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Property Tax Relief & Planning After the LA Fires (2025–2026)

  • mattsaguilar
  • Sep 27
  • 2 min read
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LA Property Tax Relief After the Firestorms: Deadlines, Disaster Reassessment & Owner To‑Dos


Property tax penalties are suspended for affected LA ZIPs through April 10, 2026. Learn how to claim disaster reassessment and plan cash flow.


What changed

To support communities hit by the LA firestorms, the Governor suspended penalties, costs, and interest on late property tax payments through April 10, 2026 for specific ZIP codes and eased certain filing requirements. That buys time for owners juggling rebuild timelines and insurance proceeds.


Don’t leave money on the table

  • Disaster reassessment: If your property suffered damage, you can request a temporary reduction in assessed value to reflect post‑damage condition—lowering the tax bill until reconstruction is complete. File with the LA County Assessor within 12 months of the damage date.

  • Penalty cancellation: Beyond the automatic relief, you may seek up to four years of penalty/interest suspension by submitting a Penalty Cancellation Request to the County Treasurer/Tax Collector with documentation.

  • Know the baseline: Under Prop 13, the annual inflation factor on assessed value is capped (Board of Equalization set a 2% increase for 2025), but disaster reassessment can supersede normal growth when damage occurs.


Practical planning tips

  1. Line up documentation: Photos, adjuster reports, contractor bids, and city inspection notes make reassessment and penalty relief smoother.

  2. Model cash flow scenarios: Coordinate insurance draws with tax due dates (even with extensions) to avoid liquidity crunches during rebuild phases.

  3. Mind supplemental bills: After reconstruction or sale, expect supplemental assessments. Budget for them so they don’t surprise you mid‑year. (General tax administration reminder based on California county tax practices.)


    Bottom line: Use the 2026 extension to get organized—file disaster reassessment promptly, and sync financing with your construction schedule.


Sources:

  • Governor Extends Property Tax Deadlines for Fire-Affected Areas (Office of Governor Gavin Newsom)

  • California Board of Equalization – Property Tax Inflation Factor

  • LA County Assessor & Treasurer Guidance on Disaster Relief (general county tax practices)

 
 
 

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