Property taxes rely on county assessment and taxation offices to value the property, calculate and collect the tax and distribute the money to taxing districts.
The assessor in each county has the responsibility to discover, list and value both real and taxable personal property.
Taxing districts subject to Oregon's Local budget law prepare their budgets for the coming fiscal year. During this process, the budget committee and governing body determine the amount of property taxes the district needs to support the budget. Public meetings are held to gather community feedback.
The county assessor places the taxes certified by the taxing districts on the tax roll in the Fall of each year. Property taxes are placed on the tax roll in the form of a rate per $1,000 of assessed value. The total amount of tax placed on a property is computed by multiplying the property's assessed value by the combined tax rates of all the districts in which the property is located and then adding any assessments.
Taxpayers receive a 3% discount if their property tax account is paid in full by November 15 and a 2% discount on the amount of tax paid if two-thirds of the amount due is paid by November 15. At least one-third of the account’s property taxes must be paid by November 15 in order to avoid interest charges.