What This Statute Says
A.R.S. § 42-11001 sets the definitions that run through chapters 11 through 19 of the property tax title. The defined terms include assessed valuation, full cash value, limited property value, personal property, real estate, and tax year. These definitions decide what an Arizona property tax bill actually means.
In chapters 11 through 19 of this title, unless the context otherwise requires...
A.R.S. § 42-11001Most property tax questions in Arizona trace back to a defined word. "Full cash value" is not market value in every case. "Limited property value" caps how fast taxable value can climb. "Personal property" reaches more than just furniture. This statute is the dictionary that the rest of property tax law uses.
Key terms that come up most often in estate work:
- Assessed valuation, full cash value or limited property value multiplied by the assessment ratio.
- Full cash value, the statutory value, which defaults to market value unless a specific statute prescribes a method.
- Limited property value, the capped value used for most primary and secondary taxes under A.R.S. § 42-13301.
- Personal property, tangible and intangible property that is not real estate.
- Valuation date. January 1 of the year preceding the tax year for real property.
When This Statute Comes Into Play
This statute typically becomes relevant in three situations. A property owner is reviewing an annual tax bill. An estate is being administered and the personal representative has to address ongoing property tax obligations. Or a charitable or nonprofit organization is claiming or maintaining an exemption. The statute is part of a larger framework in chapter 11 of title 42 and operates alongside the related sections cross-linked below.
What This Means for Arizona Families
Most families never think about Arizona property tax statutes until they are sitting at a closing table on an inherited home, reviewing an unexpected tax bill, or trying to claim an exemption for a surviving spouse. When that moment arrives, the rules in chapter 11 of title 42 are the framework you are working inside.
If you are holding real property in a revocable living trust, the trust structure does not by itself remove the property from the tax rolls. The exemption has to come from a specific statute. Our FAQ on what to do with property you inherit in Arizona covers the immediate practical questions, and our FAQ on probate timelines covers how a contested or stalled administration can affect tax filings and exemptions.
If you are administering an estate, the personal representative has a duty to keep property taxes current, to claim available exemptions where appropriate, and to maintain documentation in case the assessor reviews a claim later. Calendar the February exemption filing window each year for any property where a widow, widower, or disability exemption applies. Once the deadline passes, the saving for that year is usually lost.