How Can I Lower My DeKalb County Property Tax?

Posted by Daniel Jones on Apr 1, 2015 11:30:00 AM

With money getting tighter and tighter every year, homeowners throughout Georgia, including those in DeKalb County, are looking for ways to lower the amount they’re paying in property taxes. Many homeowners across the country simply accept the assessed value of their home as a given, and pay the property taxes that they’re billed each and every year. While this is good civic propriety, it is not good financial sense. In many cases a homeowner may be able to challenge the assessed value of his or her property, and reap the benefit of paying lower property taxes.

Every year, the DeKalb County tax assessor visits hundreds upon hundreds of homes, and the appraisal that the assessor makes is frequently higher than it should be. According to a report by ABC News, which cites that National Taxpayers Union, approximately 60 percent of homes are over assessed by tax assessors across the country. DeKalb County is no exception to this rule. Because the assessed value of your home is the primary driver of the property taxes that you’ll be paying, it’s important that you pay close attention to this appraised value.

How Can I Judge If My Property Has Been Over Assessed?

When assessing the value of your home, the DeKalb County tax assessor will look at the value of other homes that are similar to yours in the same neighborhood. Generally speaking, they will pay extra close attention to those homes that have sold recently, using their selling price as a guide for assessing the value of your home. As you might imagine, this process can be, and often is, somewhat inaccurate.

DeKalb_County_Property_Tax

Therefore, if you believe that your home’s value has been over assessed, you will want to conduct some research of your own. There are many websites online that can help you to determine the value of similar properties that are in your neighborhood, as well as those in neighborhoods nearby that are similar to yours. If your appraised value seems out of sync with what you’re seeing elsewhere, then it’s highly likely that the value of your property has been over assessed.

How Can I Appeal My Home’s Assessed Value?

At the beginning of the summer, you should receive an assessment notice from DeKalb County that will reflect your home’s appraised value, as well as an estimation of the property taxes that you’ll have to pay for that year. After you’ve received this notice, you have a 45-day window in which you can appeal the appraised value of your home. On the notice itself, you will find information about how to file an appeal.

Why Monitoring Your Assessment is So Important

You work hard for the money that you earn, and you’ve worked hard for the home that you live in. You shouldn’t have to pay any more in taxes than you’re required. Doing your due diligence with respect to the assessed value of your home is your right, and doing so can often help you to lower the amount you pay in DeKalb County property tax.

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