How To Keep A Parents Low Property Tax Base On An Inherited Home

What is California  Proposition 13?

In the 1970s property tax hikes were completely out of control. Working class and middle class families were losing their homes because they could no longer afford to make their mortgage payments with the rapidly increasing property taxes factored in. California Proposition 13 changed all of that!

California Proposition 13, officially named the People’s Initiative to Limit Property Taxation, was amended the Constitution of California in 1978. The initiative was approved by California voters on June 6, 1978.  California Prop 13 states that the maximum amount of any ad valorem tax on real property shall not exceed one percent (1%) of the full cash value of such property. The one percent (1%) tax to be collected by the counties and apportioned according to law to the districts within the counties.

Additionally and perhaps most importantly, Proposition 13 decreased property taxes by assessing values at their 1976 value and restricted annual increases of assessed value to an inflation factor, not to exceed 2% per year. It also prohibits the reassessment of a new base year value except in cases of change in ownership or completion of new construction.

By making these changes to the California Constitution, Prop 13 stabilized property taxes for home owners. People were able to predict if home ownership was going to be affordable for them now and in the future. In situations of rapidly increasing property values, like we have experience in California over the last 50 years, people were no longer in jeopardy of losing their homes due to the inability to afford the increase in their property taxes.

What is California Proposition 58 – Parent to Child Property Tax Transfer?

As time passed a new issue made itself evident. When parents passed on the family home to children a change of ownership would occur and the child who inherited the home would have the property reassessed. In many situations, this property tax reassessment would make the home unaffordable and the child would have no option but to sell the family home.

On November 6, 1986,  California’s Proposition 58 granted Californians the ability to avoid property value reassessment on inherited real estate. With certain limitations, California Proposition 58 allowed for the exclusion for reassessment of property taxes on transfers between parents and children. Proposition 58 allows the new property owner to avoid property tax increases when acquiring property from their parents. The new owner’s taxes are instead calculated on the established Proposition 13 factored base year value, instead of the current market value when the property is acquired.

What is California Proposition 19?

On November 3, 2020, California voters approved Proposition 19. Prop 19, also known as the Home Protection for Seniors, Severely Disabled, Families and Victims of Wildfire or Natural Disasters Act made sweeping changes to a property owner’s ability to transfer their Proposition 13 Assessed Value and also replaced California Prop 58. The measure allows homeowners to transfers their assessed value in some situation and added new transfer provisions for victims of disasters and individuals severely handicapped. Prop 19 changed Prop 58 and limited the parent to child property tax transfer and exclusion for property tax reassessment to $1,000,000 in assessed value and to owner occupied properties. In order to receive your Prop 19 parent to child transfer benefit, the California Board of Equalization and the County Assessors Office has requirements on how the transfer is made.

Commercial Loan Corporation works with your Estate Attorney or California Property Tax Profession to help you qualify for your Prop 19 Parent to Child Transfer Benefit. We provide loans to Irrevocable Trusts and Probate; allowing for an equalized distribution to be made to all involved child beneficiaries without having a personal guarantee from the acquiring beneficiary.

Are you curious if you are eligible for the California Prop 19 Parent to Child Transfer Benefit or would like to learn more about it? We have helped hundreds of clients receive their benefit and on average save them over $6,500 per year in property taxes. Call us at 877-464-1066; we will answer all of your questions and let you know how much you may be able to save in property taxes on an inherited home.