The San Francisco property tax rate for fiscal year 2025–26 is 1.18268325% of your property’s assessed value, or roughly 1.18%.1Treasurer & Tax Collector. Secured Property Taxes On a home assessed at $1 million, that works out to about $11,827 a year before any exemptions. The rate sits just above California’s 1% constitutional base because San Francisco voters have approved general obligation bonds that add a small surcharge on top. It drifts slightly from year to year as old bonds retire and new ones come online, but the 1% floor never changes.
What’s Actually in the 1.18%
Two pieces combine into the total. The first is the 1% base tax that applies to every property in California. Article XIII A of the state constitution caps the general ad valorem tax at 1% of a property’s full cash value, and counties collect it and distribute it to local agencies.2Justia. California Constitution Article XIII A Section 1 – Tax Limitation No city or county can raise this portion.
The second piece is roughly 0.18%, representing debt service on voter-approved general obligation bonds. Those bonds fund infrastructure, schools, parks, and other capital projects that San Francisco voters authorized at the ballot. Each fiscal year the city calculates what it owes on that debt and sets the supplemental rate to match. As bonds are paid down the piece shrinks; when voters approve new ones it ticks up.
Some properties also carry an additional charge from a Community Facilities District, sometimes called a Mello-Roos assessment. San Francisco has several of these districts in areas like Transbay, Treasure Island, Mission Bay, and Hunters Point. If your property sits in one of these zones, you’ll see a separate special tax line on your bill on top of the 1.18%. These assessments fund infrastructure specific to the district and aren’t reflected in the general rate.
How Assessed Value Works Under Proposition 13
The rate only tells half the story. What you actually owe depends on your property’s assessed value, which Proposition 13 keeps well below market value for most long-term owners. Under Article XIII A, your taxable value starts as the purchase price (or the appraised value when the property was last built or changed hands).3California Legislative Information. California Constitution Article XIII A – Tax Limitation After that, assessed value can increase by no more than 2% per year for inflation, regardless of how fast market prices climb.
A home bought in 2005 for $600,000 would have an assessed value of roughly $900,000 today even if the market value is $1.8 million. The owner’s tax bill is calculated against that $900,000, not the market price. A new base year value gets set only when a specific triggering event occurs: a change in ownership, completion of new construction, or a major renovation that adds square footage or changes the property’s use.
Calculating What You’ll Owe
Start with your assessed value, which you can look up on the San Francisco Assessor’s website or find on your most recent tax bill. Subtract any exemptions you’ve claimed. Multiply the result by 1.18268325%.
For a home assessed at $800,000 with the homeowners’ exemption applied, the math is ($800,000 − $7,000) × 0.0118268325, or about $9,373 per year. The rate shown on your bill already incorporates both the 1% base and the voter-approved bond portion, so you don’t need to calculate those separately. If your property sits in a Mello-Roos district, the special tax appears as an additional line item with its own calculation.
Your bill also lists a Tax Rate Area code, which identifies the geographic zone and the specific set of bonds and levies that apply to your parcel. Most residential properties in San Francisco fall under the same TRA, but it’s worth confirming yours matches the general rate if your numbers look off.
The Supplemental Bill After You Buy
New San Francisco buyers are often caught off guard by a supplemental tax bill that arrives a few months after closing. It isn’t a mistake or a duplicate. When you buy a property, the Assessor reassesses it at current market value and calculates the difference between the old assessed value and the new one. You owe taxes on that difference for the portion of the fiscal year remaining after your purchase date.4California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Supplemental Assessment
The supplemental bill is prorated monthly. Close escrow in October and you’ll owe the difference for about eight months. Close in March and you’ll owe for roughly three. Purchases between January and May actually trigger two supplemental bills: one covering the rest of the current fiscal year and a second covering the entire next fiscal year before the regular annual roll catches up.4California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Supplemental Assessment On a San Francisco home where the purchase price substantially exceeds the prior assessed value, these bills can run into thousands of dollars. Budget for them.
Exemptions That Reduce the Bill
If you live in your San Francisco property as your primary residence, you can claim the California Homeowners’ Exemption, which reduces your assessed value by $7,000.5California Legislative Information. California Revenue and Taxation Code 218 At the 1.18% rate, that saves you about $83 a year. Modest, but you only file once and it stays in effect until you move out or transfer ownership.
Qualifying disabled veterans can exempt up to $100,000 of assessed value, or up to $150,000 if household income falls below an annually adjusted threshold (currently around $40,000). That’s a much bigger reduction and worth claiming if you qualify. The Assessor’s office handles both applications.
Payment Deadlines and Late Penalties
San Francisco splits your annual tax into two installments. The first is due November 1 and becomes delinquent after 5:00 p.m. on December 10. The second is due February 1 and becomes delinquent after 5:00 p.m. on April 10.6California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Property Tax Calendar Bills typically arrive in October.
Miss December 10 and you’ll owe a 10% penalty on the first installment. Miss April 10 and you’ll owe a 10% penalty on the second installment plus applicable administrative fees.1Treasurer & Tax Collector. Secured Property Taxes There’s no grace period and no warning letter. The penalty applies automatically at 5:01 p.m. on the delinquency date. If either deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, it extends to the next business day.
You can pay online through the San Francisco Treasurer and Tax Collector’s website using an electronic check at no extra cost, or by credit card with a service fee. Mailed checks must be postmarked by the delinquency date.
Appealing Your Assessed Value
If you believe the Assessor’s valuation is too high, you can file an assessment appeal. San Francisco’s regular filing period runs from July 2 through September 15 each year.7California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. County Assessment Appeals Filing Period for 2025 For supplemental assessments triggered by a purchase or new construction, you have 60 days from the date the supplemental notice was mailed.8California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Residential Property Assessment Appeals
You’ll file an Assessment Appeal Application with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, and the Assessment Appeals Board will schedule a hearing. The board operates independently from the Assessor and can lower, raise, or confirm your assessed value based on the evidence presented. Only evidence introduced at the hearing itself counts; documents attached to the application but not introduced at the hearing are disregarded.8California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Residential Property Assessment Appeals
Bring comparable sales data, an independent appraisal if you have one, and any evidence of property conditions that affect value. Appeals built on recent comparable sales showing a lower value than the Assessor assigned tend to be the strongest. The process is free to file, and many homeowners represent themselves without hiring a professional.