Ad Valorem Tax

Filed Under » ,
Dictionary Says

Definition of 'Ad Valorem Tax'

A tax based on the assessed value of real estate or personal property. Ad valorem taxes can be property tax or even duty on imported items. Property ad valorem taxes are the major source of revenue for state and municipal governments.

Municipal property ad valorem taxes are also known as "property taxes".
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'Ad Valorem Tax'

The phrase ad valorem is Latin for "according to value". In the case of municipal property taxes, property owners have their property assessed on a periodic basis by a public tax assessor. The assessed value of the property is then used to compute an annual tax, which is levied on the owner by his or her municipality. Ad valorem taxes are incurred through ownership of an asset, in contrast to transactional taxes, such as sales taxes, which are incurred only at the time of transaction.

Related Definitions

  • Income Tax

    A tax that governments impose on financial income generated by all entities within their jurisdiction. By law, businesses and individuals must file an income tax return every year to ...
    Read More »
  • Mill Rate

    The amount of tax payable per dollar of the assessed value of a property. The mill rate is based on "mills"; as each mill is one-thousandth of a currency unit, one mill is equivalent to ...
    Read More »
  • Property Tax

    A tax assessed on real estate by the local government. The tax is usually based on the value of the property (including the land) you own.
    Read More »
    • Local Tax

      An additional tax on top of federal and state taxes, usually collected in the form of property taxes. Also called "municipal tax".
      Read More »
    • Real Estate

      Land plus anything permanently fixed to it, including buildings, sheds and other items attached to the structure. Although, media often refers to the "real estate market" from the ...
      Read More »
    • Value-Added Tax - VAT

      A type of consumption tax that is placed on a product whenever value is added at a stage of production and at final sale. Value-added tax (VAT) is most often used in the European Union. ...
      Read More »
    • Assessed Value

      The dollar value assigned to a property for purposes of measuring applicable taxes. Assessed valuation is used to determine the value of a residence for tax purposes and takes comparable ...
      Read More »
    • Millage Rate

      The amount per $1,000 that is used to calculate taxes on property. Millage rates are most often found in personal property taxes, where the expressed millage rate is multiplied by the ...
      Read More »
    • Duty

      1. A tax levied on certain goods, services or transactions. Duties are enforceable by law and are imposed on commodities or financial transactions, instead of individuals.2. The ...
      Read More »
    • Stealth Taxes

      A type of levy that governments use to increase their revenues without raising the ire of taxpayers. Compared to income taxes and property taxes, stealth taxes are smaller and less ...
      Read More »

Articles Of Interest

Partner Links