Being aware of the Fulton County property tax appeal timeline may seem straightforward, if not common sense, but many still fail to do so. This shouldn’t be, as missing a deadline will almost always guarantee a negative outcome, such as the dismissal of your appeal.
Significant Variations in Appeal Filing Dates
The appeal filing procedures, papers and dates can vary significantly based on several factors. These include but are not limited to date of the assessment notice, whether the county has an online (electronic) filing option, the type of asset (real versus personal) and the type of property (residential, commercial, industrial, or utility).
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Due to these variations, you have to check the deadlines with the County officials and, in the process, contribute to a timely appeal. You should also seek advice to understand the basics of the appeals process, especially as it applies to the areas noted above.
You have to keep in mind that all taxing jurisdictions have several venues for filing a property assessment appeal. In case you make a mistake, such as in choosing the wrong venue or the wrong appeal path or the wrong grounds for appeal, your chances for a winning appeal will significantly decrease. You may even find your appeal being dismissed even before it can be formally heard!
Sufficient Time on Hand
When you create an appeal timeline according to the Fulton County property tax authorities’ deadlines, you will likely have sufficient time to prepare your preliminary analysis. You should always appear before the concerned government panel, such as the Board of Assessors or the Board of Equalization, with a ready offense or defense, as the case may be, to ensure a winning appeal.
You should ideally have a tax advisor to provide professional assistance on these important matters. You may, on one hand, be able to meet the deadline for filing the tax appeal but when your evidence lacking in form or substance, your winning appeal will be in jeopardy. You may, on the other hand, have the best possible defense on paper (e.g., fair market values and assessed values of neighboring property) but when the forms aren’t submitted on time, your appeal will not even get to the first base.
When the appeal process and timeline have been defined, you should ask several questions about the merit of filing an appeal. Keep in mind that not all appeals will be worth the time, energy and money required to see them through from filing them to completing them (i.e., final decision made by the Superior Court). You have to determine early on whether it’s worth your while – or better yet, your tax consultant can discuss the matter with you.
These questions include but are not limited to: Do you have a recent appraisal indicating that the latest assessed value is too high? Does your property have the same efficiency in operations as newer property within the same class? How was your property assessed by the appraiser and does it make sense?
In conclusion, you are well-advised to question the Fulton County property tax authorities’ assessed values on your residential and/or commercial property. You may just save money in the process.
