A modern approach to citizen engagement suggests that some citizens appreciate the ability to interact with their local government in a digital environment, such as online access to services to; pay property taxes, research publicly available information, submit documents and forms, etc. That’s where Engage™ comes in!
Thank you for visiting our website and for the opportunity to serve you and your needs.
Please contact us anytime - we are here to help!
The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) has a new online service portal to file business personal property filings, and can be found here.
To look up your taxing district go to https://budgetnotices.in.gov/
NAICS codes look up go to https://www.census.gov/naics/
To obtain additional guidance or to download related forms, please see the Personal Property page in the sidebar on the left.
Please contact our office at (219) 465-3529 or Assessor@porterco.org if you have any further questions.
Completed personal property forms can be mailed to: Porter County Assessor, 155 Indiana Ave., Suite 302, Valparaiso, IN 46383
We are here to help answer questions as fast and as efficiently as possible. The County building is open to the public, however, we highly encourage the following means of communication:
Properties located in Portage Township (taxing districts 015, 016, 017) call them directly at 219-759-8221. (The taxing district # is the last 3 numbers of the parcel number. Township name is on the bottom portion of the Form 11.)
For all other properties see the following options:
By Mail:
Porter County Assessor
155 Indiana Ave., Suite 211
Valparaiso, IN 46383
By Email:
Assessor@porterco.org
**please reference your parcel that you appealed**
Type of Evidence may consist of –
Thank you for your patience. Please know that if you have to leave a message via phone or email, someone from our office will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
For the assessment January 1, 2024, Form 11's were mailed April 30, 2024 and the filing deadline is June 17, 2024
Record cards can be searched, located and printed online through a parcel search by clicking here.
For a current representation of the housing market across the State of Indiana, click here.
For a current representation of the housing market in Porter County, click here.
Residents of Portage Township need to contact the office of the Portage Township Assessor. Information to contact the office is located by clicking here.
The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) offers an abundance of information regarding current legislation and tax policy. DLGF OVERVIEW
The term "Improvement" simply refers to your house, structure or other improvements to the raw land. These are not necessarily improvements that have been added this year.
For more on the Notice of Assessment of Land and Improvements (Form 11), please visit the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF).
Assessed values are established as of January 1 of the tax year, so for taxes payable in 2024 the valuation date is January 1, 2023. To arrive at the property's value on that date, sales information from the prior year is considered. For taxes payable in 2024, the assessor's office compared sales from 2022.
Ratio Studies are conducted to ensure uniformity and equity of assessments in a mass appraisal system. For more information visit - DLGF
Real property in Indiana is assessed at Market Value in Use. Distress sales such as tax, foreclosure, or short sales are typically not representative of Market Value.
Please see the first paragraph on the following webpage: Tax Bill 101
An appeal of the current year's assessment may have two different filing deadlines which are based on when the Form 11 notice of assessment is mailed. If the Form 11 is mailed before May 1st of the assessment year, the filing deadline is June 15th of that year. If the Form 11 is mailed after April 30th of the assessment year, the filing deadline is June 15th of the year that tax statements are mailed. IC 6-1.1-15-1.1
Contact your County or Township Assessor for status on active appeals.
Assessed values reflect the market and are trended on an annual basis. Actual taxes can vary based on local approved tax rates, referendums, or individual circumstances.
Assessed values fluctuate with the market. Valid sales provide a comprehensive indication of trends. An arm's length sale of a property is a significant factor in determining market trends, which may affect your assessed value.
Sales information can be obtained here, or at the Department of Local Government Finance's website by clicking here.
During reassessment, our office will send field agents to examine and inspect the exterior of every property and interview the property owner to obtain information about the interior. If no one is available to answer the questions at the time of our inspection, we will leave a door hanger. This information is vital to our efforts, since it provides us with information about the interior features and if any changes have been made to the interior of the home.
During statewide reassessments, county and township assessors physically inspect each property to ensure that records are correct. Inspection accomplishes the gathering of data to value the property. For example, does the property still have a free-standing garage and an in-ground pool? Is the building on this property still 1,200 square feet or has it increased or decreased in size? By confirming this information, assessors can ensure properties are properly valued.
For general questions about recording documents, please click here.
Questions regarding State Tax Liens should be directed to the County Clerk's Office. To access the Clerk's Office contact information please click here. Questions regarding Federal Tax Liens should be directed to the County Recorder's Office. To access the Recorder's Office contact information click here.
Questions regarding State Tax Liens should be directed to the County Clerk's Office. To access the Clerk's Office contact information please click here. Questions regarding Federal Tax Liens should be directed to the County Recorder's Office. To access the Recorder's Office contact information click here.
Probate/Estate filing questions should be directed to the County Clerk's Office. To contact the Clerk's Office, please click here.
If you live in a city or a town you must contact the municipality. If you live outside the boundaries of a city or town you must contact the County Plan Commission. To contact the Plan Commission office, please click here.
IC 6-1.1-15-1.1
As a result of legislative changes that were passed in 2017, significant changes have been made to the appeal process. Taxpayers wishing to contest their assessment must now do so on the State prescribed form, Form 130. Form 133, which was previously used to contest assessments on objective grounds, has been eliminated. Taxpayers wishing to contest their assessment on objective grounds (for example, a garage that has been removed or too much square footage) should now do so using page 2 of Form 130. For further information, please visit the DLGF’s website at http://www.in.gov/dlgf/ or contact our office directly.
For the assessment, January 1, 2024 Form 11's were mailed on April 30, 2024 and the filing deadline is June 17, 2024.
During a field inspection, personnel will attempt to make contact with the taxpayer to identify his/herself and explain their purpose for the visit. They will ask several questions to verify information about the interior of the property and request permission to inspect the exterior. If no one is home, personnel will proceed with their work, which includes an inspection of the front and rear of the property. When the inspection is complete, a door hanger will be left to inform the taxpayer that we were there. Photographs will also be taken during all inspections.
Each reassessment field inspector wears an ID badge and an identifying t-shirt or vest. If a taxpayer is uncertain about the identity of a representative, please contact the Porter County Assessor's Office for verification.
The Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF), in partnership with the Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC) at Indiana University, created the below tax bill projection tools for Indiana taxpayers. These tools will allow the taxpayer to enter their property's assessed value and possible deductions to see a range of tax bill estimates.
The estimates provided by these tools are projections only and should not be taken as a statement of true tax liability.
For a list of Taxing Districts (Number/Name) by Township, please see this listing made available by the DLGF.
Property values increase due to real estate market trends. Values fluctuate even without any changes/improvements to property
(Changes to the property may include, but are not limited to: additions, pools, decks, sheds, pole barns, or anything more than 25 sq ft.)
2023 median selling price in Porter County - $295,000
2022 median selling price in Porter County - $287,500
2021 median selling price in Porter County - $250,000
2020 median selling price in Porter County - $236,000
Reasons why trends are higher – Long-Term Housing Shortage, buyers continue purchasing homes at/above current assessed values.
For a current representation of the housing market across the State of Indiana, click here.
For a current representation of the housing market in Porter County, click here.
Effective April 1, 2016, all resident Indiana Inheritance Tax Returns (Form IH-6) for individuals who died prior to January 1, 2013 must be filed with the Indiana Department of Revenue, rather than the county courts.
For more information regarding the repeal of inheritance tax view the letter the Indiana Department of Revenue issued here, inheritance.pdf.
Take the completed Small Estate Forms to the entity holding the deceased person’s items. You should contact the entity to make sure there are no additional procedures to follow in collecting the deceased person’s items.
50 IAC 3.3-2-2
"Annually assessed mobile home" defined Sec. 2
"Annually assessed mobile home" means a mobile home that: (1) has a certificate of title issued by the bureau of motor
vehicles under IC 9-17-6; and(2) is not on a permanent foundation.
IC 9-17-1-0.5
Items requiring a title under IC 9-17Sec. 0.5. The following are required to be titled under this article:(3) Manufactured
or mobile homes that are:(A) personal property not held for resale; or(B) not attached to real estate by a permanent foundation.
50 IAC 3.3-2-3 - "Mobile Home" means a "dwelling" as defined in IC 9-13-2-103.2.
A "manufactured home" as defined in IC 9-13-2-96
If you have any questions regarding Transferring/ Moving permits, see the guidance offered by the Office of the Porter County Treasurer.
For Pre-populated Form:
For Blank Form:
A penalty of twenty-five dollars ($25) applies for returns filed after May 15, 2024. For returns not filed within thirty (30) days of the due date, an additional fee of twenty percent (20%) of the taxes payable will be assessed.
Personal Property exemption eligibility/notification SEA 233-2019
Indiana Senate bill 233 was passed amending IC6-1.1-3-7.2 to allow an exemption from the tax for business owners filing under $80,000 in acquisition costs. Beginning with January 1, 2023 assessment date, a taxpayer is no longer required to file a personal property tax return if they have previously filed a return that claimed the exemption, unless or until the taxpayer no longer qualifies for the exemption. (IC 6-1.1-3-7.2(f) SEA-2002 Sec.11)
Business owners shall report assets in the correct taxing unit where the property has tax situs.* The return must have an NAICS code which appears on the federal return. Individuals using Social Security numbers as
Federal Identification numbers are only required to use the last four digits. Failure to file a return on or before the due date without a declared value or signature, not in the correct taxing unit, or without an
NAICS code, will result in a penalty of $25.00 per Indiana code 6-1.1-37-7.
* See links below to access websites for required information.
The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) has a new online service portal to file business personal property filings, and can be found here.
To Look up your taxing district go to https://budgetnotices.in.gov/
NAICS codes look up go to https://www.census.gov/naics/
Please contact our office at (219) 465-3529 or Assessor@porterco.org if you have any further questions.
Members
2024 Meeting Dates
Meetings are held in the Porter County Administration Building Room 205, Commissioners Chambers,
and begin at 8:30 am. Time and location are subject to change.
This application/form must be filed on or before April 1 of the assessment year and must be re-filed every even year unless the exempt property is owned, occupied, and used for educational, literary, scientific, religious, or charitable purposes and continues to meet the requirements of IC 6-1.1-10-16 or IC 6-1.1-10-21, or is owned by a fraternity or sorority and continues to meet the requirements of IC 6-1.1-10-24. An application should be filed in any year in which an appeal to the Indiana Board of Tax Review or to a court for an exemption determination on the property is pending from any preceding year.
Data current as of:
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