Kentucky Property Tax: State Rate, Homestead and Appeals

Kentucky property tax is a stack of rates applied to one assessed value. The county's Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) sets the value, the state sets one real estate rate that applies everywhere, and your county, school district and any special districts add their own rates.

This guide explains how each layer works, what the homestead exemption does to a bill, how to challenge an assessment and when bills are due, using the Kentucky Department of Revenue's own pages read on 2 November 2026. Local rates differ by address, so we do not print a county table.

How Kentucky Assesses Real Property

The Constitution of Kentucky requires that all property be assessed for taxation at its fair cash value, defined by the Department of Revenue as the price a property would bring at a fair, voluntary sale with a willing buyer and willing seller. The assessment date is January 1 of each year, and the owner named on the bill is the person who owned the property on January 1.

The Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) is the local official responsible for assessing most real property in the county. All real property is subject to being revalued every year, and every parcel must be physically inspected at least once every four years. Farm land is the main exception to market value: it is assessed at its agricultural value instead of its market value.

The State Rate and Local Rates

Your bill has a state part and local parts. The state real estate rate applies to all real property tax bills throughout Kentucky and is set each year by July 1. Under KRS 132.020(2) the rate must be reduced whenever statewide real property assessments rise by more than 4% over the previous year; the revenue goes to the state General Fund. Because assessments have been rising, the rate has fallen every year in this table:

Local rates are separate and vary by address. Every county has a general county rate set by the fiscal court and a school district rate set by the local school board, and other districts such as library, soil conservation, county extension and fire districts may add more. Most local districts are limited by House Bill 44, which restricts how much their property tax revenue can rise each year without a public hearing or a recall petition. The Department of Revenue publishes property tax rate books; your sheriff's bill shows the rates that apply to you.

To estimate your own bill, take the taxable assessment (after any exemption) and multiply it by the total of the state rate and all of your local rates, expressed per $100.

Homestead Exemption for Age 65 and Over or Total Disability

The Department of Revenue set the maximum homestead exemption at $49,100 for the 2025 and 2026 tax periods, up from $46,350 for 2023-2024. The amount is recalculated every two years to adjust for inflation. It is deducted from the assessed value, and tax is computed on what remains; it does not exempt the whole home.

• Who qualifies: an owner at least 65 years old during the tax period, or classified as totally disabled by a public or private retirement system or a federal agency program. The home must be owned, occupied and maintained as the personal residence on the January 1 assessment date.
• One per household: only one exemption is allowed per household, and it is tied to the owner, not the property, so a buyer must apply for themselves.
• How to apply: file Form 62A350 with your county PVA no later than December 31 of the tax year. Once accepted, an age-based application is good for later years while the applicant owns and lives in the home. Owners classified as totally disabled by an agency outside Kentucky must refile every year.

The table below is our arithmetic on the state rate only (10.30 cents per $100, 2026) and the $49,100 deduction. Your local rates would add their own savings on the same deducted amount, so your total saving will be larger.

The saving on the state portion is the same $50.57 at any assessed value above $49,100, because the deduction is a fixed amount. These are not official calculations and are not your actual bill.

Appealing a Kentucky Property Assessment

The first step is a conference with the PVA or a designated deputy, which can be done by telephone. If you do not agree, you can file an appeal with the county clerk on a form from the clerk's office; it must confirm that the conference was held. The last day to file is one working day after the close of the tax roll inspection period, which normally begins the first Monday in May and ends the third Monday, so appeals are usually due the Tuesday after the third Monday of May. Each county publishes its own schedule in a local newspaper, and some counties adjust it.

The appeal is heard by a three-member local board of assessment appeals. Hearings are informal and an attorney is not necessary, but you must present factual evidence of value, such as comparable sales, a recent appraisal or construction cost. If you disagree with the board's ruling, you can appeal to the Kentucky Board of Tax Appeals; it must receive your appeal within 30 days of the mailing date of the local board's ruling. A KBTA order can be appealed to the circuit court.

Calendar: From Assessment to Bill

Dates below are the typical statutory pattern from the Department of Revenue. Many counties mail bills on October 1 or November 1, so check your county sheriff.

The county sheriff collects bills first. After April 15, unpaid bills move to the county clerk and further penalties and fees apply, so ask the sheriff or clerk for the exact amount.

What Changed Recently

• State rate fell again for 2026: the Department of Revenue's rate table shows 10.30 cents per $100 for 2026, down from 10.60 for 2025.
• Senior valuation freeze proposal: in the 2026 session, Senate Bill 51 proposed a constitutional amendment to exempt homeowners aged 65 or older from increases in the valuation of their residence. It passed the Senate 37-0 on January 22, 2026; the legislature's record shows its last action as referral to the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee on March 6, 2026, with no House passage recorded when we read it. It is not law, and it would need voter approval.
• Next homestead amount: the 2025-2026 figure covers only those two tax periods. We did not find a published 2027-2028 amount when we read the Department's pages, so check with your PVA before relying on $49,100 for 2027.

Official Sources

• Kentucky Department of Revenue: Property Tax, Property Tax Rates and Interest and Tax Rate Table 1989-2026
• Department of Revenue: Assessment Process for Real Property, Property Tax Calendar and Collection Process
• Department of Revenue: Homestead Exemption and DOR Sets 2025-2026 Homestead Exemption
• Department of Revenue: Appeals Process for Real Property Assessments
• Kentucky General Assembly: 2026 Regular Session Senate Bill 51