Office of the Tax Assessor is charged with the responsibility of determining the actual value of all real property in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Title 33, Section 2401, describes all real property as being "immovable or a thing, which from its nature, distinction or the subject to, which is implied, cannot move itself or be removed." Examples are as follows:

1. Land, building and any structure attached or adherent to the soil.

2. Everything attached to an immovable, which cannot be separated from it without breaking the matter or causing injury to the matter.

3. Included are machinery, vats or tanks, equipment which is fixed to a building and is intended to meet the needs of that industry or works.

4. Docks and structures, though floating, which are intended to be in a fixed place.

The administration of the real property tax is managed by the Real Property Tax and Cadastral employees. These employees administer real property tax by the application of the three approaches to determine property values namely: the Cost, Income, and Market Sales Approaches.

These methods are used in varying degrees and as the type of property dictates, the cost approach or the replacement cost is directed towards single family dwelling. The Market or Sales Approach is directed towards condominiums due to the conformity in construction of this type of property. The Income Approach is applied in determining valuation of income producing properties, provided the tax income utilized yields a higher value.

The Cadastral Section of the Tax Assessor's Office provides a vital service to the public. This section is responsible for the review and registration of surveys and the attestations of deeds prior to recording at the Recorder of Deeds Office. This section is the custodian of all surveys and sells copies of survey maps, measure briefs, extracts from record-metes and bounds.