Idaho property tax is levied and collected by counties for local districts, and the state itself receives none. The rules that matter most to a homeowner are how the county values the home, the homeowner’s exemption, the relief programs and the appeal and payment dates.
This guide uses the Idaho State Tax Commission’s own pages, memos and program guides read on 2 November 2026, including the 2026 change to the exemption and the 2027 relief programs.
Idaho counties, not the state, levy and collect property tax. The Tax Commission states: "The State of Idaho doesn’t receive any property tax." The Tax Commission oversees the system to make sure counties follow state law.
Each year the county assessor must estimate how much a typical buyer would pay for your property as of January 1, and the property is "assessed at 100% of market value less any exemptions". Idaho law does not limit how much the value of a property can rise or fall from one year to the next, and the Commission also says there is no legal limit on how much any one property’s tax bill can change.
Every taxing district (county, city, school district, fire, library, highway and others) sets a budget. The part funded by property tax is divided by the total taxable value of all property in that district, which gives that district’s rate. Your total rate is the sum of the rates of every district your property sits in, so it differs from one address to the next.
What limits the bill is the district budget, not your own value. The Commission’s Understanding Property Taxes page says each taxing district can raise the property tax portion of its budget by no more than 3%, unless voters approve an increase or the district applies new construction or annexation. In a January 2026 presentation, the Tax Commission’s Property Tax Policy Bureau Chief gives more detail and says district property tax budgets can rise by up to 3% over the highest of the last three years, plus 90% of new construction value times the preliminary levy rate, and that the sum cannot exceed an 8% increase (the same slide also lists limited extra amounts for previously forgone increases); the same presentation says an increase beyond the limits needs voter approval. The Commission’s own guide lists voter-approved bonds and overrides, and new construction or annexation, as the cases that allow more than 3%. Fire and ambulance districts were handled separately by a 2026 law (HB 959), which raised their allowed increase for new growth from 8% to 15%.
The Commission publishes average rates for the last five years it lists (the latest on its page is 2023):
| Year | Average urban rate | Average rural rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | .733% | .469% |
| 2022 | .754% | .499% |
| 2021 | 1.043% | .698% |
| 2020 | 1.129% | .798% |
| 2019 | 1.327% | .893% |
County averages are in the Commission’s Annual Report, and your county treasurer can give the exact rate for your tax code area. These are averages, not your rate.
If you own and occupy a home (including a manufactured home) as your primary residence, you can claim the homeowner’s exemption for the home and up to one acre of land. It exempts 50% of the value from property tax, up to a maximum of $125,000. You apply through your county assessor’s office. Once approved it lasts until the home’s ownership changes or you stop using it as your primary residence, and you do not need to reapply each year unless the qualifying conditions change.
The maximum was $100,000 for 2020 and $125,000 for 2021 through 2025 on the Commission’s history table. Under the Commission’s April 2026 guidance memo the full exemption is still 50% of the value up to a maximum of $125,000.
HB 843 removed proration of the exemption, effective January 1, 2026. Per the Tax Commission’s guidance memo to assessors, you must file before the close of business on the last business day of the year to be eligible for the full exemption. If you apply after the second Monday in July, the full assessed value stays on the roll but a tax cancellation equal to the full exemption is made. If you had a homestead exemption on a different property for the prior tax year, that exemption is removed the year after the new one is granted.
The exemption removes half the value, but only up to $125,000, so the saving stops growing once the home and up to an acre are worth $250,000. The table below is our arithmetic, using the Commission’s 2023 average urban and rural rates as illustrative rates. It is not a bill: your actual rate depends on your taxing districts, and your county computes the tax.
| Market value of home plus up to one acre | Homeowner’s exemption (50%, capped at $125,000) | Taxable value | Tax at .733% (2023 average urban rate) | Tax at .469% (2023 average rural rate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $366.50 | $234.50 |
| $150,000 | $75,000 | $75,000 | $549.75 | $351.75 |
| $250,000 | $125,000 | $125,000 | $916.25 | $586.25 |
| $300,000 | $125,000 | $175,000 | $1,282.75 | $820.75 |
| $500,000 | $125,000 | $375,000 | $2,748.75 | $1,758.75 |
For comparison, the Tax Commission’s own fictional example takes a $175,000 house plus a $125,000 lot, subtracts the $125,000 exemption for a $175,000 taxable value and applies a total rate of 0.01352, giving a bill of $2,366.
The Property Tax Reduction program, also known as the Circuit Breaker program, can cut the tax on your home and up to one acre of land by $250 to $1,500. You apply through your county assessor’s office every year, between January 1 and April 15. For the 2027 program, the Tax Commission lists these conditions:
If approved, the reduction appears on your December 2027 property tax bill. The program does not reduce solid waste, irrigation or other fees that government entities charge. The income limit moves each year: it was $39,130 (2025 income) for the 2026 program and is $40,030 (2026 income) for the 2027 program.
The Commission’s 2027 income brackets set the maximum benefit by income:
| 2026 income after medical deductions (from) | to | Maximum benefit |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $16,110 | $1,500 |
| $16,111 | $16,790 | $1,460 |
| $16,791 | $17,470 | $1,430 |
| $17,471 | $18,160 | $1,390 |
| $18,161 | $18,830 | $1,360 |
| $18,831 | $19,510 | $1,330 |
| $19,511 | $20,180 | $1,290 |
| $20,181 | $20,870 | $1,260 |
| $20,871 | $21,550 | $1,220 |
| $21,551 | $22,240 | $1,190 |
| $22,241 | $22,920 | $1,140 |
| $22,921 | $23,620 | $1,120 |
| $23,621 | $24,310 | $1,080 |
| $24,311 | $24,990 | $1,050 |
| $24,991 | $25,680 | $1,020 |
| $25,681 | $26,350 | $970 |
| $26,351 | $27,030 | $940 |
| $27,031 | $27,710 | $910 |
| $27,711 | $28,400 | $870 |
| $28,401 | $29,070 | $840 |
| $29,071 | $29,760 | $800 |
| $29,761 | $30,440 | $760 |
| $30,441 | $31,120 | $730 |
| $31,121 | $31,810 | $690 |
| $31,811 | $32,490 | $660 |
| $32,491 | $33,180 | $630 |
| $33,181 | $33,860 | $590 |
| $33,861 | $34,550 | $560 |
| $34,551 | $35,230 | $520 |
| $35,231 | $35,920 | $490 |
| $35,921 | $36,590 | $450 |
| $36,591 | $37,270 | $420 |
| $37,271 | $37,950 | $380 |
| $37,951 | $38,650 | $340 |
| $38,651 | $39,330 | $290 |
| $39,331 | $40,030 | $250 |
Disabled veterans benefit. An Idaho resident, homeowner and veteran recognized with a 100% service-connected disability (or 100% compensation due to individual unemployability) by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs may get up to $1,500 off the tax on the home and up to one acre. The Commission states there is no income limit. The property must have a current homeowner’s exemption. A surviving spouse can use the benefit once granted. You apply each year between January 1 and April 15, though if your disability is permanent and total the benefit renews automatically.
Property tax deferral. For the 2027 program the income limit is $63,400 (2026 income), and you apply between January 1 and September 7, 2027 for a deferral of your 2027 taxes. Deferral postpones payment; you must pay the taxes and interest later. If approved, the Tax Commission pays the county directly, so you will not see the deferral on your bill.
Appeals. If you disagree with your assessment, the Commission lists these steps in order: contact the county assessor’s office and speak with your appraiser; then contact your county clerk to file an appeal with the county Board of Equalization (BOE) by the fourth Monday in June (June 28 in 2027, our calendar calculation). The board typically hears appeals between the fourth Monday in June and the second Monday in July. If you disagree with the BOE’s decision, ask your county clerk how to appeal within 30 days to either the State Board of Tax Appeals or the District Court.
Bills. Counties mail property tax bills each November. Payments are due December 20, and you can pay half by December 20 and the balance by June 20 of the following year.
What varies by county. Your assessor, your taxing districts and so your total rate, and the exact filing process for each program differ by county. Ask your county assessor or treasurer for the details that apply to your address.