The Appeal of Real Estate Taxes
Paying property taxes is a part of owning property in the United States, but sometimes you might feel like you are being charged unfairly. If this is the case, you may have the opportunity to appeal your property tax assessment to try and get a lower tax bill. This involves an administrative process that can differ from one area to the next.
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Property Tax Basics
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Property taxes are generally assessed and collected by local city or county governments in the United States. Every year, the county assessor looks at the information about your property and assigns an assessed value. At that point, the assessed value is multiplied by a mileage rate that is determined by the county. This determines how much you pay in property tax for the year. Then you receive a property tax bill that tells you how much you must pay the county.
Appealing the Bill
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When you receive your tax bill in the mail, you can appeal if you think that the amount is too high. You need to contact the assessor's office to find out what the appeals process is. Typically, you must fill out a form and set up a meeting with the assessor. In some cases, you will have to appear at a hearing to present your case. You have to appeal the assessment before a deadline that is set by your county. When you contact the assessor, find out how long you have before the deadline.
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Grounds for Appeal
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If you feel like appealing the assessment, you can appeal only on two different grounds. You can appeal if you believe that there is a mistake in the assessment or you can appeal if you believe that your house is being assessed at a higher rate than it should be. If you appeal the assessment on one of these two grounds, you must have proof. For example, you must be able to show that your house is being assessed at a higher rate than other comparable homes in the area.
Completing the Process
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You may need to do some research to find mistakes that you can appeal. For example, if you look at the assessment and it has the wrong square footage or the wrong number of bedrooms, you may have a case. Once you find evidence of a mistake, you may be able to simply talk to the assessor and get it fixed. If not, you will need to bring your evidence to the hearing in front of a local judge. If your evidence is correct, the assessment will be changed and your bill lowered.
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