The City has added a portal to their web site which makes their taxable building square footage database available to those who can navigate it to find their own parcel data. We congratulate the City in taking this step in the right direction. If you would like to take a look, it can be found at: https://data.cityofberkeley.info/City-Government/Taxable-Square-Footage/9a47-nj4i.

If that spreadsheet is too difficult to navigate, you still have the option of reverse calculating the value from your 2019-20 tax bill (SCHL ED PROGS/BSEP divided by .398) If you find a discrepancy between that TBSFT value and what you think the correct building area of your dwelling or business is, the City is inviting you to notify them, with various documentation requirements, for the potential of a correction.

Additionally, curious taxpayers will want to see the initiating document after which the Finance Department’s response memo was written. Here is the BNC letter requesting a Special Hearing on the matters of 1. Miscalculations finding their way to incorrect entries in the City’s database. 2. Request for justification to it’s taxpayers why their City and School Taxes include charges on non-conforming spaces when the voters specifically voted to tax dwelling space.

Many dirt non-conforming spaces are not taxed. So, this point is especially irksome to those who are taxed for their dirt areas.

Just for fun, take a look at the house for sale at 913 Allston the next time they have an open house. The listing and the county say the house is 998 ft2. The realtor and owner say there is no basement or crawlspace. It is clear to the eye, it is a tiny house very close to the ground. Yet, the City has been charging that property owner taxes on 2068 ft2 for years, about $1000/year extra.