How property assessment works in Minnesota

Minnesota's property tax system is among the most complex in the nation. But in simple terms, here's how it works.

— County assessors gather all property sales between Oct. 1 and Sept. 30. These will be the basis for the next assessment.

— After analyzing sales and comparing them to other properties, assessors set a value for all properties in the county.

— In the spring, valuation notices go out. These set the value for the next tax year. This means that assessed values trail the market by two years. The assessments that went out in spring 2022, for tax year 2023, are based on values for the year ending Sept. 30, 2021.

— Government bodies — the state, county, townships, school districts and others — set their levies. That's the total amount of taxes that will be collected.

— Based on the levies and the tax rates set by the state for various categories of property, owners are told what taxes they'll pay.