Know the basics of how to appeal property tax to increase your chances of winning! You’re well-advised, nonetheless, to hire a property tax expert well-versed in the complicated process. You may have the basic knowledge but not the comprehensive knowledge, ample time, and personal relationships with the county staff for it.
When Do You File the Appeal?
Emphasis must be made that the appeal should be made of the tax assessment value reflected on the Annual Notice of Assessment, not on the property taxes. The appeal should be filed within 45 days of the assessment notice. Be sure to check your notice as soon as possible for this reason. Write the last date to appeal on your calendar so this doesn’t get missed!
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How Can You File the Appeal?
You can appeal your property values to the Board of Assessors in Fulton County, Georgia. The appeal must be in writing, or filed electronically for the Board to act on it. The Board offers three methods of filing appeals.
First, online filing is the more convenient method because it allows the Board to receive and process appeals in a faster manner. Be sure to check that all the required fields and data are provided before clicking on the “Submit” button on the online form. Afterwards, you will receive a confirmation email, which will contain your reference identification number, for the successful filing of your appeal.
Second, manual filing is also available. The appeal form is available on the Fulton County official website – just print it, fill it in, and mail it to: 235 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 1200, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.
While it isn’t required, you should use certified or priority mail so that you have proof of delivery. The Board isn’t liable for undelivered mail even when it’s related to appeals. You can also hand-deliver it to the abovementioned office and ask for proof of receipt.
Be sure to have your appeal post-marked on or before the last date to file shown on your annual notice o assessment. Otherwise, your right to appeal property tax for the applicable year is waived.
Third, manual filing in the form of a formal letter addressed to the Board of Assessors at the abovementioned address. Your letter should contain the following information for it to be acted on as expeditiously as possible by the Board:
- Parcel identification number
- Complete address of the property
- Daytime telephone number
- Specific venue of appeal, such as Board of Equalization, arbitration, or hearing officer (Additional fees will apply in case you choose arbitration or a hearing officer)
- Supporting documentations, such as independent appraisal report, regarding your reasons for disagreeing with the current year value
- Specify the chosen tax payment – 85% or 100% of your tax bill – while your appeal is being resolved.
In case you fail to specify the venue of appeal and tax payment, your appeal will automatically be passed to the Board of Equalization with an 85% billing. Yes, you are still required to pay your property tax as billed by the Tax Commissioner’s Office. Your first payment will be adjusted later according to the results of the appeal.
Appeals made via email or fax will not be accepted. Appeals made via the manual method cannot be accessed via the online Appeal Resolution Center.
These things are just the tip of the iceberg when you want to appeal property tax. You must also deal with the supporting documentation, the deadlines, and the people behind the process, such as the assessors, arbitrators, hearing officers, and judges. You will understandably feel overwhelmed so your best bet is to hire a property tax expert in these matters.
