District of Columbia Code Division VIII. General Laws. § 47-501. Tax on real and personal property.

For the purpose of defraying such expenses of the District of Columbia as Congress may from time to time appropriate for, there hereby is levied for each and every fiscal year, a tax at such rate on the real and personal property subject to taxation in the District as will, when added to the other taxes and revenues of the District, produce money enough to enable the District to pay promptly and in full all sums directed by Congress to be paid by the District, and for which appropriation has been duly made; and the Council of the District of Columbia hereby is empowered and directed to ascertain, determine, and fix, annually for real property, and at such times as it may deem necessary for personal property, such rate of taxation as will, when applied as aforesaid, produce the money needed to defray the share of the expenses of the District during the year for which the rate is fixed; provided, that the rate of taxation on personal property levied for any tax year shall apply to succeeding tax years unless the Council acts to ascertain, determine and fix a different rate of taxation thereon in accordance with the provisions of this section; and the Mayor of the District shall, in accordance with existing law, cause all such taxes and revenues to be promptly collected and, when collected, to be daily deposited in the Treasury to the credit of the District for the purposes herein set out. Beginning September 30, 2011, personal property tax shall be reported in the fiscal year in which it is collected.