Property taxes are high and getting higher. In fact, the National Taxpayers Union expects property taxes to continue rising across the country for the next several years. It’s a vicious circle, and one that virtually every homeowner in Georgia must face. However, that doesn’t mean you’re stuck paying what the Gwinnett County property tax office says you owe. You might be one of the many homeowners who is being over assessed and paying too much in property tax ever year. Below, you’ll find important tips to help get your tax burden reduced if you are being over assessed.

Property taxes come around every year. They’re based on the county government’s assessment of your property’ value, multiplied by the local tax rate. Given the fact that property taxes are an annual expense for home and business owners, you’d think that there was a higher than likely chance that the amount being assessed would be accurate. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Too many homeowners are overpaying on their Cobb County tax burdens. Thankfully, there are ways around this. What do you need to know as a Cobb homeowner or business owner?

For business owners and residents of DeKalb County, property taxes are due annually. You’ll receive a letter from the DeKalb County tax assessor stating the taxable value and amount you owe in taxes, and when that payment is due. If you don’t pay the tax by the due date, you are in danger of going into delinquency, and the county can take legal action against you. Of course, property taxes are always a burden, but your burden may or may not be accurate.

“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” – Benjamin Franklin

No one likes taxes, but they’re an inescapable part of life. In order to have a functioning government, even on the local level, taxes must be assessed. Fulton County taxes come in several forms, including sales tax and property tax. The problem here is that inaccuracies in the mass property appraisal method used by Fulton County tax assessors lead to over assessment and errors, costing you more each year in property taxes. What’s the problem?

You expect your local government to be as accurate as possible in its procedures, and for the most part, Gwinnett County does a good job of that. However, there’s one area where you might find their judgment doesn’t meet with your own – property value assessment. It’s possible, even likely, that the Gwinnett County tax assessor has over assessed your property. What does that mean for you and how can you rectify the situation? Here’s what you should know.

Property tax is inevitable – if you own a home or a business, you will have to pay taxes to the county in which you’re located. For Cobb County residents, that means you’ll be dealing with the Cobb County tax assessor. Once per year, you’ll receive a notification of what you owe in taxes by mail. That notification can come as something of a shock given the rising rate of property taxes in Georgia (and the still low values of properties). There’s good news, though. Your assessment might actually be inaccurate. If it is, you can have your property taxes reduced. How do you go about doing that?

Homeowners have to pay property tax in every county in Georgia, including DeKalb County. Of course, each county sets its own tax rate, and offers its own exemptions to help qualifying residents save on their taxes. The problem here is that it’s very possible you’re overpaying on your DeKalb County property tax, and have been for some time. Here are some of the top signs you’re overpaying.

Property taxes are onerous, difficult burdens to bear, particularly when you consider the number of other taxes you’re liable for during the course of just a single year. There’s good news, though. Many homeowners in the Metro Atlanta area are overpaying in property taxes due to inaccurate home assessments, missing exemptions and delayed assessments that don’t allow for market fluctuations. Appealing your tax assessment can help you save hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year. However, it’s best to go into the process with the help of an experienced tax consultant.

DeKalb County Property Tax Returns are filed at the Board of Tax Assessors in the Callaway Building, 120 W. Trinity Place, in Decatur, GA 30030. Business personal property tax returns are required to be filed by April 1 of each year. For real property (real estate) if you think your appraised value is not correct, you may file a real property tax return. If you do not file a real property tax return you have, in effect, returned the same value that was on the property the previous year.

While doing research for a property tax appeal on a warehouse/production facility a field visit was performed. The building is in an older industrial part of town and was built early in the last century. By looking at the exterior you can see that the improvements are old and suffer from physical deterioration. Undisclosed Functional Obsolescence was also discovered, which if taken into consideration by the tax assessors would lower the taxable value of the improvements further.