Your Fulton County property tax assessment notice will be arriving soon. You should receive it in the mail sometime within late May to early June. If you look at yours and you disagree with the assessor’s valuation, you have the right to appeal the number that was given. You have 45 days from the date printed on your assessment notice to get your appeal filed. So, just make sure you don’t hesitate to get things moving because once you’re past that time period, you won’t be able to appeal this year’s taxes.
How Do You File an Appeal?
There are two methods for filing appeals. The preferred method is to file online. It’s recommended because the appeal process can take a bit of time due to the volume of requests coming in. It’s also easy to track the status of your appeal online. The Fulton County Assessor’s office rolled out a new system called SmartFile. It’s easier to use and better for checking on your appeal. It also lets you start the appeal and then save it so that you can submit once you’ve gathered all the information needed and answered all of the appropriate questions.
The other option is to file manually. There is an appeal form that you get online from the Fulton Assessor’s website. You’ll have to make sure you gather everything that is needed to fill out the form, as well as anything requested to support your appeal reason. Once everything is ready, you’ll mail your package in. It will have to be postmarked by the date that is printed on your Fulton County property tax assessment notice to be considered a valid request. You are encouraged to send the parcel as certified mail, so there will be proof of the delivery. You can also hand deliver the appeal yourself. It’s a good thing to know that if you file manually, you won’t be able to check the status of the appeal on the online SmartFile system.
Those are the two ways property tax assessment appeals can be submitted for filing. You may not submit through fax or email. Any appeal request sent these ways will be considered invalid.
How Involved Is the Appeal Process?
You don’t need to be afraid of the process. However, it can be pretty involved, depending on what kind of property the appeal is on, and what the reason is for the appeal. That, along with the volume of the requests being received by the Board of Assessors’ office, will also determine how long your appeal will take.
Missing or incorrect information can cause your Fulton County property tax assessment appeal to take longer than it needs to. It’s easier to go through the process of appeal with the help of a good, experienced professional, who knows exactly what information to provide up front and can prepare you for all of what will be coming after you submit the appeal. You can save yourself some time, likely a bit of money, and certainly a headache, or two, or three, by allowing an expert to take care of your appeal for you.
If You Have Hesitations, Should You Just Not Appeal?
Just because you have some reservations or fears about filing an appeal of your Fulton County property tax assessment, does not mean that you shouldn’t do it. Understand that many people have hesitations when it comes to something like this. To help you, let’s go over some of the common hang-ups and how you can move past them.
What if my appeal gets rejected?
Ok, what if it does? That’s ok. The truth is, there is a chance that every appeal will get rejected, but you won’t know that if you don’t try. Many appeals result in thousands of dollars in savings and corrections to data in the assessors’ systems. The benefits you stand to get out of the appeal outweigh the possibility that your request will be denied. There’s really no harm in trying.
What if the findings show that I actually owe more?
That’s not something that is impossible. Let’s just say that it’s very highly unlikely. The board is not going to spend time it doesn’t have looking to find a way to increase the valuation amount, from what was originally on your Fulton County property tax assessment, on an appeal that you have filed because you believe the assessor has over-valued your property. The board will diligently work through your case, but only to either validate or invalidate your request.
What if the county officials get irritated with my making an appeal request and use that irritation against me, through my assessments in the future?
This is one of the most common fears of people who are thinking about filing an appeal of their Fulton County property tax assessments. It’s understandable why you might think that way, but you don’t have to worry about that. The Board of Assessors’ system of property valuation and taxation has the appeals process built into it. They expect for you to have to appeal sometimes. They also expect to find that the valuation is incorrect and to have to grant you your appeal.
There will not be any kind of irritation with you for filing an appeal. No one will raise your taxes just because you appealed. You have the right to appeal. It’s not a privilege; it’s a given right. The appeals process is an intentional part of the valuation system. It’s there for a reason, and you have no reason to be afraid to take advantage of it.
Time to Call in the Experts?
Now that you’ve made a decision to file an appeal for your Fulton County property tax assessment, it’s time to give the folks at Fair Assessments, LLC a call. The professionals at this company are very well versed in all things property valuation and assessment appeal. You don’t have to go through the appeal process feeling anxious and like you may not know everything you need to. These experts can review your case with you and help you determine how to proceed. Call today to get started right now.
