THE CURRENT MILL RATE: 2007 is 35.33 mills or $35.33 per $1,000 of assessment
ex: $100,000 assessed value X .03533 = $3,533.00 tax
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In the State of Connecticut, property taxes are ad valorem; this means they are based on the value of the property. Per Connecticut General Statute 12-62a, property is uniformly assessed as of the October 1st assessment date (which is oftentimes referred to as the Grand List date). Assessments are 70% of the value of the property. For motor vehicles, the assessment is therefore 70% of the average retail value of that vehicle from the pricing guide selected for that assessment year. For real estate, the assessment is 70% of the market value of the property as of the last revaluation. Revaluations occur every four years to update the values based on the changes in market.
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OBJECTIVE
The Torrington Assessor's office primary mission is to discover, list, and value all taxable and non-taxable real property, business personal property, and motor vehicles annually within the city. This function involves maintaining accurate configurations of land and ownership, and establishing valuations upon which the city levies its property taxes. The office provides important mapping, parcel data, and ownership/assessment information and assistance to taxpayers and government agencies.
Assessments are compiled annually into a document known as the Grand List. We strive to develop values with fairness and impartiality in accordance with the laws of the State of Connecticut. The individual assessments in the Grand List distributes an individual taxpayer's property tax liability. The office also administers many state and local tax exemption programs.
A wide range of professionals and individual taxpayers use the assessor's office. We are committed to providing accurate information in a timely and courteous manner. Appraisers, attorneys, real estate agents, developers, title searchers, federal agencies and state agencies frequently reference the information contained on our assessment records. Information of particular importance includes updated ownership information, current real property sales data, updated parcel tax maps, permit tracking, new construction inspections, and other current property characteristics including zoning, utilities, and any building data, on a daily basis.
Customer Volume
The office generated approximately $3,754 in copying fees (e.g. copies of property record cards, tax maps, etc.) for 2007, including sales of grand list CD's, and other custom queries that was turned into the city's General Fund. Most of this revenue literally comes across the counter $1 at-a-time and represents the large volume of customers we serve throughout the year. We wrote approximately 1,870 Certificate of Corrections from January 1, 2007, to date. Most of these were motor vehicle related and again represents the large volume of taxpayers we deal with on a personal basis.
Programs administered through the Assessor's office
Elderly Homeowners Credit
State Tax Freeze
Local Option Tax Freeze
State Veterans Exemption
Local Option Veterans Exemptions
Enterprise Corridor Zone Exemptions
Manufacturing & Machinery Exemptions
Local Real Estate Abatements
Social Security Disability
Blind Exemption
Commercial Truck Exemptions
Ambulatory Equipped Vehicle Exemption
Volunteer Firefighter Abatements
All of the programs listed above have an application process with specific filing deadlines. For further information please contact the office.
BLIND EXEMPTION
Blind individuals who have been certified by the State of Connecticut as legally blind are eligible for a $3000 exemption. Applicants must provide a copy of their Certification of Legal Blindness from the State of Connecticut before the Grand List is signed in order to receive the exemption on that Grand List. This certificate needs to be submitted only once in order to enjoy this benefit for the rest of the applicant's lifetime.
TOTALLY DISABLED
Those who are Totally Disabled according to the Social Security Administration can apply for a $1000 exemption. Applicants must provide a copy of the award letter from the Social Security Office that shows when they were first determined to be totally disabled. The letter and application must be filed with the Assessor's Office before the Grand List is signed in order to receive the exemption on that Grand List.
AMBULANCE EQUIPPED VEHICLES
Owners of vehicles that have been adapted for handicap access may be eligible for an exemption for Ambulance Type Vehicles. The filing period is September 1st to October 31st annually. In order to receive this exemption, the Assessor or Deputy Assessor must inspect the vehicle on an annual basis. You must call the Assessor's Office during the filing period to make an appointment for inspection.
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