How to Protest Property Taxes
Property taxes are used by local governments to raise funds to cover their expenses. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, almost a third of all local revenue comes from property taxes. Your property tax bill is determined by the assessed value, or market value, of your home and the local property tax rate. Local governments are not keen on offering property tax reductions because of their limited sources of income, so you should prepare your case as thoroughly as possible.
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Instructions
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1
Determine if you property tax bill meets the minimum threshold for protest. Some areas require that your bill be off by a certain percentage before you are eligible to protest the property tax bill. For example, New Jersey requires your bill to be at least 15 percent more than you believe it should be before you can protest.
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2
File a protest within the time frame allowed. According to CNN, most localities allow you between one and three months to file after you receive your bill.
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3
Build your case for a lower market value of your home. You should check the official description of your home to make sure that there are no factual errors, such as saying that your home has three baths when it only has two. You also should check the sales records of similar homes in your area in the last year and can do this online (see resources). If any of your appeal is based on damage to your home, make sure you have photos to document the damage.
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4
Observe a hearing before your present your case so you are familiar with the process.
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5
Present your appeal to the local board using the evidence you have found in Step 3. If you lose, you can appeal to a state board in some states but will probably need a lawyer to argue your case. If the lawyer is willing to work on a contingency basis, it may be worth your while because the lower property tax bill will offer savings for a number of years.
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