When the Fulton County tax assessment notices are mailed out at the end of May many taxpayers will want to file a protest or an appeal regarding the appraised value of their real property. If you are one of these taxpayers, your chances for a winning appeal will increase when you have basic knowledge about the process.

The first step in appealing your DeKalb County tax assessment notice, specifically your property’s appraised value, is filing a letter of appeal addressed to the Board of Assessors. You should ideally hire a tax consultant but you can also choose to appeal on your own depending on your knowledge of and skills related to the appeals process.

One of the best ways to enjoy a DeKalb County Property tax reduction is through homestead exemptions, which come in two forms, namely, basic and special exemptions. Keep in mind that property owners/taxpayers must comply with the strict eligibility requirements set forth by the State of Georgia and DeKalb County to receive these homestead exemptions.

Taxpayers like you should not be passive payers of their tax bills, be it their Georgia state taxes or their Fulton County tax on property. Instead, you should be an active taxpayer in the sense that you know the when, where and why as well as the how of paying your taxes particularly on your real estate and personal property. You will find that by being an informed taxpayer, you can actually reduce your tax expenses without robbing your government of its due.

The Board of Assessors (BOA) and the Board of Equalization (BOE) are two of the most important government bodies in your Fulton County tax appeal. You and your tax advisor will deal with these bodies to lower your real and/or personal property assessment values and, thus, your property taxes.

The Gwinnett County Tax Assessors Office is responsible for the conduct of an annual market value analysis on all the taxable real property within its jurisdiction. The analysis becomes the basis for the annual assessment notices sent out to concerned owners of both residential and commercial properties. The analysis is performed according to Georgia state law, specifically rules and regulations set out by the Georgia Department of Revenue for the purpose of providing for fair assessments for taxpayers, while also providing the government with tax revenue.

Every year, the Gwinnett County Tax Assessor and the authorized appraisers conduct property inspections to determine changes in the current fair market values of the residential and commercial properties under their jurisdiction. These property inspections can be carried out even when the homeowners are away since the appraisers usually just inspect the exteriors of the property, not the interiors. In case the homeowner is in, the appraisers will typically just ask questions while outside the locked door.

Property owners should be aware of their civic duties particularly in the payment of their Gwinnett County tax on their real estate assets. Keep in mind that failure to pay the right amount of tax at the right time can result in substantial legal and financial consequences.

In the State of Georgia, all real estate properties are appraised at their fair market values (i.e., the estimate of the market value of a property based on the amount that a knowledgeable, willing and unpressured buyer will likely pay to an equally knowledgeable, willing and unpressured seller). In this regard, the DeKalb County tax assessor – or more appropriately, Board of Assessors – is responsible for the calculation of the appraised and assessed values of the real properties within its jurisdiction.

The Fulton County tax assessor determines the fair market value of all real and personal properties in its jurisdiction for property tax purposes. Taxpayers are informed about the appraised value of their properties that, in turn, will be used to determine the assessed value. According to tax laws, the assessed value is equal to 40 percent of the appraised value.