Most of the time, people simply pay the property tax that has been attributed to their properties without ever giving it a second thought. They trust that their GA tax assessors have provided them with an accurate value of the home and therefore they believe they are paying an accurate amount in taxes. However, it is important for you to realize that even though the assessors strive to be correct in their assessments, that is not always the case. There are certainly plenty of times when the amount people are paying for their taxes is not correct.
Why Are Mistakes Made?
You are likely wondering just why the GA tax assessors might have made mistakes on your property assessment. Plenty of different elements could have gone wrong throughout the process. The assessors will not be able to get out to all of the homes in each of the counties in the state because there are simply too many. It would be impossible for the GA tax assessors to visit all of them due to time constraints. Instead, they will typically utilize a mass appraisal to determine the value of homes instead. This provides them with a faster and easier way to take care of their assessments.
Of course, because of the mass appraisal system, it does mean that there could be some mistakes that occur with the assessments. The assessors will look at a wide range of data when they are determining just what the value of your home should be. For example, they will be looking at the square footage of the buildings and the size of the lot. They will consider the number of bathrooms in the home, whether you have a pool, whether you have made any upgrades, and similar factors. They will also want to know some specifications regarding features that make the property unique, such as a location on an end lot, for example.
The GA tax assessors will be using paperwork that accompanies your home to get the information they need for their assessments. In some cases, there could be errors on that paperwork that you did not notice. Other times, the errors could have occurred when the assessor entered the information into their worksheet.
Another element that can help the assessors to come up with a value for the home is through comp properties. These are homes that are comparable to your own home in terms of size, features, and locations. The assessors will look at the prices that those homes are selling for during their assessment of your property, and this can help them to come up with a value for your own property.
Despite the best efforts of the GA tax assessors, there is always the chance that a mistake can be made somewhere along the way. If this happens, it means that your property assessment will be incorrect and you will be paying an incorrect amount in taxes. This means that your taxes could be higher or lower than they truly should be, and in both of these cases, you will likely want to seek an appeal.
How Do You Appeal?
If you receive your information from the tax assessor and you believe that it is incorrect, you will want to act quickly. You will have a limited amount of time in which you can file your appeal. If you miss the deadline, which should be noted on the information you receive, you will have to wait until the following year to appeal. Instead, you should read over the assessment as soon as you get it and then get ready to file the appeal.
When you file an appeal, you will need to have evidence that shows why the assessment was incorrect. This will need to be provided to the tax office. The more research you do and the more evidence you gather the better, as it can increase your chance of having a successful appeal. Keep in mind that even if the first appeal is denied, you will have the chance for another appeal.
Do not give up on the appeals process, even though it can seem like it requires a lot of work and time. Think about just how much you could be losing by paying too much in taxes this year and potentially in future years, as well. Even if you are currently paying too little in taxes, you should appeal. After all, if you were going to sell your property and the assessed value is lower than the true value, the potential buyers are only going to offer you the assessed value for the home. Not having your property valued correctly could cost you substantially if you are attempting to sell.
Of course, the process will take a lot of time and effort on your part. You will need to learn what types of evidence you can and should find, such as contractor’s reports, blueprints, your own comps, etc. This is not something that many people have the time or desire to do on their own. Fortunately, you do not have to take up this matter on your own. You can get help.
Have Help from the Professionals
If you would like to make the appeals process much easier, your best option will be to work with a quality company such as Fair Assessments, LLC. They have been in business for years and even have experience working as a GA tax assessor in the past. Working with the professionals can offer some fantastic benefits. You will never have to worry about not remembering when you need to be at a hearing, and you can be sure that they know how and where to find the evidence that is needed. The professionals can also find their own comps that match the dates of when the assessment was done on your property. When you work with the professionals, it will make the appeals process much easier to handle.
