The real estate market remains unpredictable, with property values unstable and owners at a disadvantage. Improvement and land values fluctuate on a yearly basis at the best of times, and in the current environment, property owners facing Dekalb County GA property taxes can reasonably wonder whether the value of their house, apartment, or commercial property is being assessed accurately. An appeal process exists for property tax in Dekalb County, but going it alone can be difficult. Hiring a professional can give you the support you need to win your appeal with the Tax Assessor to have your property appraised at a more favorable value, resulting in a lower tax bill.

Challenging Property Taxes 

Most people understand that their property taxes are based off the value of the homes or businesses they own. This valuation is reviewed yearly and property taxes are adjusted up (or down) accordingly. At least, this is how the system is supposed to work. In reality, valuations can vary widely and often times the assessor’s office is simply too overwhelmed to be able to do more than a cursory evaluation of the property’s value, leaving the property owner to wonder if they are being taxed fairly.

In the current market, it’s especially important to review your property tax assessment and, if needed file an appeal. Although the appeals process is fairly straightforward, having professional assistance in the process can mean the difference between a successful appeal (lower taxes!) or a great deal of wasted effort.

Municipalities do not like losing money and (again, thanks to the depressed real estate market) are being sticklers when it comes the appeals process.

Hiring a Professional

A professional appeals agent understands the appeals process, knows the market conditions and most importantly, knows where the little “gotchas” are when it comes to the red tape. Simply going in and appearing before the appeals officer and saying “I think my taxes should be lower,” simply will not cut it.

There are two different ways an appeals agent can help; coaching you through the process (you still plead your case yourself) or having the agent stand in on your behalf. Either way can help better your chances of winning your property tax appeal.

Coaching

A professional appeals agent can work with you on how to correctly come up with a property valuation based on comparable sales, walk you through the entire appeals procedure and coach you on how best to present your case. The agent can run through the various questions you are likely to be asked and help you best phrase your responses. This is usually a less expensive option.

Agent Representative

Going this route relieves you of all the work…from filing the paperwork, to collecting the required information to the appeal itself. This is a more expensive option, but it relieves you of the associated hassle as well.

How Much Lower Will My Taxes Go?

Of course, you are interested in saving money, but the fact is no one will be able to guarantee you an actual amount saved (if they do, they are scam artists…run!). The fact is you may not save a dime. The appeals officer may look at the information presented and determine your valuation is correct (or in some instances…not high enough and actually raise it!). However, hiring a professional and having a clear picture of your situation will go a long way to achieving your desired outcome. 

Is It Worth The Effort?

No one likes taxes. This is not about avoiding social responsibility. However, you have the right as a citizen to be taxed appropriately. Many property owners know they are being overtaxed, yet do nothing about it thinking it’s too difficult of a process. The fact is, appealing your property valuation can save you money and at the same time, help promote fairness in government.

Is There a Guarantee?

The short answer is no. However, with the proper information and planning many cases are ruled in favor of the property owner, resulting in significant tax savings.

How Do I Get Started?

The best thing to do is call a property tax agent and talk with them. They can usually give you an idea if your case if worth pursuing or not after collecting some very basic information. They are very likely to have a working relationship with the Gwinnett County tax assessor.

Property Tax Appeals http://www.Fair-Assessments.com 404-644-1667 Property tax appeals service focused on commercial real estate tax appeals. Property tax is a major commercial real estate expense and property tax reduction should be a top priority. We have been saving commercial property owners money for eight years. Contact us for your Fair Assessment.

Taxes are an inevitable part of life, an unpleasant one maybe but essential to the running of the country. In most cases, you receive the bill, grumble about it and then see that it gets paid; just occasionally though you receive a tax bill that doesn’t seem right. What can you do when the tax bill you receive for your commercial property doesn’t seem fair? By following a few simple steps and putting all your evidence together, you can appeal against the amount you are being charged and try to get the bill lowered.


Facts That Determine Assessment

Property taxes in Fulton start with the Fulton tax assessors whose responsibility it is to work out the value of a property before applying 40% to that amount to reach the assessed value of the property on which the tax is based. To get some understanding of whether your tax bill is fair you will need to compare it with those sent to owners of similar properties and, if possible, get help from someone, such as a realtor, who has a good understanding of property values in your area.

However, commercial property taxes are not based purely on the value of the building and to create a case against the assessment of the Fulton tax assessors you will also need to know your expense ratio, net operating income, and capitalization rate. The best way to get your capitalization rate is to derive it from the sales of similar properties.

Once you have these figures you are ready to start to build an appeal case; the next step is to decide on what grounds you are going to base the appeal. You could choose to argue that the market rental rate is lower than the rate that has been used by the Fulton tax assessors. If you can find grounds to do so you can argue that your property is unique and will, therefore, never have the low expense ratio that was used in the assessment. The third option is to argue that the capitalization rate used is the assessment was too low.


The Appeal Process

The Fulton tax assessor’s offices set out a 45 day period from receiving your tax notice, to lodge your appeal. If you are sending documentation to their office, it is always a good idea to send it as certified mail so that you receive confirmation that your documents have reached their destination. Appealing in person can involve an informal discussion with the County appraiser and allows you the opportunity to explain why you disagree with the assessor's decision, and to ask questions. Prior to any meeting, send only the necessary documentation, and take the rest with you as further evidence of your case.

If you lose your appeal at this stage, it is not necessarily the end of the process; you can choose to have your case heard by the Board of Equalization which is free or you could choose to go to arbitration. When attending your appeal hearing remember to be on time, to explain your case clearly and to listen carefully to what is being said. The hearings are quite short, and you may have a lot of details to go through, but stick to the point and keep it short and business like. Whatever else you do, remember to stay calm and professional.

Arbitration does have costs attached but may be the best option if you have had mixed previous experiences with using the Board of Equalization. If you are still not in agreement with their decision then your final option is the Superior Court appeal, whose judgment on the matter is final.