The seller's tax bill
is not yours.
For a buyer working out the monthly cost of a DC row house, and for an owner planning a sale. If you are buying a co-op unit, your tax is paid through the building.
How much is the property tax on a $1M row house in DC?
$8,500 a year, or $7,718 once you live there and claim the homestead deduction. DC taxes a house at $0.85 per $100 of assessed value. The homestead deduction takes $91,950 off the assessment for tax year 2026. The bill comes in two halves, due March 31 and September 15.
| How the house is held | Rate | Tax a year |
|---|---|---|
| Owner lives elsewhere, no deduction | $0.85 per $100 | $8,500 |
| Owner lives there, homestead deduction | $0.85 per $100, less $91,950 | $7,718 |
| Homestead plus senior or disabled relief | Half of the above | $3,859 |
| Vacant, no exemption | Up to $5.00 per $100 | Up to $50,000 |
Will my tax bill match the seller's bill on the listing?
Often it will not, and it can be far lower. Over the last twelve months, the median listing showed a tax bill of 92.9% of the full tax on the house's assessment. On one in eight sales, 13.3%, the bill was under 60% of it. A bill that low usually carries senior or disabled relief, which halves the tax, or years of the assessment cap. Neither one passes to you. Budget from the assessment, not from the seller's bill.
Does the assessment cap protect a new owner?
Yes, once it starts. The cap taxes a homesteaded house on no more than a 10% rise in its assessment each year. You keep the seller's cap credit only for the half-year in which you buy. OTR says your own cap credit starts within a year of your homestead application.
How do I get the homestead deduction?
Apply on MyTax.DC.gov with form ASD-100 once the house is your principal residence. It applies to a house with no more than five units, one of them yours. File between October 1 and March 31 and you get the full year. File between April 1 and September 30 and you get half. If you stop qualifying, you must cancel within 30 days.
Is a row house assessed over $2.558 million taxed at a higher rate?
On the part above $2.558 million, yes. A house with no more than two units pays $0.85 per $100 on its first $2.558 million of assessed value. Every dollar above that is taxed at $1.00 per $100.
What happens to the tax if the house sits empty while it is for sale?
It can jump to the vacant rate. The Department of Buildings classifies vacant property, and the vacant rate runs up to $5.00 per $100: up to $50,000 a year on $1M. A house empty for 90 days must be registered. A house listed for sale can qualify for a limited exemption with listing documentation, but a sign in the window does not qualify it on its own. Talk to DOB before you move out, not after the bill arrives.
Read next: whether the assessment is the price and closing costs on $1M.
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Send me every sale on my blockSources. DC Office of Tax and Revenue, Real Property Tax Rates and Real Property Tax Reliefs, Credits and Deductions. DC Department of Buildings, Vacant and Blighted Buildings. BrightMLS closed sales of DC fee simple row houses in the twelve months to October 24, 2026. Each listing's annual tax is set against $0.85 per $100 of its assessment.
This page explains rules and practice; it is not legal or tax advice. For a specific house, talk with a DC real estate attorney or a tax professional.