205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM
Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
The Assessor does not establish the dollar amount of property taxes required nor does the Assessor bill or collect property taxes. The property tax rate is calculated by the Assessor according to statutory limits. The Assessor is responsible for checking the amounts asked for by the taxing districts to make sure they are within the limits set by state law. We also compile all the different levy rates in your taxing areas to determine the total tax rate for your property. The Assessor does not raise property values in order to increase taxes. The cost of providing public services determines your property tax. Local government consists of various taxing districts including fire districts, hospital districts, regional library, cities, county government, and roads. A portion of the tax is distributed to the state for local school support. In addition, property taxes are collected to pay for special voter-approved levies, such as school maintenance and operation levies and fire district bonds. The Assessor sets the levy rates based on taxing district budget requests, statutory limits, and property values. Levy rates are expressed in dollars per thousand dollars of assessed value.
Property tax is the oldest tax levied in the state of Washington, and it’s also one of the more difficult to understand. Watch our Understanding Property Tax video and learn the basics of property tax.
Beginning with taxes due in 2022, the state levy returned to a budget-based system with a maximum levy rate of $3.60 per $1,000 market value. The state levy will be capped at the lesser of the 1 percent growth factor or inflation, plus additional amounts for new construction and increases in the value of state assessed property. For more information about the state school levy and how it is calculated please see these additional resources:
