What This Statute Says
A.R.S. § 42-11054 prescribes the appraisal methods Arizona assessors must use. The statute requires use of standard appraisal techniques and current usage, and it spells out specific rules for golf courses, shopping centers, low-income housing, and other special property types.
1. Prescribe guidelines for applying standard appraisal methods and techniques that shall be used by the department and county assessors in determining the valuation of property.
A.R.S. § 42-11054This is one of the longer property tax statutes in Arizona. It standardizes how assessors approach value, sales comparison, cost, and income approaches, and it requires the use of "current usage" rather than highest-and-best-use for most property. The result is more stable valuations.
For estates that include investment real estate, this statute is the foundation of any valuation appeal. If a property is valued without using one of the approved methods, the assessment can be challenged.
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.