ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Buncombe County property owners will receive 2026 tax bills based on 2021 property values — not the county’s recently completed 2026 reappraisal.
The change comes after state lawmakers delayed implementation of the new property values, forcing Buncombe County and the city of Asheville to adjust their tax rates to maintain the budgets they adopted earlier this year.
Bottom line: Most homeowners will see the same assessed property value they saw last year, but with a different tax rate. Whether a homeowner’s bill goes up or down depends on several factors, including the property’s assessed value and how much it would have changed under the delayed 2026 reappraisal.
At a glance
- Property values used for 2026 tax bills: 2021 assessed values
- Buncombe County tax rate: 61.54 cents per $100 of assessed value
- Asheville tax rate: 50.78 cents per $100 of assessed value
- 2026 reappraisal: Delayed until 2027
- Property tax appeals: More than 16,000 will carry forward
Why are 2021 property values being used?
Normally, Buncombe County updates property values every four years to reflect changes in the real estate market.
County officials completed the 2026 reappraisal earlier this year, but the General Assembly approved Senate Bill 889, delaying implementation of the new property values until 2027.
That means counties must use their previous Schedule of Values for this year’s tax bills.
For most homeowners, the assessed value of their property will remain the same as last year unless the property has changed or previously received an adjustment, such as damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene.
More than 16,000 property owners filed appeals after receiving their 2026 property values. Those appeals were filed before the state delayed implementation of the reappraisal.
Why didn’t the county use the 2026 property values?
A second state law, Senate Bill 474, gave Buncombe County another option.
Under that law, commissioners could have implemented the 2026 property values this year only if they also adopted a revenue-neutral tax rate of about 40 cents per $100 of assessed value.
County officials estimated that option would have reduced revenue by more than $24 million and required significant cuts to the fiscal year 2026-27 budget adopted in June.
Instead, commissioners voted to continue using the 2021 property values while increasing the county tax rate to 61.54 cents per $100 of assessed value.
County leaders said that approach allows the county to maintain funding for schools, public safety and other services included in the adopted budget.
Will homeowners pay more in property taxes?
Not necessarily.
The state delay affected property values, not the amount of money counties and cities are allowed to collect through property taxes.
Because local governments set their own tax rates, Buncombe County increased its rate to account for the lower assessed values being used this year.
The effect on an individual homeowner depends on what would have happened under the 2026 reappraisal.
For example, a homeowner whose property value increased significantly during the reappraisal may pay less than expected because the higher value is not being used this year. A homeowner whose property value would have decreased may not see that reduction until the new values take effect in 2027.
The best comparison for homeowners is this year’s tax bill versus last year’s tax bill — not this year’s bill versus what they expected after the reappraisal.
What happens to pending property tax appeals?
Those appeals are not being thrown out.
Property owners do not need to file another appeal. The county said unresolved appeals will carry forward and be applied when the 2026 Schedule of Values takes effect in 2027.
Will tax bills arrive on time?
No.
County officials said tax bills will be mailed later than usual because staff must update billing systems to use the 2021 property values instead of the completed 2026 reappraisal.
Bills will be posted online as soon as they are available.
What about Asheville city taxes?
The state changes affected Asheville, as well.
Because Asheville property tax bills are based on the same county property values, the City Council had to adjust its tax rate after lawmakers delayed implementation of the 2026 reappraisal.
The council voted 4-2 to increase the city’s property tax rate from 37.69 cents to 50.78 cents per $100 of assessed value.
City officials said the higher rate is needed because the city is using older, lower property values and is not expected to generate additional revenue beyond what was approved in the city’s $275.7 million budget.
Without changing the tax rate, city officials estimated Asheville would have collected about $28 million less in property tax revenue than anticipated.
Finance Director Tony McDowell told council members the adjustment was designed to keep property tax collections in line with the adopted budget, calling it “a net zero impact to the overall city budget and our overall city property tax collections.”
Will my Asheville tax bill increase?
It depends on how your property value changed during the 2026 reappraisal.
Like the county, Asheville is pairing a higher tax rate with older property values. That means homeowners are paying a higher rate on a lower assessed value.
City officials provided this example:
Under the original budget, a home valued at $478,500 would have been taxed at 37.69 cents per $100.
Under the revised plan, that same home would return to its 2021 assessed value of about $350,000 and be taxed at 50.78 cents per $100.
In that example, the homeowner’s city tax bill would actually be slightly lower than it would have been under the original plan using the higher property value.
Mayor Esther Manheimer said most homeowners should expect to see the same assessed value they saw last year — unless improvements were made to the property — but paired with a different tax rate.
“What folks are going to see is the value from last year … with just a new tax rate,” Manheimer said.
What should homeowners compare?
Officials recommend residents compare this year’s tax bill with last year’s bill.
Comparing the bill to what homeowners expected after the 2026 reappraisal may be misleading because those new property values are not being used until 2027.
Why lawmakers changed the rules
Gov. Josh Stein, who signed both bills into law, said he had concerns that delaying Buncombe County’s reappraisal would complicate the county’s recovery from Tropical Storm Helene by forcing local governments to revisit budgets after they had already been adopted.
He said local governments still have options to generate the revenue they need, but argued the legislation made the process more difficult.
“The county has options available to them to make sure they have the revenue necessary to meet the needs, but it makes it more difficult for them,” Stein said. “As a state, we should be making it easier for local governments to deal with recovery.”
Who is eligible for property tax relief?
The changes approved by the General Assembly do not affect existing property tax relief programs.
Eligible homeowners may still qualify for state property tax relief if they are:
- 65 or older and meet income requirements
- Permanently and totally disabled
- Veterans with a qualifying permanent and total service-connected disability
The county also offers a General Assistance Program to help qualifying residents with housing and utility expenses.
Bottom line
Although Buncombe County completed a 2026 reappraisal, state legislation delayed implementation of those new property values until 2027.
For 2026 tax bills, most property owners will see their 2021 assessed value paired with the newly adopted tax rates: 61.54 cents per $100 of assessed value for Buncombe County and 50.78 cents per $100 for Asheville.
The updated property values — and any unresolved appeals — are expected to take effect in 2027.