COUNTY NEWS

The Los Alamos County Assessor would like to inform property owners that the County Assessor’s office will be mailing out Notices of Property Value on or before April 1, 2021.  The purpose of these notices is to inform you of the current ownership, legal description, applicable exemptions, and the valuation placed on your property.  Upon receipt of this notice, please read and verify that all information is correct.

The Los Alamos County Assessor’s office is on a one-year valuation cycle.  As established by law, property assessments for the 2021 Tax Year are determined at 2020 market levels.  The taxable status date is fixed as of January 1 of the current year.

If you are unclear or do not understand the valuation level or process, exemptions, protest procedures or any other property tax related issues, do not hesitate to contact our office for assistance by calling (505) 662-8030 or visiting us at 1000 Central Avenue, Suite 210.  Business hours are from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.  You may also visit our website at www.losalamosnm.us/assessor, for forms or links to other useful tools.  You do not have to file a property valuation protest to inquire about assessment procedures or to have your property valuation reviewed and explained.  Although an individual might choose to do so, we do not recommend that a property owner acquire a Fee Simple Appraisal of their property for the sole purpose of appealing their property assessment. In most cases the cost of an appraisal will be greater than the reduction in tax savings.

Property owners may protest their valuation, classification, allocation of value, denial of exemptions or limitation on increases in value as determined by the County Assessor.  The first step in this process is to meet with a representative of the Assessor’s office to explain why you feel the assessment is in error.  The best time to do this is within thirty days of the mailing of your notice of value.  After this time, a claim for refund is required to be filed in District Court at the owner’s expense and the Assessor’s staff cannot assist you in this process.

If, after meeting with the assessor’s staff, you remain convinced that your value is incorrect; you may, file a petition of protest with the County Assessor within thirty days of the mailing of your notice of value.

Types of exemptions available for homeowners as listed on the back of your notice of value are:

• Head of Household (family) exemption: $2,000 reduction of the net taxable value.  Most homeowners qualify for this type of exemption
• Veterans’ exemption: $4,000 reduction of the net taxable value.  Must obtain a green colored “Certificate of Eligibility” from the NM Department of Veterans Services.  A married couple, where both spouses are veterans, may each file for this exemption for a total of $8,000.
• 100% Disabled Veterans Exemption:  100% exemption from property taxes if certain criteria are met.  Must obtain a gold colored “Certificate of Eligibility” from the NM Department of Veterans Services.
• Low income and sixty-five year of age or older or Disabled, whose modified gross income limit is $34,500 or less:  Depending on eligibility, your property may be subject to a valuation freeze that limits any further increases in value. 

The deadline for claiming exemptions is thirty days (postmarked) after the mailing of the notice of value.  Please contact our office or visit our website for details on the required qualification criteria for these exemptions.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this process, please feel free to contact the Assessor’s Office at 505-662-8030, or email them at assessor@lacnm.us