Double-Check the Work of the Gwinnett County Tax Assessor

Posted by Daniel Jones on Jul 10, 2019 2:38:00 PM

Gwinnett County tax appeals

If you own a piece of property, you know that you are going to have to pay property taxes on it. Even if you own the property outright, taxes are not something that will ever go away. However, you want to be cautious about those property taxes, and make sure that you aren’t just getting into the routine of paying them without actually looking at them each year. There is a chance that those property taxes could end up being a lot higher than they should be, which means you could be wasting a lot of money. In other cases, property taxes might even be too low. Accuracy is important when it comes to your property taxes.

Unfortunately, whether it is the Gwinnett County tax assessor or an assessor in another county, mistakes can be made. There are sometimes problems with accuracy in the data that was used for determining the property tax, for example. Therefore, it is always a good idea to look closely at your property tax bill to see if there might be an error. You might find that you are paying too much. If you are, make sure that you file an appeal by the date provided on your property taxes. Missing the date means you will not be able to challenge the findings of the Gwinnett County tax assessor this year.

Why Is Your Property Tax Assessment Wrong?

There is no single answer that’s going to work for everyone. There are many factors that are considered when it comes to determining the value of a piece of property. The data used could have errors on it, for example. There could be mistakes in the math that were made later. There are many different potential issues that could be causing your property taxes to be off this year. It is very important that you do not let it feel like a personal attack. It is simply a mistake or incorrect data that is likely causing the problem. You do not have to worry about a cabal of Gwinnett County tax assessors out to get you. Mistakes happen.

However, mistakes also need to be corrected, and that is why you will need to take action. You need to know the information that the assessor used when coming up with the value of your property, and you need to make sure that information is accurate.

Typically, the Gwinnett County tax assessors will use the size of a piece of property, along with the square footage in the buildings when they are making the assessment. Even a small mistake when it comes to the acreage of square footage will mean a huge change to the property tax bill. This misinformation might have been due to a mistake in number transcription, or it could be an actual error on the original paperwork that was used for the property.

There could be other errors, as well. Does the paperwork used by the assessor’s office believe that you have a garage, an outbuilding, or a pool that you do not actually have? These could end up increasing your property taxes, as well. Maybe you added a pool and forgot that your property taxes could increase because of it. You might find that the original assessment was correct after all.

In addition, the assessors will consider the condition of the buildings on the property. If the condition is low, it should keep the value of the property lower.

Comps, or comparable properties, are a huge part of what it examined, as well. These are properties that have similarities to your own. They will have a similar size, similar features, and they will be in the same area. The assessor will check to see the selling price for the property and use those numbers in helping to determine your property taxes. This is not always as accurate as some might hope, which is why you may want to appeal their property taxes.

Why Challenge the Gwinnett County Tax Assessor for a Low Property Value?

Having property taxes that are too low is not always a good thing either. It doesn’t mean that you are saving money necessarily. It means that your property is not valued at what it should be, and that could end up causing problems for you if you decide to sell the home in the next year or so. You will not be able to get your asking amount if it is about the appraised value of the property. People will not offer you what the home is truly worth.

What Happens with the Appeal?

Now that you believe that you might not be paying the correct amount in property taxes, it is time to take care of your appeal. Remember, you will only have a limited amount of time where you can file. Make sure you have your appeal in well before that date arrives. You will then be provided with a hearing date, where you will have to present evidence that shows that the Gwinnett County tax assessor is wrong with their findings.

Evidence could be an appraisal from a third-party, original paperwork, photos, reports from contractors, and the like. There are many types of items that could be considered evidence, and you will want to have as much on your side as possible.

If you are worried about trying to find all of the evidence you need and making sure you meet all of the deadlines, you are not alone. Many people do not have the time to do all of this, and they end up waiting too long or just deciding to pay the high tax bill. Others worry about having to present their findings at a hearing. Fortunately, we can help you at each step of the appeals process. We want to make sure that you have a fair assessment of your property, and we have years of experience helping clients like you. Call us at (404) 618-0355 or visit us online.

Topics: gwinnett county property appraiser

property tax appeals

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