How to Avoid Property Tax

The best way to avoid unnecessarily high property tax is to ensure that the official assessment of your property by your local government is fair and accurate. Mistakes in assessing different properties are fairly common and catching these errors can save you a significant amount of money. There are certain steps you can take to make sure the amount you pay for property taxes is as reasonable and precise as possible.

Instructions

1. Search for noticeable errors in the physical description of your property within the official assessment to avoid paying higher property tax rates than are necessary. Make sure that all information about the square footage or acreage of your property, the length of time it has existed and the current physical condition of the property is correct, and document any errors with photographs, blueprints or other assessments. This type of mistake happens during the assessment process more often than one might think.

2. Compare the official assessed value of your property with other similar pieces of property in your area to build a case that your property may have received an unfairly high assessed value. Information about these official assessments is considered public and is available for your review at the office of your local property tax assessor. Try to identify at least three properties in your area that you believe are very similar in condition and marketable worth to your property, yet received lower assessments.

3. Examine the similarities and differences in your property to other similar properties in your area to help determine what factors might have contributed to a higher assessed value for your property. These factors may include the size of the property, proximity to negative conditions such as traffic or loud areas, floor plans or the physical views available from the property. If you can not find any significant differences, you may be able to prove that your property was assessed unfairly, which may help you avoid paying higher property tax than necessary.

4. Photograph your property and the other similar properties you find in your area. Do your best to find physical evidence of the similar qualities in your property and the properties with lower assessed values in your neighborhood, such as the physical condition of the foundations and exteriors of the properties, as well as the views of the surrounding areas. Choose only a few of the best photographs to use when presenting your case.

5. Present your case to your local government's review board for determining property tax. In theory, similar properties should have equal and fair assessments, so it is important to use all of the evidence you gathered to show that your assessment is inconsistent for the area in which your property is located.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask a local real estate agent for help in getting information about the assessed values of other properties in your neighborhood. Most real estate agents consider this to be common practice and will most likely be happy to help.