Help

General & Ownership Information
(510) 272-3787

Business Personal Property:
(510) 272-3836

Our business hours are from 8:30AM to 5:00PM Monday through Friday except for holidays

Property Tax System

The Assessor, Auditor-Controller, and the Treasurer-Tax Collector all play distinct roles in the property tax system. Below is a brief description of how these County departments interrelate.


Cities & County
Building Depts

Provides Assessor copies of all building permits issued.

County
Clerk-Recorder

Provides Assessor copies of deeds and other recorded documents.
http://www.acgov.org/auditor/clerk/index.htm

County Assessor

  • Locates and identifies the ownership of all taxable property in Alameda County
  • Determines the taxability of all property
  • Determines if property is subject to reappraisal at fair market value when it changes ownership
  • Determines if property that undergoes new construction or alteration is subject to reappraisal
  • Annually assesses all real estate in accordance with the California Constitution (Proposition 13)
  • Annually assesses all taxable business personal property at its fair market value
  • Determines and applies all legal exemptions
  • Surrenders an accurate assessment roll to the Auditor-Controller’s Office prior to July 1st

Auditor-Controller

Receives the assessments from the Assessor and applies the appropriate tax rate and any special assessments to each property’s net taxable value. Calculates the actual amount of property tax owned.
http://www.acgov.org/auditor/index.htm

Treasurer-Tax Collector

Mails out the property tax bills, collects the money and deposits it in the County Treasury.
http://www.acgov.org/propertytax/

Auditor-Controller

Allocates the money to local taxing agencies, including the County, cities, school, and special districts.
http://www.acgov.org/auditor/index.htm