ASSESSMENTS
Maui County property tax assessments have been mailed out recently. If you own property on Maui you've probably already seen yours. Were you shocked? I know a lot of people who were surprised at the new higher amounts. If you think you have been overassessed, here's what you can do...
APPEALS
If you do not agree with the assessed value or tax classification on your assessment notice, you may file an appeal with the Real Property Tax Division Board of Review or the Tax Appeal Court. There is a $15.00 fee to appeal to the Board of Review. The cost for filing an appeal with the Tax Appeal Court is 5% of the amount of taxes in dispute, but not more than $100 or less than $5.00 for each case. All appeals must be filed by April 9. Even though you have an appeal pending, you must pay all taxes by the due dates or you will be charged penalty and interest. Time is of the essence.
Get more information from the Maui County Real Property Tax Website
On the other hand, we were talking to an old farmer friend today and this is what he did.... he went right down to the tax office with a stack of paperwork and got in the face of the guys in charge there. He had proof from decades ago that his farm was dedicated to AG and that he was truly using all his land for ag purposes, he dropped a few names, and this and that, and you know what? They agreed with him, and right there they rolled his taxes back to $60/year (from $4,000), which is what it had been forever. It's not easy being a farmer in Hawaii!
If you want to buy a farm on Maui, I can help with your questions. Please contact me and we can talk. Aloha from Maui ... THE HUNTER ... Georgina M. Hunter R(S) 808 283-0635 EMAIL ME
I think the best thing for us was the raise in homeowners exemption....so it kind of leveled off with our townhouse property tax. BTW....did you find what you were looking for? Let me know.
Sally - yes, the homeowner exemption is wonderful. Thanks for asking - I did find what I was looking for!
BJ - it's that time of year again! Don't we all love it.
WOULD YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "ZONED AG" AND "DEDICATED TO AG"?
Jack - thanks for asking... When your Ag zoned property is "dedicated to AG" it means that you are actively engaged in farming for commercial purposes, and not just farming for your own enjoyment. If you are in this situation, you might have gotten the letter from the County recently, explaining that they want you to prove this. Dedicated to AG will put your property in a different tax category, and you will get your Maui County water at a lower rate. You can have AG zoned property and be taxed in the Homeowner class, which will allow you a $300,000 exemption and the low rate of $2 per $1000 assessed value, which might be a better way to go. Please consult with your tax or financial advisor for the best strategy in your case.