.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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died · Iowa · House May 9, 2025

HF 565: A bill for an act establishing a partial exemption on property taxes for certain residential properties sold in disaster areas.

HF 565 establishes a partial property tax exemption for certain residential properties. This exemption applies to homes purchased from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by owners who qualify for the homestead tax credit. To be eligible, the sale must be made to provide housing in an area declared a major disaster or disaster emergency. The exemption lasts for four assessment years, starting at 80% of the property's actual value in the first year and decreasing by 20% each subsequent year.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides property tax exemption (80% first year) for qualifying homeowners in disaster areas, offering tax relief to lower-income residents.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingPartial tax exemption for HUD-sold homes in disaster areas reduces costs for homeowners, advancing housing affordability in recovery zones.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Incentives Property Development Property Taxes

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in committee · Iowa · Senate May 9, 2025

SF 589: A bill for an act relating to solid waste collection and disposal by establishing a maximum rate increase charged by governmental entities and creating a property tax rebate for service charges.

SF 589 allows real property owners to opt out of solid waste collection and disposal services provided by their county or city. This is applicable if the property owner is already receiving these services from a different entity. Owners must submit an application to their local government, verifying their alternative service. If approved, they will not be charged fees by the county or city for those services, and the opt-out continues until the owner opts back in or the property's title changes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides property tax rebate for solid waste service opt-outs, reducing owner fees and aligning with tax relief indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Apr 21, 2025

SF 219: A bill for an act relating to forest and fruit-tree reservations, and providing for a fee.

SF 219 introduces a new annual fee for owners of forest and fruit-tree reservations in Iowa, starting January 1, 2026. These reservations are currently exempt from property tax. The fee structure varies based on the reservation's location relative to the owner's homestead. Owners will pay $2 per acre if the reservation is in the same county as their homestead, or $3 per acre if it's in a contiguous county. For other reservations, including those within city limits, the fee will be a rate calculated annually by the Department of Management, with all fees deposited into the county general fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesReplaces property tax exemptions with annual fees, generating new state revenue for budget management.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax State Budget

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in committee · Iowa · House May 13, 2025

HSB 238: A bill for an act relating to the assessment of property containing certain aboveground storage tanks and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

HSB 238 modifies how certain aboveground storage tanks are assessed for property tax purposes in Iowa. The bill specifies that aboveground storage tanks of any size will not be assessed and taxed as real property if they are not permanently attached and would ordinarily be removed when the property owner moves. This change affects property owners with such tanks and aims to clarify their tax classification. The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies retroactively to assessment years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill excludes non-permanently attached storage tanks from property tax assessment, reducing taxable property base and state revenue potential.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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