Quick answer: Amendment 2 on Tennessee’s November 3, 2026 ballot would add language to the state constitution saying the Legislature “shall not levy, authorize, or otherwise permit any state tax upon such property.” Tennessee reduced its last state property tax rate to zero in 1949, so the amendment would not change the property tax bill Nashville and Williamson County homeowners receive today, which is set and collected locally. What it would change is the future: bringing back a state property tax would take another constitutional amendment.
Key takeaways
- What it is: one of three proposed amendments to the Tennessee Constitution on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
- Early voting: Wednesday, October 14 through Thursday, October 29, 2026. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.
- What it adds: a line stating the Legislature “shall not levy, authorize, or otherwise permit any state tax upon such property.”
- What it does not touch: local property taxes. Counties and cities could still levy them.
- History: the state reduced its remaining property tax rate to zero in 1949, which effectively ended state property taxation.
- Who sets your bill today: your county assessor sets the appraised value, and your county commission and city governing body set the rate.
- How you vote: “Yes” supports the amendment; “No” opposes it.
What is on the Tennessee ballot in November 2026?
Tennessee voters will decide three proposed constitutional amendments in the November 3, 2026 election. Amendment 1 concerns bail. Amendment 3 concerns victims’ rights. Amendment 2 is the one that touches property, and it is the subject of this guide.
Early voting runs from October 14 through October 29, 2026, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, according to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s election calendar. For each amendment, voters mark “Yes” to support it or “No” to oppose it. Davidson County residents can read the full ballot language on the county’s official sample ballot or use the state’s GoVoteTN app; Williamson County residents can find voting information through the Williamson County Election Commission.
This guide does not recommend a vote either way. Its goal is to explain what the amendment says, what it does not say, and how it relates to the property tax bill you actually pay.
What does Amendment 2 actually say?
Article II, Section 28 of the Tennessee Constitution currently provides that all property, real, personal or mixed, is subject to taxation, subject to the exceptions and classifications listed in that section. Amendment 2 would keep that framework and add a limit on the state itself. The added language reads: “but the Legislature shall not levy, authorize, or otherwise permit any state tax upon such property.”
In plain terms, the amendment would permanently bar the state legislature from instituting a state property tax. Local governments could still levy property taxes, and reinstating a state property tax would require another constitutional amendment.
The measure reached the ballot through the Legislature. Tennessee requires a proposed amendment to pass two successive General Assemblies, by a simple majority in the first and a two-thirds vote in the second, before it goes to voters. Amendment 2 was proposed as House Joint Resolution 81 in the 2024 session and Senate Joint Resolution 1 in the 2025 session.
Why does “since 1949” matter?
The phrase you will hear most often about this amendment is that Tennessee has not had a state property tax in decades. The history is specific: Tennessee repealed its general fund property tax in 1931, kept an education property tax for a time, and in 1949 the Legislature reduced that rate to zero, effectively ending state property taxation. The ability to bring it back, however, has remained in the constitution ever since.
That is the heart of the debate. Supporters see the amendment as closing a door that has been unused for 77 years but technically remains open. Some legislators have questioned whether a constitutional amendment is needed at all. Voters can weigh both views.
How does your Tennessee property tax bill actually work?
Here is the part that matters most for homeowners, and it is the part the amendment does not change. In Tennessee, property tax is administered locally. The Tennessee Department of Revenue states plainly that it does not collect property tax. County assessors appraise real estate, and county trustees and city collecting officials collect the tax.
The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury lays out the math in four steps:
- Appraised value. The county property assessor determines the appraised value of each taxable property.
- Assessment ratio. State law sets the ratio by property class. Residential and farm property is assessed at 25 percent of appraised value; commercial and industrial property at 40 percent.
- Assessed value. The appraised value multiplied by the assessment ratio.
- Tax rate. The county commission sets the county rate, based on the budget for county services and the size of the tax base. City governing bodies set city rates. Rates are applied per $100 of assessed value.
The Comptroller’s own example: a home appraised at $400,000 is assessed at $100,000. At a rate of $2.50 per $100 of assessed value, the bill is $2,500.
Applying the same math to a $2.5M home shows why the local numbers deserve a homeowner’s attention. Using the Comptroller’s illustrative $2.50 rate only (not the actual rate in any Nashville-area county or city), a home appraised at $2,500,000 would be assessed at $625,000. Divide by 100 and multiply by $2.50, and the illustrative bill is $15,625. Change the local rate or the appraised value, and that number moves. Nothing in Amendment 2’s added language addresses local rates, local appraisals or the assessment ratios.
What does Amendment 2 not do?
Because the amendment is often summarized in a single line, it helps to be precise about its limits:
- It does not lower or raise anyone’s current property tax bill, since there is no state property tax being collected today.
- It does not change how county assessors appraise homes.
- It does not change the rates set by county commissions and city governing bodies.
- It does not change the appeals process. The Tennessee Department of Revenue notes that the State Board of Equalization sets policies for local assessors and hears appeals beyond the county level.
What does it mean for Nashville luxury homeowners?
For owners in Belle Meade, Forest Hills, Oak Hill, Green Hills, Brentwood, Franklin and The Gulch, property tax is one of the largest recurring costs of ownership, and it scales with value. That is exactly why the local side deserves the attention.
Whether your home sits in Metro Nashville, in one of the satellite cities inside Davidson County such as Belle Meade, Forest Hills or Oak Hill, or in a Williamson County city such as Brentwood or Franklin, your rate is set by the local bodies that serve that address. Two homes at the same price can carry different tax bills because they sit under different local rates. When I talk with buyers comparing neighborhoods at this price point, I encourage them to model the property tax on the purchase price using the local rate for each specific address, rather than relying on the current owner’s bill, which reflects that owner’s appraised value.
For sellers, the same logic applies in reverse. A buyer at the $2.5M level will run these numbers. Knowing your own appraised value, your local rate and how they compare with nearby addresses lets you answer that question clearly when it comes up.
For relocation buyers, Amendment 2 is a useful conversation starter about how Tennessee’s tax structure works, but it should not be mistaken for a change to what you will owe on a home here. The bill you budget for is local.
Alex Brandau’s perspective
The tax policy that makes statewide headlines is not always the policy that moves your bill. The decisions that do move it are made in county commission and city budget meetings, and in the assessor’s office. What I encourage owners to notice is which level of government moves their bill. The headline is statewide. The two numbers your actual tax bill is calculated from are local: the appraised value on the home and the rate where it sits.
What should you do before you vote?
- Read the amendment text before you vote. It is one added clause, and the full text is on your county’s sample ballot.
- Know your two local numbers: the appraised value on your home and the combined local rate where it sits.
- If you are buying, model the tax on your expected purchase price at the local rate for that address, not on the seller’s current bill.
- If you believe your appraisal is off, the appeals process runs through your county first, with the State Board of Equalization above it.
- Follow your county commission and city budget calendars. That is where rate decisions are made.
Now you know what you are voting on. Make an informed decision.
Frequently asked questions
Does Tennessee have a state property tax right now?
No. The state reduced its remaining property tax rate to zero in 1949, which effectively ended state property taxation. Property taxes in Tennessee today are local.
Would Amendment 2 lower my property tax bill?
No. Because there is no state property tax being collected, the amendment would not change current bills. Your bill is based on your county assessor’s appraised value and the rates set by your county commission and city.
Would Amendment 2 stop my county or city from raising property taxes?
The added language applies to a state tax. Local governments could still levy property taxes if the amendment passes. It does not address local rates.
When can I vote on Amendment 2?
Early voting runs October 14 through October 29, 2026, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
How is a Tennessee home’s property tax calculated?
The county assessor sets the appraised value. Residential property is assessed at 25 percent of that value. The local rate, set by the county commission and city governing bodies, is applied per $100 of assessed value. The Tennessee Comptroller’s example: a $400,000 home is assessed at $100,000, and at $2.50 per $100 the bill is $2,500.
What happens if Amendment 2 does not pass?
The constitution would stay as it is today: all property remains subject to taxation, and the Legislature would retain the technical ability to authorize a state property tax in the future, as it has had since 1949.
Talk through what drives the cost of ownership at your address
If you own a home in Nashville or Williamson County, or you are considering a move here at the $2.5M+ level, and you want to understand what drives the cost of ownership at a specific address, I am happy to share my perspective. Start at workwithalex.com.
Alexander Brandau IV is a fourth-generation Nashvillian and luxury real estate agent with Alexander Brandau Partners, focused on $2.5M+ homes in Belle Meade, Forest Hills, Oak Hill, Green Hills, Brentwood, Franklin and The Gulch.
Sources
- Davidson County official sample ballot, November 3, 2026: nashville.gov
- Tennessee Secretary of State, 2026 proposed constitutional amendments: sos.tn.gov and election calendar: sos.tn.gov/elections/calendar
- Tennessee Constitution, Article II, Section 28: law.justia.com
- Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, “How to Calculate Your Tax Bill”: comptroller.tn.gov
- Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR), local property tax history: tn.gov/tacir
- Tennessee Department of Revenue, “Property Tax”: tn.gov/revenue
- Williamson Herald, “Proposed constitutional amendments for Tennessee voters to affect justice system, property taxes,” October 13, 2026: williamsonherald.com
- Ballotpedia, “Tennessee Prohibit State Property Taxes Amendment (2026)”: ballotpedia.org