How to Use Municipal Property Tax — Properties, Owners & Assessments

Properties, owners, and assessments form the master data foundation of the property tax system. You need all three before you can generate tax notices. This guide covers the Properties list, Property Owners, the Assessment Roll, and the Property Detail page.

Recommended workflow order:

1. Add Properties (the land parcels).
2. Add Property Owners (the people or entities who own them).
3. Load the Assessment Roll (assessed values for each property per tax year).

---

Getting Here

1. Open the main sidebar and select a Bookkeeping Client.
2. In the client sidebar, expand Municipal Government → Property Tax → Properties & Assessments.
3. Click Properties, Property Owners, or Assessment Roll.

---

Properties

Path: Properties & Assessments → Properties

The Properties page is the master list of every property (land parcel) in your municipality. Each property has a unique roll number, a civic address, a legal description, and a property type.

The Properties Table

The page uses infinite scroll — as you scroll down, more records load automatically. Above the table, a search bar and a type filter let you narrow down the list.

Creating a Property

1. Click the Add Property button at the top-right.
2. Fill in the form:

3. Click Save.

Editing a Property

1. Click the pencil icon on any row.
2. The edit form opens pre-filled. You can change any field.
3. Click Save.

Importing Properties from a Spreadsheet

If you have many properties, use the bulk import:

1. Click the Import button (upload icon) at the top.
2. The import wizard opens in a multi-step flow:
   • Step 1: Upload — Drag and drop a CSV or Excel file, or paste tabular data directly into the text area. A sample CSV format is shown for reference.
   • Step 2: Map Columns — The system auto-matches your file's column headers to the expected fields. Use the dropdowns to correct any mismatches. Required fields are marked with an asterisk.
   • Step 3: Preview — Review the first few rows to verify the mapping is correct.
   • Step 4: Import — Click import. The system creates properties and reports how many were created, updated, or skipped.

Supported columns for import:

Filtering Properties

• Search bar: Type a roll number, address, or legal description to filter the list in real time.
• Type dropdown: Filter by property type — residential, commercial, industrial, farmland, institutional, or all.

---

Property Detail Page

Path: Click any roll number in the Properties table.

The Property Detail page shows everything about a single property in one place. It has three sections: a header with property info, a summary bar, and tabbed content.

Header

Shows the roll number, civic address, and an Edit Property button. Click edit to change roll number, address, legal description, property type, or notes.

Summary Bar

A horizontal row of key-value cards:

Tabs

The detail page organizes information into tabs:

This page gives you a complete 360-degree view of a property's tax history — ideal for answering taxpayer inquiries or preparing certificates.

---

Property Owners

Path: Properties & Assessments → Property Owners

The Property Owners page manages the individuals, corporations, or organizations that own property in your municipality. An owner can be linked to one or more properties.

The Owners Table

The page uses infinite scroll with a search bar at the top.

Creating an Owner

1. Click the Add Owner button.
2. Fill in the form:

3. Click Save.

Editing an Owner

1. Click the pencil icon on any row.
2. The form opens pre-filled with the current data.
3. Make changes and click Save.

Viewing Owner Detail

Click the eye icon or the owner's name to open a detail panel. The detail view shows:

• All properties owned by this person (linked through assessments).
• The owner's contact information.
• A summary of total assessed value and outstanding balances across all their properties.

Importing Owners from a Spreadsheet

1. Click the Import button.
2. The import wizard guides you through uploading a CSV or Excel file.
3. Supported columns:

---

Assessment Roll

Path: Properties & Assessments → Assessment Roll

The Assessment Roll is where you enter or import the assessed values for each property, for each tax year. This is the core dataset that drives tax calculation.

The Assessment Roll Table

The page uses infinite scroll with powerful filtering at the top. Use the Tax Year dropdown to switch between years.

Filtering the Assessment Roll

Above the table are four filter controls:

Creating an Assessment

1. Click the Add Assessment button.
2. The create form opens. Fill in:

3. Click Save.

Editing an Assessment

1. Click the pencil icon on any row.
2. The edit form opens pre-filled.
3. Make changes and click Save.

⚠ Warning: Editing a confirmed assessment after notices have been issued may create discrepancies. Use Supplementary Notices to handle revised assessments.

Bulk Actions

Select assessments using the checkboxes on the left, then use the bulk action buttons that appear:

A Select All checkbox in the header selects all assessments on the current page. If more pages exist, a banner offers to select all matching records.

Importing Assessments from a Spreadsheet

This is the most efficient way to load assessments for a new tax year:

1. Click the Import button.
2. The import wizard opens. Upload a CSV or Excel file.
3. Supported columns:

A sample CSV is shown in the import wizard for reference.

Copying Assessments to a New Year

Instead of importing, you can copy existing assessments forward:

1. Click the Copy Year button.
2. Select the Copy From year (source) and Copy To year (destination).
3. The system copies all assessments with their values, owners, and classifications. The status is set to Provisional in the new year.
4. Review and confirm the copied assessments before generating notices.

This is the fastest way to set up a new tax year when property values have not significantly changed.

Creating Revised Assessments

When a property's assessment changes mid-year (e.g., after an appeal or new construction), use the Create Revised button:

1. Click Create Revised on the assessment you want to revise.
2. The new assessment is linked to the original and marked as Revised.
3. This triggers the ability to issue a Supplementary Notice for the difference.

Help Panel

Click the Help button (question mark icon) to toggle an information panel that explains the assessment workflow, how taxable value is calculated, and the meaning of each status.

---

Next Steps

With properties, owners, and assessments loaded, you can now:

• File Assessment Appeals if taxpayers dispute values.
• Grant Exemptions for qualifying properties.
• Record Property Transfers when ownership changes.
• Generate Tax Notices for the tax year.

See the respective guides for each topic.