§ 16081 School Tax Refund Adjustments
If a school district gets a tax refund because some property was found to be exempt and that exempt property is at least 1% of the district’s total value, the state will lower the district’s next‑year repayment and the amount taken from the State School Fund by the same amount it would have saved if the exempt property had never been counted in the first place.
A district collected school taxes on a commercial building that later turned out to be owned by a nonprofit, so the building was exempt. The building’s value was $150,000 and the district’s total assessed value was $12,000,000 (1.25%). The district got a refund for the taxes paid on that building.
Because the exempt building made up more than 1% of the district’s total value, the Controller will cut the district’s repayment for the next fiscal year by the amount the repayment would have been lower if the building’s $150,000 had never been included in the original valuation.
Reduction = (Exempt Property Assessed Value ÷ Total Assessed Valuation) × Annual Repayment
The district’s total assessed valuation was $10,000,000. An exempt parcel was valued at $200,000 (2%). The district’s annual repayment to the state is $500,000.
Result: Reduction = (200,000 ÷ 10,000,000) × 500,000 = 0.02 × 500,000 = $10,000. The Controller will lower the repayment and the State School Fund deduction by $10,000 for the next fiscal year.
AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.
§ 16081 School Tax Refund Adjustments
Last verified: January 10, 2026