Assessor-Recorder Joaquín Torres Announces Individual Appointment Service for Guidance on Property Tax Exemptions

For Immediate Release
Date: Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Contact: Abigail Fay, abigail.fay@sfgov.org

Assessor-Recorder Joaquín Torres Announces Individual Appointment Service for Guidance on Property Tax Exemptions

Office of the Assessor-Recorder to expand one-on-one appointment service for Exemption filing guidance to individual homeowners. This follows a successful pilot program in 2023 in which the Office provided individual appointments to charitable organizations such as non-profits and community-based organizations applying for the Welfare Exemption.

***Public Service Announcement***

To better serve San Franciscans and increase access to potential property tax savings, the Office of the Assessor-Recorder is expanding our in-person, one-on-one appointment service for exemption guidance to individual homeowners seeking assistance. This expansion follows a pilot program the Office spearheaded in 2023 to support non-profit organizations with property used exclusively for charitable, religious, hospital, or scientific purposes in applying for the Welfare Exemption.

In-person appointments with Assessor-Recorder staff at San Francisco City Hall, Room 190 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM can be made via our website, here. The deadline to file for and receive a full Exemption is February 15, 2024.

"By providing individual homeowners with Exemption filing guidance, we’re moving forward with our goal of removing barriers that prevent San Franciscans from taking advantage of tax-savings opportunities and providing a more immediate customer service experience,” said Assessor-Recorder Joaquín Torres. “In addition to supporting homeowners, receiving an exemption allows our nonprofits, community-based organizations, medical and scientific institutions, places of worship and affordable housing developments to focus their resources on the critical services so many of our citizens rely on including food security, mental and physical health, after-school care and more.”

Under the California Constitution, certain properties such as those used exclusively for religious, scientific, medical or charitable purposes are exempt from property tax. Additional partial or full exemptions are available for individuals, such as the Homeowners’ Exemption or the Disabled Veterans’ Exemption. Jointly administered by California’s Board of Equalization and the Office of the Assessor-Recorder, there are varying requirements for each separate type of exemption. For example, if you have an approved Homeowners’ Exemption you do not need to file a new form annually. Non-profit organizations must re-apply for the Welfare Exemption each fiscal year.

This appointment service aims to make the application and documentation process less complex, especially for first-time filers. For information on the different types of exemptions and the required forms, please visit the Office of the Assessor-Recorder website or email our staff at asrexemptionunit@sfgov.org.

Taxpayers may file their exemption forms via the email listed above, in-person at San Francisco City Hall in our front office at Room 190 or via drop-box located outside at the Grove Street Entrance, as well as by mailing them to: Office of the Assessor-Recorder, City Hall, Room 190, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA, 94102.

Exemptions granted will be reflected in property owners’ 2024-2025 assessed value, which will be sent out by our office in July 2024. The associated reduction in taxes will be reflected in the 2024-2025 property tax bill, sent in October by the Treasurer & Tax Collector.

In 2023-24 the Office of the Assessor-Recorder granted exemptions totaling over $21 billion in assessed value.

For non-profit organizations seeking assistance, in 2022 Assessor-Recorder Torres in partnership with Community Vision and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, hosted a free, 3-part online workshop to help organizations understand the exemption application process, sharpen their grant proposal writing skills, and learn best practices for strengthening their financial resilience. The workshop is available here.

This announcement and new appointment service advances Assessor-Recorder Torres vision to advance financial literacy and opportunity among San Franciscans through the Estate Planning Program, Assessor in the Neighborhood series, and presentations to community members. In 2023, our office hosted over 30 educational workshops both in person and online to share information on assessment basics and tax-savings opportunities, to help residents understand and think through intergenerational property transfers and Proposition 19, business personal property and more.

About the Office of the Assessor-Recorder

The Office of the Assessor-Recorder's mission is to fairly and accurately identify and assess all taxable property in San Francisco, and record, secure, and provide access to property, marriage and other records. Together, we work to ensure the financial stability of San Francisco. We seek to be a model of good government and antiracism by advancing our values of fairness, care, equity, and excellence in service to our diverse constituents and communities.