When buying a home, most people are prepared for things like down payments and closing costs. But there is another expense homeowners have to take into consideration—property taxes. Unfortunately, property taxes can be a little difficult to figure out. Especially since tax rates can vary from state to state and even fluctuate every year.

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put together this guide for navigating property taxes. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about your tax responsibilities in Marion County,

Ohio

, including how and when to pay your taxes.

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Property tax 101

If you’re a new homeowner, or you’re just unfamiliar with property taxes, here are the basics:

A local government will collect property taxes to pay for public services like education, emergency services, and infrastructure.

Property taxes usually apply to real property—usually, land and anything permanently attached to the land—like homes or other buildings.

Property tax rates are determined by a local official, usually an assessor or appraiser. They look at market values to determine tax rates.

Tax rates can change frequently based on the market or even the budget needs of local services.

To put it simply, citizens of a city or county pay property taxes to fund services that help the community.

MORE:

Is car insurance tax deductible?

What is the property tax rate in Marion County?

The current tax rate in Marion County is 1.24% of assessed property value. This means that taxpayers in Marion County can expect to pay around $1,225 a year in property taxes.

If you want more information about taxes in Marion County, you can visit their

website

How Marion County property taxes are determined

Under Ohio law, tax auditors can’t alter property tax rates like in some other states. So property taxes in Marion County are determined in a few steps.

First,

county auditors

prepare a General Tax List. This takes the operating costs of local governments (including townships, schools, etc.) and divides those costs proportionally among taxpayers.

Any additional taxes fall under Ohio’s “10 mill limitation”—meaning they must be voted on by county residents. So if your county passes any tax levies or bond issues, those will be applied to your property tax rates.

What do Marion County property taxes pay for?

Marion County uses funds from property taxes for many different services, including:

K-12 public schools

Day-to-day operating expenses of cities and townships

Health department

Animal control officers and facilities

Libraries

Recycling and litter cleanup

Sanitary engineers

Veteran’s services

Emergency services

MORE:

How to deduct a car accident from your taxes

How to pay property taxes in Marion County

Taxpayers in Marion County pay property taxes twice a year. The first half is due on February 5, and the second half is due on June 20.

Marion County residents have some options when it comes to paying their property tax bills. They can pay online, pay in-person, or pay over the phone. Here’s how:

Online: Taxpayers can go to the

Marion County website

and search for their property. Once you locate your property, proceed with payment instructions.

In-person: Taxpayers can go to the treasurer’s office located at 222 W. Center St. Marion, OH 43302. Office hours are Monday–Friday 8:30 am–4:30 pm.

By phone: You can pay over the phone using the GovPayNet system. Call toll-free at (1-888-604-7888). There is an additional fee for using GovPayNet.

MORE:

Ohio car insurance laws

How to save money on homeowners and car insurance in Ohio

Now that we’ve (hopefully) made property taxes a little less scary, we can make other aspects of homeownership easier, too. Specifically, finding great deals on

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