Tax equity under conditions of fiscal stress: The case of the property tax

This paper takes a preliminary step toward specifying the relationship between tax equity and fiscal stress by examining property tax assessment uniformity under conditions of fiscal stress. The determinants of assessment uniformity are discussed, leading to the development of a model of uniformity under conditions of fiscal strees. The model is tested via cross-sectional regression analysis of state data no stress and uniformity. Stress is found to influence unifomity, but the direction of that influence is found to depend on the structure of the assessing system.