Title 47, Taxation, Licensing, Permits, Assessments, and Fees. [Enacted title]

(a) There is created within the Office of the Mayor the Office of the Real Property Tax Ombudsman (“Office”), which shall be headed by the Real Property Tax Ombudsman (“Ombudsman”), who shall be appointed by the Mayor pursuant to § 1-523.01(a), as a statutory employee in the Exce…

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of § 47-501, there is hereby levied for each fiscal year a tax on the real property in the District of Columbia at a rate or rates determined according to the provisions of this chapter. Unless otherwise provided by law, all revenues received fr…

(a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, if there is a payment of real property tax that results in an overpayment for a billing period or levy with priority, the overpayment shall be credited in order of priority against the real property tax owing on the property for a su…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term: (1) “Applicant” means the landlord or the tenant. (2) “Benefit period” means the period commencing on the first day of the month immediately following the rent commencement date and terminating no later than 60 months thereafter. (3…

The Mayor may: (1) In his discretion, waive in whole or in part, interest or penalties, on unpaid taxes levied under this chapter and due to the District of Columbia, when, in his or her judgment, it would be equitable, just, or in the public interest; or (2) Compromise taxes lev…

(a) The Council, after public hearing, shall by October 15 of each year establish, by act, rates of taxation, by class, as provided in § 47-813, and the rates shall be applied, during the tax year, to the assessed value of all real property subject to taxation. The Council, actin…

*NOTE: This section includes amendments by temporary legislation that will expire on January 1, 2027. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation, click this link: Past Permanent Version.* (a) For the purpose of levying taxes o…

The Mayor of the District of Columbia is authorized to promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this act.

(a) Before September 16th of each year, the Mayor shall estimate the assessment roll and submit the estimate to the Council. (a-1) Repealed. (a-2) Repealed. (a-3) Repealed. (a-4) Repealed. (b) Repealed. (b-1) If the Council establishes the real property tax rates and real propert…

At the time the Mayor submits to the Council the estimated assessment roll under § 47-815, he shall also submit the following: (1) The total aggregate assessed value of real property exempt from the real property tax levied in the District for the current fiscal year by major cla…

In establishing a real property tax rate or rates, the Council shall make a comparison of tax rates and burdens applicable to residential and nonresidential property in the District with those such rates applicable to such property in jurisdictions in the vicinity of the District…

Pursuant to § 47-817, the Council of the District of Columbia (“Council”) adopts the following reports as the Council’s comparison of tax rates and burdens applicable to residential and nonresidential real property in the District of Columbia (“District”) with the rates on proper…

The Mayor shall, by June 30th of each year, compile and publish information regarding the relative amount of tax for all major taxes in the District compared with those in surrounding jurisdictions in the Washington metropolitan area and with those in other cities. The informatio…

(a)(1) The assessed value of all real property as of the valuation date shall be listed annually on the estimated assessment roll for real property taxation purposes. (2) Repealed. (3) The assessed value for all real property shall be the estimated market value of such property a…

(a) Except as otherwise provided by subsection (b) of this section, the assessed value of improved residential real property owned by a cooperative housing association, for the tax year beginning July 1, 1990, and for each subsequent tax year, shall be: (1)(A) The aggregate estim…

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section, the assessed value of resale restricted properties (as defined in subsection (c) of this section) shall be: (1)(A) First determined for the year in which the current property owner received the property. (B) The …

(a) The Mayor shall assess all real property, identifying separately the value of land and improvements thereon, and administer and collect the real property tax within the District. The Mayor shall also notify owners of real property of assessments and of appeal procedures. In a…

(a) All real property, except as hereinafter provided, shall be assessed in the name of the owner, or trustee or trustees of the owner thereof. All undivided real property of a deceased person may be assessed in the name of such deceased person until such undivided real property …

(a)(1) The Mayor shall compile the estimated assessment roll and, for every property, indicate at least the following: the name of the owner; address of the property; lot and square; assessed value; and whether the property is taxable or exempt. (2) The roll shall also include th…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, beginning as soon as possible after January 1, but no later than March 1, each owner of real property shall be notified of the assessment of his or her property for the next real property tax year. The notice, or the state…

(a)(1)(A) There is established the Real Property Tax Appeals Commission for the District of Columbia (“Commission”) to review real property assessments and classifications and to hear other appeals. The Commission shall have jurisdiction over any appeal timely filed with the Boar…

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, § 47-825.01(d)(5) [repealed], the second sentence of § 47-825.01(e) [repealed], and § 47-825.02 shall not apply until the Chief Financial Officer has determined that the implementation of those provisions will have no negative fiscal impact on t…

Within 1 year after September 3, 1974, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia shall establish a method which it deems appropriate by which class action cases regarding any matter relating to real and personal property taxes may be brought before the Superior Court.

Any person who shall refuse or knowingly neglect to perform any duty enjoined on him by law, or who shall consent to or connive at any evasion of the provision of the first section of the Act of March 3, 1881 (§ 47-211), or § 13 of the Act of August 14, 1894 (§ 47-602), or any ot…

(a)(1) In addition to the annual assessment of real property made pursuant to § 47-820(b), the Mayor, pursuant to subsections (b) through (f) of this section, shall conduct a supplemental assessment of real property between January 1 and June 30, to become effective October 1, an…

(a) Any owner aggrieved by any supplemental assessment, made in accordance with § 47-829, may appeal from the assessment to the Real Property Tax Appeals Commission for the District of Columbia by: (1) September 30 for a supplemental assessment conducted between January 1 and Jun…

(a) If the Department of Finance and Revenue shall learn that any property liable to taxation has been omitted from the assessment for any previous year or years, or has been so assessed that the assessment made was void, it shall be a duty at once to reassess this property for e…

(a) Whenever a subdivision of any lot or parcel of land in the District of Columbia, or any portion of any such lot or parcel, is made during the months of July, August, September, October, November, or December, the general tax due and payable upon such lot or parcel of land for…

Whenever application is made in writing to the Assessor of the District of Columbia by the owner of any tract of land in said District not subdivided into lots and of record as a subdivision in the Office of the Surveyor of said District, for the redistribution of any general or …

(a) Whenever application is made according to law for the reassessment or redistribution of taxes by reason of the subdivision of any tract of land in the District, the department charged with the assessment of real estate in the District is hereby authorized and directed to reas…

The Department of Finance and Revenue, charged with the assessment of real estate in the District of Columbia, is hereby authorized and directed to reassess or redistribute any such general or special assessment or tax levied or due and unpaid in accordance with the provisions of…

The property owned or occupied by the Washington Terminal Company, or by the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad Company, or by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company under authority of this Act, or otherwise, together with the improvements that may be put thereon, s…

The property occupied by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, or by the Washington Terminal Company, under authority of this act, together with the improvements which may be put thereon, shall be subject to tax by the District of Columbia the same as other property in the Dis…

The property occupied by the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Company under authority of this section, together with the improvements which may be put thereon, shall be subject to tax by the District of Columbia the same as other property in the District of Columbia; provided, that…

The Mayor of the District of Columbia is hereby authorized and directed, in all cases where general taxes or assessments for local improvements in the District of Columbia may be quashed, set aside, or declared void by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, by reason of …

There shall be a valuation taken of all real estate belonging to the United States in the District, except the public buildings, and the grounds which have been dedicated to the public use as parks and squares, at least once in 5 years, and return thereof shall be made by the Com…

All valuations of property belonging to the United States shall be made by such persons as the Secretary of the Interior shall appoint, and under such regulations as he shall prescribe.

For certain officially designated historic buildings in the District, the Mayor shall, in addition to assessing at full market value, assess land and improvement on the basis of current use and structures of the buildings, which latter assessment, if it is less than full market v…

To be eligible for historic property tax relief, real property must be a historic building designated by the Joint Committee on Landmarks of the National Capital and, in addition, must be approved by the Mayor under § 47-844.

The Council may provide that the owners of historic buildings which have been so designated by the Joint Committee on Landmarks of the National Capital may enter into agreements with the government of the District of Columbia for periods of at least 20 years which will assure the…

(a) An eligible taxpayer may defer each year any real property tax owed in excess of 110% of his or her immediately preceding year’s real property tax liability for Class 1B Property, as defined in § 47-813(c-9)(2). To be eligible for such deferral the taxpayer must: (1) Have own…

(a) Notwithstanding any other law or regulation, the Mayor may enter into an agreement with The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (“BNA”), and BNA Washington, Inc. (“BNAW”), to defer, up to 10 years, any real property tax liability on property located on Lot 109 and Lot 883 of Squ…

(a) For purposes of this section, the term: (1) “Eligible owner” means an owner (or owners): (A) Who resides in the District in a house or condominium; and (B) Whose household adjusted gross income is less than $50,000. (2) “Household adjusted gross income” means the adjusted gro…

(a) For purposes of this section, the term: (1) “Adjusted gross income” shall have the same meaning as in section 62 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, approved August 16, 1954 (68 Stat. 17; 26 U.S.C. § 62). (1A) “Heir” means an individual named in an enforceable will or trans…

The Mayor may defer or forgive, in whole or in part, any property tax owed to the District of Columbia with respect to any qualified real property approved pursuant to § 6-1503.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever any real property in the District of Columbia has been, or shall hereafter be, offered for sale for nonpayment of taxes or assessments of any kind whatsoever, and shall have been bid off in the name of the District of Colum…