If you've received your DeKalb County, Georgia tax assessment, you should know that this isn't necessarily a “final bill”. That is unless you decide not to contest it. Should you decide to simply pay it, the case is closed. You can, however, appeal your assessment. Here is how to appeal property taxes in DeKalb County.
Georgia provides a single, uniform appeal form for use by property owners across the state. Along with this standard form or in a letter, in their initial written dispute, owners must declare their chosen method of appeal.
To protect your rights, a property tax appeal must be filed with the DeKalb County Board of Tax Assessors within 45 days of the date the Assessment Notice was mailed. Remember, your appeal form should not be sent to the Department of Revenue. You should also keep in mind DeKalb County doesn't accept emailed or faxed appeals. The county, however, does have an online appeal form that is only active during the 45 days of the appeal process. When filing through the online form, the State takes no responsibility that the site will be operational through the entire appeals period. Should it experience an outage for any reason, your appeal period will not be extended and the form will have to be hand delivered or postmarked by the USPS within the appeals window period.
To file online, follow the instructions, being sure to print out your submission confirmation page once it is complete and submitted.
Should you decide to file an appeal by mail, use the standard form, or write a text letter that explains why you are filing an appeal, and if possible, why you disagree with the value your property was originally assessed at. According to the DeKalb County website's instructions on how to appeal property taxes in the county, your letter should also include:
-
The Parcel ID number listed on the Annual Assessment Notice
-
The address of the property
-
A phone number where you can be reached during business hours
-
Your avenue of appeal. You can choose Board of Equalization, Hearing Officer, or Nonbinding Arbitration.
-
Any documentation that supports your objection to the value placed on your property
Once a decision has been made on an appeal by the chosen avenue of appeal (County Board of Equalization, Hearing Officer, or Arbiter) the taxpayer may appeal their decision to the superior court of the county. This can be done by mailing or filing with the county board of tax assessors a written notice of appeal. This needs to be mailed or filed within 30 days from which the decision or your original appeal has been made.
Taxpayers should remember it is their responsibility to know their rights and the process involved. This is why many property owners on the DeKalb County, Cobb County and Metro Atlanta, Georgia area choose the experienced, professional and effective tax appeal services of Fair Assessments, LLC. Contact Fair Assessments, LLC to learn more.
