Understanding Your Assessment Notice is a guide from the Washoe County Assessor that walks through the boxes printed on a property Assessment Notice. It is one of the Washoe County Assessor's resources for property owners who want to read prior and current values, the tax cap status and the notes box on their notice. The guide is not a form to complete and does not start an appeal. On this page you can view and download the official PDF, which the Assessor publishes at washoecounty.gov.
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What is Understanding Your Assessment Notice – Washoe County, NV?
Understanding Your Assessment Notice is an explanatory sheet from the Washoe County Assessor that outlines the information found on a property Assessment Notice. At the top of the PDF it is headed "Understanding Your Value Notice".
The sheet reproduces two sample notices and labels each part with an explanation:
- Parcel and location: the Assessor's Parcel Number, the street name and number, and the tax district on record for the property.
- Taxable values: land and buildings, shown for the prior and current tax years, with a total. Land and improvements are broken out because they are valued differently.
- Assessed values: the total assessed value, which under Nevada Statute 361.225 is 35% of taxable value.
- Partial abatement ("tax cap"): the abatement status and a reminder that it can change for the next tax year.
- Notes and data date: a box for notes about the valuation, and the date the data was extracted from the Assessor's database.
- Remainder Value per NRS 361.4722: an extra column that appears when a new parcel was determined to be a Remainder Parcel for calculating the partial abatement.
The notice states that it is not a tax bill: tax bills are calculated by the Washoe County Treasurer's Office. This sheet does not replace the notice or any claim form; it only explains how to read it.
Who needs to file Understanding Your Assessment Notice – Washoe County, NV?
The sheet is meant for property owners who have received an Assessment Notice from the Washoe County Assessor and want to understand what each part of it says.
It is especially useful in these situations:
- You want to compare prior-year and current-year taxable values for land and for buildings.
- You disagree with the values. The sheet sends you to the Real Property Value Notices web page for instructions on contacting the Assessor's office or filing an appeal with the County Board of Equalization.
- You disagree with the partial abatement ("tax cap") information. The sheet says the method to appeal it is different from appealing your property value and directs you to the Partial Abatement Appeals web page.
- Your notice shows a Remainder Value column and you want to know what it means.
It is not for tax billing questions. The notice says the Washoe County Treasurer's Office calculates tax bills and answers billing questions. The guide contains nothing to sign and no section for a representative.
When to file Understanding Your Assessment Notice – Washoe County, NV
Nothing is due with this sheet: it explains a notice and is not filed. Read it when you receive your Assessment Notice and want to check the values, the tax cap status or the notes box.
The notice does carry one timing warning. The abatement ("tax cap") status shown for one year is "subject to change" for the next, and a new claim form may be required due to a change in ownership, mailing address or use, or because the property is a rental. If you disagree with the values or with the abatement information, the sheet refers you to the Assessor's web pages for appeal instructions; it prints no deadline of its own.
How to fill out Understanding Your Assessment Notice – Washoe County, NV
Get the guide and your notice
View and download the official PDF from the Washoe County Assessor, then have your Assessment Notice beside it. The guide has nothing to complete; it labels the parts of the notice.
Confirm the parcel and tax district
Check the Assessor's Parcel Number, the street location and the tax district at the top of your notice. The tax district is the one the Assessor has on record for the property.
Compare taxable values by year
Read land, buildings and total taxable value for the prior and current tax years. Land and improvements are listed separately because they are valued differently.
Check the assessed value
Find the total assessed value and compare it with the taxable total. Under Nevada Statute 361.225 it is 35% of taxable value.
Review the tax cap status
Read the partial abatement ("tax cap") line and note whether it says a new claim form may be required for the next tax year.
Read the notes and data date
Read the notes box and the date the Assessor extracted the data. For clarification, call (775) 328-2233; if you disagree, use the web pages listed under How to submit.
How to submit Understanding Your Assessment Notice – Washoe County, NV
Nothing is submitted with this guide. If your notice raises a question or a disagreement, the sheet points to these channels at the Washoe County Assessor:
- Phone: call the Assessor's office at (775) 328-2233 for clarification on the notes box or any other information on your parcel.
- Value notice instructions: the Real Property Value Notices web page, www.washoecounty.gov/assessor/real_property/AssessmentNotices.php, explains how to contact the office for assistance or file an appeal with the County Board of Equalization.
- Tax cap appeals: the Partial Abatement Appeals web page, www.washoecounty.gov/assessor/abateappeal, covers petitions to review the abatement information.
- Tax bills: questions go to the Washoe County Treasurer's Office, www.washoecounty.gov/treas/.
FillingPDF lets you view and download the official PDF; any appeal or petition follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating the Assessment Notice as a tax bill; it is marked "THIS IS NOT A TAX BILL" and the Treasurer's Office calculates tax bills.
- Sending tax billing questions to the Assessor instead of the Washoe County Treasurer's Office.
- Reading the assessed value as the taxable value; the assessed value is 35% of taxable value under Nevada Statute 361.225.
- Using the property value appeal route to dispute the tax cap; the method to appeal partial abatement information is different.
- Ignoring the warning that tax cap status is subject to change for the next tax year and a new claim form may be required.
- Mixing up the prior-year and current-year columns when comparing land, buildings and total values.
- Overlooking the Remainder Value column on a new parcel, which the Treasurer's Office uses to determine prior-year taxes for the current bill.
Frequently asked questions
What is Understanding Your Assessment Notice?
It is a Washoe County Assessor sheet that labels and explains the parts of a property Assessment Notice: parcel and tax district, taxable values, assessed values, the partial abatement ("tax cap") status, the notes box and the data date.
Is the Washoe County assessment notice a tax bill?
No. The notice is marked "THIS IS NOT A TAX BILL." The Washoe County Treasurer's Office calculates tax bills, so billing questions go to the Treasurer at www.washoecounty.gov/treas/, not to the Assessor.
How is assessed value figured on a Washoe County notice?
The assessed value is 35% of the taxable value. The Assessor's guide cites Nevada Statute 361.225 for this. The taxable value is broken down into land and buildings, which are each valued differently.
How do I contact the Washoe County Assessor about my notice?
Call the Assessor's office at (775) 328-2233 for clarification on the notes box or any other information about your parcel. The Assessor's website is www.washoecounty.gov/assessor.
What can I do if I disagree with my property value?
Read the Real Property Value Notices web page, which gives instructions for contacting the Assessor's office for assistance or filing an appeal with the County Board of Equalization. The guide itself prints no deadline.
Is appealing the tax cap the same as appealing my value?
No. The guide says the method to appeal partial abatement ("tax cap") information is different from appealing your property value. You can file a petition to review it; see the Partial Abatement Appeals web page.
What is the Remainder Value column on a notice?
It appears when a new parcel was determined to be a Remainder Parcel for calculating the partial abatement (see NRS 361.4722). The Treasurer's Office uses that value to determine the prior year's taxes when it calculates the current tax bill.
Can I fill out this PDF on FillingPDF?
The guide only explains a notice and has nothing to complete. FillingPDF lets you view and download the official PDF; FillingPDF is independent of the Washoe County Assessor and does not file appeals or petitions.
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