How to Appeal Your Real Estate Tax Assessment 

Most markets have seen above-average real estate appreciation over the last few years. While this is good for property owners, it has also meant increased property tax bills for many. 

Local municipalities calculate property taxes by taking a property’s assessed value and multiplying it by the local tax rate. When the assessment increases substantially, so does the owner’s tax liability. While increases are inevitable when a property appreciates, there are times that assessments are wrong, leading to an unfair increase in taxes. 

Property owners always have a right to appeal their tax assessment. If you are concerned your property assessment is wrong, you should go through the appeals process to challenge it. To help you with the process, here’s a step-by-step guide for appealing your real estate tax assessment. 

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Know Local Dates and Deadlines

If you’re concerned about your property tax assessment, you first need to research when your local government issues notices of assessments. Some municipalities do them every year, while others only assess properties every few years. 

Once you know when notices are issued, research how long you have to file an appeal. Each local government has its own rules and procedures for issuing and appealing assessments. In most cases, property owners have between 30 to 45 days to challenge an assessment. After this period, any appeal will be denied as untimely. 

Check to Ensure Applicable Tax Breaks Are Included in Your Bill

Many states and local governments offer tax breaks to certain individuals. For example, some areas offer property tax breaks if you’re: 

• A veteran
• Disabled
• Over 65 years old 
• In a specific income bracket 

These tax breaks are not automatically applied. Instead, property owners must apply for the tax break and follow applicable procedures to have the discount applied to their tax bill. 

If you believe your tax bill is too high because tax breaks weren’t accurately applied, contact your local assessor. This can be a simple way to reduce your property tax liability. 

Check the Property Description Used in Your Tax Assessment

Another simple way to correct errors with your tax assessment is by reviewing the official description of your property. In some states, this data is easily accessible online. In all locations, you can request this information from the property assessor’s office. 

Review your property’s description to ensure it’s accurate. For example, if your property has two bedrooms and one bathroom, but the description says it has four bedrooms and three bathrooms, it would make sense that your assessment is higher than expected. 

Mistakes like this aren’t common, but they do happen. If you identify a clear error in the description, contact your local assessor. These issues can be quickly resolved without making a formal appeal. 

Review Comparable Property Values 

If all information in your tax bill is accurate but you still think the assessment is too high, the next step is reviewing the value of comparable properties. There are a couple of easy ways to do this: 

1. Review recent sales of homes that are similar in size, condition, and location to your property. This will give you a better sense of current real estate prices and let you know whether your assessment is accurate. Realtor.com is a good way to search for and review recent sales. 
2. Review tax assessments of comparable properties. Another way to check the accuracy of your tax assessment is to look at the assessments of similar properties in your area. In most municipalities, you can view this information online on your property assessor’s site. Comparing your most recent assessment to four or five comparable properties will give you a good sense of whether or not the assessment is accurate. 

File an Appeal With Your Local Government 

If you still think your assessment is high after doing some research, you should file an official appeal. Each municipality has its own procedures for doing this, which should be available on their government website. 

The process is relatively straightforward and usually involves completing a couple of forms and submitting a formal letter. 

When going through this process: 

• Make sure you have a basis for your appeal and clearly state the reasons you believe your assessment value is too high. Be specific and include as many relevant details about your property as possible. 
• Thoroughly review all local requirements. To make the process go as smoothly as possible, complete all parts of the appeals process and provide all requested information. 
• Consider hiring a professional appraiser. One effective way to challenge an assessment is by having your property appraised by an independent assessor. However, this usually costs a couple of hundred dollars and might cost more than you’ll save. Even so, in some circumstances, this can be a smart strategy. 

The appeals process is relatively straightforward and property owners can complete it on their own. However, if you’re worried about the process or particularly concerned about your assessment, you can always hire a local tax lawyer to handle your case.

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Let ezLandlord Help You Get the Most Out of Your Investment Properties 

As tax season approaches in many communities, now is a good time to review local deadlines for challenging property assessments. Whether or not you plan to appeal the assessment, it’s always a good idea for investors to be familiar with the assessed value of their property because it can impact their investment strategy and rent prices. 

To learn more about getting the most out of your investment property, visit ezLandlordForms. We have the resources you need to self-manage your rentals and maximize returns. Create an account today to join our community of real estate investors.