Kentucky property tax: rates, homestead exemption, appeals

Who sets your property tax?

Several bodies work together, and the PVA is the one that values your home.

• The PVA values the property. All real property can be revalued every year, and each parcel must be physically inspected at least once every four years. For homes, PVAs mostly use the sales comparison approach: they start from recent sales nearby and adjust for differences (Department of Revenue).
• The assessment date is January 1. Property is listed, assessed and valued as of January 1 of each year (KRS 132.220).
• Several taxing districts set rates. The state sets its own rate. The county, the school district, the city and special districts such as fire districts set theirs. Your bill adds them up.

The state rate falls when total assessments rise fast. KRS 132.020(2) requires the Department of Revenue to cut the rate when real property assessments grow more than 4% (excluding new property), so the rate has declined from 31.5 cents to 10.3 cents.

Source: Kentucky Department of Revenue, Interest and Tax Rate Table.

Rates in Louisville

The Jefferson County PVA publishes the final rate schedule. The latest schedule posted when I checked (October 13, 2026) is the final 2025 one; 2026 local rates were not yet posted.

Source: Jefferson County PVA, 2025 Tax Rate Schedule. Fire districts add their own rate where they apply, listed from $0.07 to $0.20 per $100. Other incorporated cities set separate rates; your tax bill shows the districts that apply to your address.

What does the homestead exemption save?

Kentucky’s homestead exemption is not a general exemption for all owners. KRS 132.810 limits it to a person who is 65 or older during the year, or who is classified as totally disabled, and who owns and lives in the home. The exemption is $49,100 for the 2025-2026 assessment years, deducted from the assessed value (Department of Revenue). The statute adjusts the amount every two years when the federal cost-of-living index moves by at least 1%.

• You apply once with the PVA of the county where you live, on a state form. Only one exemption is allowed per residential unit.
• If you qualify through disability and are under 65, you must reapply every year. Service-connected totally disabled veterans and people found totally and permanently disabled by the Social Security Administration or Kentucky Retirement Systems document the disability once.

Is there a cap on increases?

The texts I read cap the revenue a taxing district collects, not the assessment of a single home. Under House Bill 44, a district may adopt a compensating rate (the same revenue as last year from existing property), a rate that produces at most 4% more revenue, or a higher rate after a public hearing, which voters can petition to recall (Department of Revenue). A rising assessment can therefore still raise your bill. I found no per-home cap on assessed value.

How to appeal an assessment

Appeals follow a fixed order.

1. Request a PVA conference. It is required before any further appeal (KRS 133.120). In Jefferson County for 2026, the online conference window ran from April 24 to May 18, and the open inspection period ran from May 4 to 18 (Jefferson County PVA). You do not need a notice to appeal; you can contest your assessment each year.
2. Appeal to the local board of assessment appeals. File with the county clerk no later than one workday after the inspection period ends, or after an extension of up to 25 days. In 2026 the Jefferson County deadline was June 12. Say why you disagree and what you think the fair cash value is.
3. Bring evidence. The board must fix the assessment at fair cash value after hearing evidence. If you do not give the reasonable information it asks for, the appeal is denied.

Dates change each year; the PVA posts the next calendar.

Example: a median-priced home in Louisville

This is an example, not a bill. The city of Louisville’s 2024 Census median home value is $241,700. Assume it is the assessed value and use the 2025 rates.

• Inside the Urban Services District, no exemption: $241,700 ÷ 100 × 1.260 = $3,045 a year, about $254 a month.
• Outside it, no fire district: $241,700 ÷ 100 × 0.941 = $2,274 a year.
• Inside the district, with the $49,100 homestead exemption for an owner 65 or older: ($241,700 − $49,100) ÷ 100 × 1.260 = $2,427 a year.

When bills are due

For 2026, Jefferson County mails bills on November 1, 2026. You pay with the discount by December 1 and without penalty by December 31. A 5% penalty applies in January, and after January 31 the penalty is 10% plus a 10% sheriff’s fee (Jefferson County PVA). Lenders often collect taxes monthly through an escrow account. Closing costs and prorations are in our Kentucky closing costs guide, and the city view is on our page on buying a home in Louisville.