5 Important Questions to Ask About Your DeKalb County Property Tax

Posted by Daniel Jones on Aug 6, 2018 9:46:00 PM

DeKalb_County_Tax_Assessor1

For most homeowners, saving money is high on their list of priorities. There are so many things you could be doing with your money instead of paying a high DeKalb County property tax bill. But year after year, those bills keep coming. Did you know that you may be able to get the amount reduced through an appeal? Property taxes are often based on an outdated assessment that make your bill much larger than it needs to be. Here are five questions to ask about your tax bill before you consider appealing.

1. What is the current assessed value of your property?

The bill you receive for DeKalb County property tax should include the assessed value of your residential property. But knowing just this number is only part of the equation. Every county has a ratio that allows assessors to equalize the assessment based on the value of the area’s market that year. It can be tough to figure out if your home is actually being assessed fairly when you start throwing this ratio in the mix, which is why seeing a property tax professional is a great idea. We can help you determine what your home is valued at, and how it is impacted by the local equalization ratio.

2. When did the current value get assessed?

If your home’s last assessment was when you bought it a decade ago, it’s time to appeal. If the housing market in the area has gotten worse, and homes are no longer worth what they used to be back then, you are definitely paying too much in taxes. You should consider having your home reassessed based on today’s market. Additionally, if the home has aged and hasn’t been updated, or if the neighborhood has recently had a change that has driven down property value (a busy highway was added nearby, a big industrial building ruined the view, a nearby park was shut down), this could all make the home’s taxable value less.

3. Could the new assessment make your tax bill go up?

It’s important to ask a DeKalb County property tax professional if they think your home is currently under-valued. If it is, and you get a reassessment, and it is found that your home’s value is much higher, it could lead to a bigger bill for you. In this case, it would be wiser to continue paying your current tax rate, and not appeal the bill. Only a tax professional can tell you if this is the case before you take the step of putting the new assessment in motion, so consider contacting us before you talk to the county assessor’s office. This is a very important step, because the assessed value of your home can affect your tax bill by thousands of dollars.

4. What are houses around yours selling for these days?

If you do want to appeal the property tax bill you received, a crucial piece of information to have is how much local houses near you are selling for. The best indicator of a residential property’s value is how much similar homes are going for. Even if the market suggests that your home, with all its upgrades, could be worth $300,000, if your neighborhood homes aren’t selling for any more than $150,000, then this matters. Taxable value is based on what you could sell the property for theoretically, and buyers will always use local sales data to negotiate prices. So you should also have this data to negotiate your tax bill.

5. Would it be in your best interest to work with the professionals?


You can appeal your tax bill on your own in DeKalb County. Property tax bill appeals happen annually, and you have to have all the research, paperwork, proof, and more, ready to go. You are essentially having to convince the county assessor’s office that your home should be re-assessed, and unless you have convincing information, they can refuse your appeal.

This can take a lot of your time for something that you may not have luck with, just because you weren’t as familiar with the process. At Fair Assessments, we do nothing but help you get your tax bill down to a reasonable level. We file the property tax appeal for you, we do all the research needed to present a convincing case, we negotiate the reassessment wit the property tax departments, and we prepare you for the Board of Equalization hearing (which we attend with you).

Overall, we have a success rate of over 80%. Fewer than 20% of our clients are refused a reduction on their tax bill. If your home is under $500,000, you’ll only pay $295 for our services, and we can save you thousands on your tax bill. For homes up to a million dollars, our services cost $395, and any homes over a million, our services are $495.

Another great reason to work with the professionals is that it can be hard to say exactly when the appeal will occur. Some counties are efficient and have appeals done in the same year as the tax bill is sent. Others can take up to two years or more to hear an appeals case. In this time, you have a life to live. We can stay on top of all the relevant dates and research, and notify you when it’s time to head into the hearing. In the meantime, you can go about your life without worrying about this process.

Ask Us More Questions Today

These five questions are the best things to start with when you are considering appealing your tax bill. But if you have any other questions, feel free to contact us at Fair Assessments at any time. We are always happy to answer your questions and ensure that you understand why your tax bill can and should be lower.

Call us today at 404-618-0355, contact us online, or email us at info@Fair-Assessments.com.

 

Topics: dekalb county property appraiser

property tax appeals

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