ATLANTA — Home values are up in metro Atlanta, meaning your next property tax bill could be higher than usual.
By now, you’ve likely received an assessment on your property from the county where you live, and you’re convinced assessors are more impressed than they should be.
Here are some tips:
(Courtesy of Dan Jones of Fair Assessments LLC to help you appeal the assessment and possibly save you money.)
First, do some research.
Look for homes in your area comparable to yours that sold last year and notify the County Board of Assessors of any sales that were lower than the assessment you just received on your home.
Make sure it’s information from last year. Jones says your county’s tax assessor won’t consider sales from this year.
Look at the assessments on similar properties from this year to see if you can find anything out of whack. In other words, if your neighbor’s home is the same style and size, but the assessed value is considerably less, notify the county.
What if they refuse to budge?
If the Board of Assessors refuses to budge, Jones says you should appeal to the county Board of Equalization. It’s free, and if the board lowers your assessment, it caps your taxable value for three years.
Even if the Board of Assessors lowers your value, Jones says go to the Board of Equalization anyway. That’s the only way to cap your value, potentially saving you money down the road.
