When you receive your annual notice of assessment in the mail, you can either just accept the tax assessment and wait for the bill to come or you can file a property tax appeal. This is where you have to decide whether to seek or not seek professional help from a Clayton county property tax consultant in filing your appeal. Your decision will be affected by several factors, such as the discrepancy between the appraised value stated on the notice and the appraised value based on your research.
Regardless of your decision, here are a few things to consider when filing your appeal against the notice sent by the Clayton County tax assessor and seeking professional help in relation to it.
The Basics
Take advantage of the following basic aspects to increase your chances for success in getting a favourable decision on your appeal.
- Exercise your broad right to appeal. You can file an appeal for the entire tax assessment despite your objections being limited to a small aspect of the notice, such as the appraisal methodology used by the assessor.
- Inform the assessor about your intent to make an appeal via written communication (i.e., appeal form). Be sure to write a simple yet straightforward comments indicating your intent and outlining your reasons for the appeal. Keep in mind that you are dealing with an official entity – the Clayton County tax assessor, to be more specific – so it is best to be direct yet professional in your approach.
- Comply with the requirements for the appeal. You may, for example, be asked to submit a letter, complete a form, and show a certified appraisal report from a qualified appraiser, as well as pay the appropriate fees for the process, depending on which appeal option you choose.
Regardless of your decision to accept or appeal the tax assessment, you will be required to pay your taxes. When you fail to pay your taxes, you will likely face complications and financial obligations such as penalties and interest.
Preparatory Steps
Appealing your tax assessment notice issued by the Clayton County tax assessor will require the conduct of preparatory steps. Otherwise, your chances for tax savings will substantially diminish. These steps include:
- Researching the fair market values of similar or comparable properties in the area, such as by using public directories, asking neighborhood friends, and looking at real estate prices;
- Asking the appraiser from the tax assessor’s office about the factors and methodologies used in the computation of your property’s appraised values, if possible;
- Hiring a Clayton county property tax consultant to conduct his own appraisal activities and prepare a value report that can be used during the appeal; and
- Anticipating counterarguments from the tax assessor and county appraiser.
Do these preparatory steps sound time-consuming to comply with? Do you lack the knowledge and skills to mount your own tax appeal? Do you have other things to do besides conduct the research and file the papers?
If you answered “yes” to one or all of these questions regarding the appeal of your tax assessment notice, then you should contact Fair Assessments, LLC for assistance.
