Missouri law (RSMo 137.075) Every person owning or holding real property or tangible personal property on the first day of January, including all such property purchased on that day, shall be liable for taxes thereon during the same calendar year.
                                
IT TAKES TWO --

Two offices associated with the taxing process. Assessor -- assesses value and Collector -- collects the tax. The State of Missouri separates the responsiblities of the taxing process so that the office determining property value is not the one receiving and disbursing the tax money.

Two types of tax:  Personal Property and Real Estate.

Two multipliers in determining tax amount:  Assessed Value and Approved Levy.

        Assessed Value / 100       x              Levy         =                 Tax
    (determined by County Assessor)           (Set by taxing districts)          (Mailed and collected
                                                                       (Certified by State Auditor)     by County Collector)

Personal Property Tax (tangible property)
Must be reported by taxpayer to Assessor each year.
This includes automobiles, motorcycles, boats, trailers, mobile homes, airplanes, livestock, farm machinery, office equipment, etc.

Real Estate Tax (real property)
Change of ownership provided to Assessor through various documents filed in the Recorder's Office.
This includes your home, land, farmland, and commercial property. 

Assessed Value Missouri law provides that taxes be based on value of one's property.  The County Assessor is the elected official with the responsibility of assessing the value of all real estate within the County.  A brief explanation of assessed value is provided on this website.  For additional information on assessed values, contact the Johnson County Assessor.

Tax Rate (Levy) The tax rate is sometimes referred to as a mill levy because it is set at a rate of $100 per assessed value.  The tax rate or levy is set each year by local taxing jurisdictions (districts) within the limits set by the Missouri Constitution and laws. 

How are my taxes calculated? Attached is a flow chart containing dates, how each person and office is involved in the process, as well as reference to the Missouri Law for that particular step.