[inlne:1]Many homeowners who have been paying property taxes over the years may not know that they might have been paying too much. If you think you may be one of those homeowners, you can appeal the amount of your property taxes by contacting your local tax assessor’s office. In order to do so however, you must prove that the value of your home is less than the assessed value on your tax bill, which is provided by your local tax assessor.
In order to begin the process, you must first contact the assessor’s office and ask them what their procedure is to appeal your property taxes. This is important as procedures and time frames can vary from state to state or county to county. The secret is to identify the tax assessor’s errors in determining the value of your home. You should also ask them to provide you with a copy of the assessment worksheet they have which will verify items about your home such as the number of bedrooms, lot size, square footage etc. You then need to determine that the information is correct.
The tax assessor collects information on comparable homes in your neighborhood in order to determine the value of your property. They should be using homes that are similar to yours. Don’t be afraid to ask them to provide you (if possible) with the list of homes they are using. Again, you should determine that the information is correct. The homes should have the same characteristics as yours. You should also contact your real estate agent and ask him/her to run the comparables in your neighborhood as well.
Whatever the process is in presenting your case, be prepared. Have all your discrepancies ready and available for the tax assessor. This includes tax records (property), recent sales activity in your neighborhood (comps) and any other information which will validate a lesser property value for your home. If you are not successful in getting your taxes lowered the first time around you can always appeal it again at a later date. Keep track of the market and try again the next year.