Tips for Appealing Your Gwinnett County Property Tax

Posted by Daniel Jones on Feb 19, 2018 8:00:00 AM

Nobody likes to pay property taxes, and it is even less appealing when you believe that you are paying too much for those taxes. Those who believe that they are paying too high of a tax on their property will want to check to determine the assessed value of their property from the Gwinnett County property tax assessors. In some cases, you might find that the assessors valued the home higher than what you believe the true value of the property to be.

This could happen for any number of reasons. For example, even though it is relatively rare, the assessors might have been using incorrect information when they were valuing the home. If you feel that the assessment was wrong, and you do not do anything about it, you could be paying hundreds, or even thousands, more in taxes each year than you should. Imagine what you could do with that extra money, such as making an extra payment on your home each year.

What Affects Your Property Taxes?

In addition to the valuation placed on your home by the Gwinnett County property tax assessors, a range of other factors go into the amount of property tax you owe. This includes the property tax rate, which you will not have control over, as well as the exemptions that you file, which you will have control over. Even though many may not realize it, they also have control over the valuation of their home, at least to a degree. They can let the assessors know that they believe the property was valued incorrectly, and they can file an appeal.

However, this can be a long and somewhat frustrating process for those who do not understand everything it entails. If you want to appeal your property taxes, you will find that you are better off hiring a professional to help you through each step of the process. They will make it far easier for you.

One of the first things that the professional will do is look at your assessment letter and information, and then consider the value of other comparable homes in the area. While this might seem like something that is simple enough for you to do on your own, it often requires someone who has knowledge of how the Gwinnett County property tax assessors work.

For example, it is not possible to simply find a few comparable homes around the state, or even in your area, that have a lower valuation associated with them. The professional needs to make sure that they are looking at homes that are similar in size, location, and condition, and that were sold shortly before the valuation period. This is the period when the assessors completed their valuation. Many property owners do not understand the importance of this period, and they look at comparable homes that were sold after the valuation date, or even too long before the valuation date.

In addition, the property tax professional will make sure to look at the market during the period when the assessor was completing their valuation of the property to make sure the valuation is correct and accurate.

In some cases, the property tax appeals board will not accept certain comparable homes as evidence due to the above reasons, or because the sales data on those homes was not entirely valid. For example, if a home was sold a bank-owned property or a short sale that was sold for under the true value of the home, the assessor’s office might not accept that as evidence.

Therefore, it is important to take the time to make sure that the comps being used are high quality, and that they will be qualified by the appeals board. To do this in any reasonable amount of time takes knowledge, skill, and experience that is often lacking in most homeowners since they have never had to do it before. Hiring a property tax professional who can help with the appeals process will make things much easier on you, and you can be sure there will not be any mistakes made.

Choosing the Right Property Tax Professionals

Even though you might feel that you are paying too much for your property taxes, it is important to have validation from a professional who can look at your situation and let you know whether you should file an appeal or not. You will want to make sure that you are working with a quality property tax professional, of course.

While there are many who claim to offer help with your property taxes, it is essential that you take the time to find those who truly have experience in the field helping clients just like you. Make sure the person you choose has experience with residential properties in the area, and that they have been successful in helping people in the past lower their taxes.

What other types of experience does the professional have? Ideally, you will find someone who has also worked in an assessor’s office in the past. They know how the assessors work and what they are looking for when they are valuing a piece of property. Therefore, they have a better chance of finding potential errors or issues with the valuation that could help you to reduce your taxes.

It is also important that the property tax consultant you choose has experience with homes in the area. This can often make it easier for them when they are trying to find comparable homes that can be used to show that the value of your property should be somewhat lower. In addition, if you have a residential property, you want someone who has experience with homes, not just commercial properties.

Take your time to find the perfect property tax consultant to help you with your appeal of the Gwinnett County property tax currently applied to your home. They can help you save hundreds, or perhaps more than a thousand dollars, on your taxes.

Topics: Gwinnett County Tax Assessment

property tax appeals

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