How to Get Your Property Taxes Lowered in Sacramento County, California
California's Sacramento County levies property taxes based on the market value of your home. The home's value is determined during periodic assessments the county assessor's office conducts. If your home is assessed at a value greater than its true market value, you will have to pay higher taxes than you otherwise should. You can ask the assessor's office to review its assessment and you can also appeal your property assessment to an assessment appeals board. A lower assessment will result in lower property taxes on your home.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Visit the Frequently Asked Questions page at the Sacramento County Assessor website. The information on the FAQs page provides background on the assessment process and how the assessor's office determines the market value of your real estate.
-
2
Find sales information for similar properties in your neighborhood . You can request information from a real estate agent, use computers at the assessor's office to identify recent sales or use real estate websites such as Zillow.com for sales information.
-
-
3
File a "Request for Assessor Review" form with the assessor's office. Include sales information for similar homes in your neighborhood. Also include any additional information you have to support your contention that the market value of your home is less than the assessed value. You can include appraisals or contract offers for the sale of your home in support of your case.
-
4
File an "Application for Changed Assessment" with the assessment appeals board if the assessor's review does not result in the desired change. The application process is similar, and the board has the authority to overrule the assessor and establish a new assessment value for your home.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If the "Request for Assessor Review" is not offered in the year in which you are asking for a revised assessment, then file an appeal directly with the appeals board.
The appeals process is only available during certain times of the year. Check the dates on the FAQs page to make sure your appeal is timely.
