Do you have to pay the taxes for the entire year on property purchased in October?

Answer 1

No, most of the time. The entity who pays real estate taxes which accrues to property, regardless of the ownership period, is generally established by agreement between the parties.

Most of the time, real estate, ad valorum taxes are pro-rated. That is, the taxes due, are divided by the length of the holding period for the property for the tax year of the political subdivisions which have the power to levy the tax and to collect it by judicial means.

Not always, it is always fundamentally a matter of contract and agreement. When executors, trustees and administrators deliver property (convey) property to the heirs or devises, the way the executors, trustees and administrators agree with the heirs or devises, determines who and when the taxes are paid.

In general, in most of the States in the United States of America, you are supposed to file a return (a report of what something is worth) to the tax collector early in the year. Then the tax collector's office sends a 'tax bill' to the last known owner of the property (in its records: the burden is on the owner of the property to keep the tax collector informed :-) as to who owes what and owes what.) The the tax is due, after which there are frequently penalties, and interest and possible sale of the property for failure to pay real estate taxes.

The collection process is slow, and must proceed by rules and regulations. It is not all that easy to lose property for back taxes; the states, like banks, don't generally want to reposes anything; it is very expensive, time consuming and politically unattractive.