If you believe that the GA tax assessors did not provide you with an accurate assessment of your home’s value, such as valuing the property too high, it will cause some issues with your taxes. Namely, you are going to be paying more in taxes than you should be paying based on the supposed value of your property rather than the real value of the property. Whether this happens just once or year after year, it costs you quite a bit. It is, therefore, a good idea to consider an appeal for your property tax as soon as possible.
What Does a Typical Appeals Process Entail?
For most homes in Georgia, there are two basic methods of trying to appeal the results of the GA tax assessors. There is the property tax return, as well as filing an appeal to the board of assessors directly. The process can often feel overwhelming for those who have never had to do it before. It becomes a much easier task to handle when you have the help of the professionals on your side. You will want to take the time to find a property tax professional in your area who can help to guide you through the process and make sure that filing an appeal is the best course of action for you.
You will always want to make sure that you understand and know the current valuation of your property. The letter that you receive from the assessor’s office will provide you with what they believe the value of your home to be, and the government will be using that information for their tax purposes. If you believe the valuation is too high, you will want to check out some of the comparable homes in your area that have recently sold to see what their valuation is. Typically, the valuation of those comparable homes will be the same as yours.
Keep in mind that these homes need to be very similar to one another in terms of condition, location, size, and number of bathrooms and bedrooms to provide you with a baseline for valuation. Find several comps in your area when you are trying to determine whether your valuation is too high. If you find that your home is valued higher than these properties, it can increase the likelihood of winning your appeal.
When you find a difference in the valuation of comparable homes, you can file a property tax return and let the county know how much you think the value of the home has changed based on the sales in the area on the comp research you completed. Always make sure you act as quickly as possible when you are filing the return, as there will be a deadline stated in the document.
The assessor will then respond to your claim after spending time reviewing it to see if the value assessment should be changed or not. They will let you know, generally after a few months, what their decision is. If you find that you do not agree with their decision, don’t worry. It’s not the final word. You still have the option of appealing.
If you want to appeal the decision of the GA tax assessors, you can do so. However, you will only have 45 days from the date on the notice to file your appeal, so make sure you take care of it as soon as you can. The appeals process can take some time, and it can be somewhat confusing for those who have never had to undergo the process before. Rather than spending all your own time working on the appeal and trying to make sure you are making the right decision and following through properly, your best option is to work with a property tax specialist in GA who knows and understands the details of appealing.
How Do You Find a Property Tax Professional?
You will discover many individuals and companies out there who claim to be able to help you with a fair assessment of your property and help you with the appeals process, so you can keep your property taxes as low as they should be. However, not all those companies are worth your time and money.
When you are looking for a pro who can help with the GA tax assessor’s office and the appeal process, you need to find those who have plenty of experience in the field with properties like yours. How long have they been working in property tax issues? Have they ever worked with a property tax assessment department? Finding those who have the knowledge and expertise needed to navigate this field is vital if you want to have a chance of successfully winning your appeal.
What If the Home Is Undervalued?
You might be wondering just why you would want to bring it to the attention of the government if they happened to value your home for less than the actual value rather than for more a greater value than it is worth. After all, this would help to keep the tax bill low.
However, what happens if you are trying to sell your property? The potential buyers are going to look at the assessed value of the property, and they are going to want to pay less than what the home might truly be worth. If you are going to be selling your home soon, and you feel that your property has been undervalued, you should also speak with a property tax specialist who can help to deal with the GA tax assessors and make sure you have your home valued properly.
