Summary

Where Does Your Property Tax Dollar Go?

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County services are provided through your tax dollars. When you pay property taxes on your home or business, you write your check out to “King County”. The County serves as the treasury or tax collector for the taxing jurisdictions in the County. The County is required to bill and collect all property taxes for every jurisdiction in the County. The benefit of this system is that you don’t have to write several checks to pay your property taxes.

While the check may be addressed to “King County”, the County receives only 17 cents of every property tax dollar. That 17 cents pays for regional services that are mandated by statute, such as courts, prosecutors and jails; for regional services that have been approved by voters, such as Emergency Medical Services and Medic One, regional parks, and the Automated Fingerprint Identification System; and for local services to urban and rural unincorporated areas, such as police service and roads.

The rest of the funds collected by the county are distributed to more than 100 other state and local taxing districts. Most of what you pay goes to your local schools or for services that you receive from the city you live in.

This information is included as an insert in property tax statements mailed by the King County Treasury Section.

Read more about property taxes in King County, or search for your own property tax information.