- Home
- Government
- Departments A-G
- Assessor - Treasurer
At this time, our office at the Pierce County Annex, 2401 S. 35th Street in Tacoma, remains closed to the public, by the Governor’s order. Government offices are not allowed to re-open until Pierce County reaches Phase 3 of the Safe Start Plan. When we are allowed to resume serving taxpayers in person, we will post that information here. Meantime we continue to serve you through this website, by email, by phone or by mail. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Our staff continues to work from home and in the office as necessary, to perform our duties related to property valuation and taxation, but we are not allowed to assist you in person. We encourage you to contact us by phone, live computer chat on this website, or by e-mail or U.S. Mail.
Payments may be made:
- By mail to Pierce County Finance, P.O. Box 11621, Tacoma WA 98411. Make checks payable to Pierce County and please include payment stub or parcel number.
- Online using e-check, debit card or credit card at www.piercecountywa.gov/atr or by calling our automated telephone system at (253) 798-3333. Please have your parcel number ready. A handling fee is added by an outside vendor: 50 cents for e-check, $3.50 for debit and 2.35% for credit card.
- Secure drop box at Pierce County Annex, 2401 S. 35th St., Tacoma. Do not pay in cash. In-person payments at the Assessor-Treasurer’s office are suspended until further notice.
Applications and documentation for senior and disabled tax exemptions may be mailed or dropped in a special collection box in front of the Assessor-Treasurer’s office, inside the County Annex.
Call customer service: (8:30 am to 4:30 pm) 253-798-6111
Email: pcatr@piercecountywa.gov
Mailing address: 2401 S. 35th St Rm 142., Tacoma, WA 98409
ANNUAL PROPERTY VALUES SET BY COUNTY ASSESSOR-TREASURER
The latest assessed values of over 327,000 parcels of property throughout Pierce County have been mailed or emailed this week to the property owners. These 2020 values will be used as the basis for property taxes to be billed in February of 2021.
“Homes in all parts of our County continue to increase in value,” said Mike Lonergan, Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer. Overall, residential properties went up 8.8 percent this year, compared to 7.5 percent in 2019, due to a continued strong real estate market.
State law requires the Assessor-Treasurer to value properties as of January 1, so these values do not reflect any change that may result from the COVID-19 pandemic. “Actually, real estate sales have continued strong so far,” Lonergan said, “and if there is a softening of the market, that will begin to show up in next year’s assessed values.”
Lonergan cautioned homeowners not to jump to the conclusion that an increase in value will result in a tax increase. “It’s a math equation,” he said. “Your tax in 2021 will be the new 2020 value multiplied by the combined tax rates of your school district, city, fire district and so forth, added to the state and countywide property taxes that everyone pays. A lot depends on votes by the public and the Legislature.”
INCOME LIMITS RAISED IN 2020 FOR SENIOR AND DISABLED PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS
More Pierce County homeowners will qualify for property tax relief this year, due to an important change in State Law. The previous maximum household income allowed for a partial tax exemption was $40,000 per year. The new maximum is 65% of the median household median, which in Pierce County is $45,708.
If you are a homeowner at least age 61, or unable to work because of a documented disability regardless of age, and occupy your house at least 9 months a year, you may be exempted from all voted property taxes on your principal residence. In addition, the taxable value of your primary residence will be frozen at the current amount.
There are also additional property tax exemptions for senior or disabled homeowners with household incomes below $38,676 (55% of median) and $31,644 (45% of median). Also, for military veterans, the required percentage of service-connected disability has been lowered from 100% to 80%.
To learn more about applying for an exemption, please click on the “Property Tax Exemptions and Deferrals” tab on the left side of this web page, then click on “Senior Citizens or Disabled Persons” to see more information about required documents and the application form.
If you have further questions, call our Senior/Disabled Exemptions Team at 253-798-2169 from 8:30 am to 4 pm weekdays or visit us at the Pierce County Annex, 2401 S. 35th St. in Tacoma.
NOTE: If you are already enrolled in the exemption program, we have placed you in the correct income category. You will receive your Renewal or Status Change Notice as usual.
Mike Lonergan
Pierce County Assessor Treasurer
Ph: (253) 798-6111
Fx: (253) 798-3142
Contact Us
Hours of Operation
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location
2401 S. 35th St.
Room 142
Tacoma, WA 98409
Directions
Here you’ll find a wealth of information about each of the 330,000 properties in Pierce County, by clicking on our popular Parcel Search. You’ll also get answers to frequently asked questions about your property taxes—how values and rates are determined, where the funds collected (about $1.4 billion per year) are used, and how to go about seeking exemptions, deferrals and appeals. You can even pay your taxes online!
As your Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer, I am honored to lead a team of 77 people dedicated to serving you with respect and earning your trust. While almost no one enjoys paying taxes, we all understand that schools, roads, libraries, parks and public safety need our support. Our pledge to you is that we will make every effort to see that you are taxed fairly and correctly, and if we do make a mistake, we’ll fix it.
On behalf of over 75 taxing districts in Pierce County which are served by the Assessor-Treasurer’s office, thank you for making these public services possible by your property tax support. If you have questions or concerns that are not addressed on this website—or an idea to improve our service to you, please contact us.
Sincerely,
Mike Lonergan