Property Tax

If you have questions on the assessed value of your property or need a copy of your assessment notice, contact your local County Director of Equalization.

If you have questions on your tax bill or need a copy of your tax bill, contact your local County Treasurer.

The Property Tax Division is responsible for overseeing South Dakota's property tax system, including property tax assessments, property tax levies and all property tax laws. Property taxes are the primary source of funding for schools, counties, municipalities and other units of local government. The Property Tax Division plays a critical role in ensuring that property assessments are fair, equitable and in compliance with state law.

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How Property Taxes Are Calculated

Understanding An Assessor's Role

Property Tax Transparency Portal

Owner Occupied Status 

Property Owner Appeal Process Guide

Opting Out of Tax Limitations

Ag Adjustments

Flooded Farmland

South Dakota Buffer Strip Program

Property Tax Relief Programs

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Information

County Officials

Property Tax Publications

Additional Online Forms

How Property Taxes are Calculated

1. Establishing the Value of the Property
   The first step is to establish the full and true value of all property within the boundaries of each unit of government. State statutes require property to be assessed at its market (or full and true) value. Market value is the amount the property would probably sell for if sold on the open market.
    
2. Determine the Taxable Value of the Property
   All property is to be assessed at full and true value. Then the property is equalized to 85% for property tax purposes. If the county is at 100% of full and true value, then the equalization factor (the number to get to 85% of taxable value) would be .85. For example: A home with a full and true value of $230,000 has a taxable value ($230,000 multiplied by .85) of $195,500.
   
   
3. Determine the Tax Levy for All Taxing Jurisdictions Which can Tax Properties
   The third step is to determine the amount of taxes needed to meet the costs of operating a unit of government. The higher the cost of operating the city or school district, the larger the revenues required from property taxes. Revenues from property taxes, combined with other monies such as federal grants, must equal the size of the budget of the unit of government. The amount of property taxes a taxing entity can ask for is limited based on the Property Tax Reduction Act. The tax rate for all property in a local unit of government is arrived at by dividing the value of all the property into the amount of the budget that is unfunded from other sources. This calculation results in a tax rate expressed in dollars of property value, or “dollars per thousand”. For example: if the taxable value within a city is $10,000,000 and the city has a tax levy request of $100,000, the tax levy is $10 per thousand.
   
   
4. Taxes are Computed for Individual Properties
   The final step is to apply the tax rate calculated in step three to individual properties. For example, using a tax levy of $10 per thousand from the example above, the tax on a home with a taxable value of $200,000 would be calculated at $10 X 200 or a tax of $2,000.

Understanding an Assessor's Role

In South Dakota, the director of equalization is the assessor of all real property located within the county. 

Property Tax Transparency Portal

The South Dakota Property Tax Portal is the one stop shop for property tax information, resources and laws. This system features the Property Tax Explainer Tool that provides a high level breakdown of some of the levies assessed within a specific jurisdiction, numerous DOR property tax facts, publications, forms, and multiple years of property tax data.

While the state does not collect or spend any property tax money, property taxes are the primary source of funding for school systems, counties, municipalities, and other units of local government. Not only is the portal a great resource for finding property tax information, it also makes available data open and transparent for everyone.

To visit the site click here. 

Owner Occupied Status

If an individual has recently purchased a home, they may be eligible to qualify for a reduced property tax rate. Please send the completed form to your County Director of Equalization by March 15. Eligible properties include:

• House
• Condominium
• Townhouse
• Duplex
• Triplex
• Fourplex
• Manufactured or Mobile Homes

Complete Form

Owner Occupied Tax Fact (PDF)

Property Owner Appeal Process Guide

As the owner of real property in South Dakota, you have the right to ensure your property is being assessed at no more than market value, as well as assessed equitably in relationship to other properties. Understand the process of appealing your assessed value with the Property Owner Appeal Process Guide (PDF).

Opting Out of Tax Limitations

Taxing Districts (other than School Districts)

“Opting out” means the taxing entity needs more monies from property taxes than they are allowed by the limitation. The limitation allows increases to taxes payable in the preceding year by the consumer price index and growth. The CPI for taxes payable in 2020 has been set at 2.4.

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School Districts

If the school district cannot operate on the revenues generated by the maximum levy for general fund and monies from state aid as determined by the funding formula, then the school district may choose to “opt-out” of the general fund levy limitations. School districts may opt out for General Fund only.

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Ag Adjustments

Are you an agricultural landowner and believe any of the following factors might affect the productivity of your land? 

• Location;
• Size;
• Soil Survey Statistics;
• Terrain;
• Topographical Condition;
• Surface Obstruction;
• Climate; or
• Accessibility

Under South Dakota law, SDCL 10-6-131, landowners may submit a Request for Ag Land Adjustment to the Director of Equalization in the county the land is located in. The county Director of Equalization has the option to make an adjustment to the assessed value of agricultural land where a factor affects the productivity of the land.

To request an adjustment, complete the form below and submit it to the county director of equalization. Ag land adjustments are handled by a county director of equalization so landowners will need to submit a separate request form to EACH county in which the specific parcel(s) of land are located. This form is due by September 1 for consideration for your next year’s assessment.

Request Ag Adjustment

Flooded Farmland Application

Landowners with agricultural land inundated by floods and not farmable during the past three growing seasons may submit an application to the director of equalization for a special assessment. The application is separate from the ag adjustment form and must be submitted prior to November 1^st.

The form may be submitted by any landowner, landowner's agent, or attorney to the director of equalization in the county the parcel is located in. The applicant must describe the portion of the agricultural land that has been inundated by floods and was not farmable during the past three growing seasons.

INUNDATED FARMLANDS APPLICATION

South Dakota Buffer Strip Program

South Dakota agricultural property owners with riparian buffer strips (a vegetated area near a body of water) have until October 15 to apply for a property tax incentive. Eligible waterways are determined by the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources with additional waterways as allowed by the county commission. If you have questions about the eligibility of your land, contact your local Director of Equalization. To be eligible applicants must meet the following requirements:

• The land must consist of existing or planted perennial vegetation.
• The buffer strip has to be a minimum of 50 feet wide and can be a maximum of 120 feet wide. The measurement starts at the top of the bank or where the vegetation starts—whichever is closest to the water.
• The vegetation cannot be harvested or mowed before July 10, unless the riparian buffer strip is impacted by center pivot irrigation, then the perennial vegetation may not be harvested or mowed before June 25. A minimum of 4 inches of vegetation must be maintained at all times.
• The land may not be grazed from May through September.
• For more information on buffer strips, please visit our newsroom here.

APPLY NOW

Property Tax Relief Programs

A number of relief programs offer financial assistance to the elderly and disabled. The Department has put together an overview document on these programs. The Property Tax Reduction Programs Overview document includes information about each program, deadlines and who to contact for more information. 

Find descriptions of each program and application forms.

Learn More

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Information

Tax Increment Financing is a means of financing public improvements in a defined geographic area, known as a tax increment financing district, or TIF district. In South Dakota, a TIF district can be created by either a municipality or county. TIF has become an increasingly popular tool for communities looking to upgrade existing infrastructure or as a means of incentivizing new investments in infrastructure for economic development. As of July 1, 2018, South Dakota state law authorizes four classifications for TIF districts: Local, Industrial, Economic Development, and Affordable Housing. TIF district classification is a function of the state-aid to education formula and determines how a given TIF district impacts school funding in South Dakota.

The Department has put together some guidelines for the creation, classification and annual certification of Tax Increment Financing and Tax Increment Districts. The Tax Increment Financing Annual Report (PDF) details project descriptions, valuation information, and timelines for each TIF district. For more information, please reference the following guidelines.

• TIF Guidelines (PDF)
• Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Tax Fact (PDF)
• Tax Increment Financing District Establishment Submission Form
• SDCL Chapter 11-9

County Officials

Get to know the roles of the people to talk to when you have property tax questions.

Director of Equalization

The county Director of Equalization has the responsibility of ensuring all property in the county is accounted for on the tax list. They are also responsible to ensure these properties are all assessed in an equal and uniform manner.

County Contacts

County Auditor

The Auditor figures the tax levies for all allowable taxing entities within the County and ensures the amount of taxes received complies with state law. In addition, the County Auditor serves as the clerk of the County Commission and records and preserves the records of the Commission proceedings.

County Contacts

County Treasurers

When people think of county revenues they often think of property taxes, which account for the majority of revenue in county budgets. The treasurer is responsible for collecting all property taxes for the county, cities, school districts and any other political district authorized to levy real estate taxes.

County Contacts

Register of Deeds

Your county register of deeds office can most appropriately be thought of as a library of local records. This office is a storage facility for a host of local documents. From land title transfers to birth, marriage, and death records, this office has a wealth of information about the local population. Although these are only a few of the documents recorded in this office, they remain some of the most widely requested by the general public.

Property Tax Publications

• Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Annual Report (PDF)
• Property Tax Statistical Report 2021 (PDF)
• Tax Refund Program for Senior Citizens with Disabilities (PDF)
• Agricultural Land Productivity Formula Tax Fact (PDF)
• Capital Outlay Tax Fact
• Discretionary Formula Tax Fact (PDF)
• Manufactured and Modular Homes Tax Fact (PDF)
• Owner Occupied Tax Fact (PDF)
• Property Tax 101 Tax Fact (PDF)
• Renewable Resource Tax Fact (PDF)
• Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Tax Fact (PDF)
• Understanding Your Property Taxes (PDF)