special assessment

American  

noun

1. a tax levied by a local government on private property to pay the cost of local public improvements, as sidewalk construction or sewage disposal, that are of general benefit to the property taxed.

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special assessment British  

noun

1. (in the US) a special charge levied on property owners by a county or municipality to help pay the costs of a civic improvement that increases the value of their property

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Etymology

Origin of special assessment

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Upgrades through these loans can be treated as a public benefit and repaid through a special assessment on the property tax bill, which can reduce risk and lower capital costs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

A special assessment by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation had reduced per-share earnings by 74 cents, the bank said.

From New York Times • Jan. 12, 2024

Hagerty’s point was that the cost of the special assessment will ultimately be borne by consumers.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2023

The law does not define the "assessment base" for the special assessment or which banks will pay it.

From Reuters • Apr. 12, 2023

When he took possession of a benefice, he paid the pope a special assessment, called the "annate," amounting to a year's income—which of course came from the peasants living on the land.

From A Political and Social History of Modern Europe V.1. by Hayes, Carlton J. H.