When it is time to choose one of the property tax consultants in Cobb County, it can be an overwhelming proposition. This is especially the case if you have never had contact with a property tax consultant in the past. However, with many properties being assessed at a higher rate than is appropriate, you may find yourself in need of an expert. Your property tax consultant will be able to help you determine the value of your home and represent you in your appeal. Today we’ll be going over the steps associated with finding an expert, high-quality property tax consultant in Cobb County.
The Process of Evaluation
In many cases, a business owner or homeowner doesn’t think about taxes until they come in the mail. You receive a notice and believe your taxes might be too high, so you select a consultant to handle your appeal and save you money on property taxes. However, your level of tax savings is not the only thing to consider when you decide on the right consultant for your unique situation.
Relative Measure of Savings
As an example, if the consultant in Cobb County whom you are interviewing mentions they have provided over a million dollars in tax savings, this is going to sound reasonably impressive. However, you need to dig deeper to understand what that number actually represents. If the consultant managed that level of tax savings, but it only stands at 5% of potential tax savings, they may not be the best person for you to choose. This is why one option is to consider tax savings in terms of a percentage of your taxes.
Revenue or Operating Profit Savings
You can also consider the taxes to be a percentage of what your entire gross operating profit or gross revenue is for a year. In that case, your taxes are expected to be a certain percentage of profit or revenue. So, depending on what your business is for, you can get an idea of what others like it are likely to pay. If you find that your taxes are largely more expensive than that, the property tax consultants can offer that information and work to bring your taxes down to the correct level.
Entire Achieved Value
You also want to think about what value a consultant typically brings in compared to the value that was targeting. As an example, if your consultant and yourself have determined that hitting ten million in valuation is optimal, consider what the actual value achieved ends up being. If it’s fifteen million, that’s a fairly amazing number that shows a lot of skill and knowledge. In most cases, the number will be less than 100% but the higher the possible number, the better your chances.
Timeliness of the Appeals Process in Cobb County
You also want to evaluate the amount of time that it takes for your consultant to complete an appeal. As a business, you want to have this done as soon as possible after your tax bill is issued. If you don’t do so, you’ll end up paying more tax bills at an inaccurate level. While you may be refunded, it isn’t always optimal to wait until the entire process is complete to get money back. Make sure your consultant is aware of how important it is that things be done quickly.
Selecting from Cobb County Property Tax Consultants
After your evaluations are complete, it’s time to hire the right consultant for the job. There are still some things that need to be considered at this point. For one, you want a consultant who has plenty of experience. This isn’t solely related to how long they have been on the job as much as it relates to their experience in Cobb County and surrounding areas.
You also want to be aware of their experience level when dealing with the same sort of property as yours. This is especially important if you run a business in a niche industry. You want a consultant who already has expertise in what you do and how it relates to the property tax appeals process. Find out what sort of clients the person has had in the past and whether those clients are long-term. This gives you the best chance for success when receiving your appeal decision.
In addition to that, you will want to consider the fees and services of the property tax consultants in Cobb County. However, what you don’t want to do is choose the least expensive option if that person isn’t well-qualified. You often get exactly what you pay for. What you want to do is find someone who is open to negotiation and will offer what you need for a reasonable price that satisfies both of you.
Making Your Final Decision
After you’ve met with any potential property tax consultants in your area, you’ll want to consider the advantages and disadvantages of hiring each. Take your time and weigh things according to their priority for you and your property. Think about price, client ratings, availability, and your own feelings about each consultant. From there, you can form an opinion and follow through with your hire. After that, it’s just a matter of going through the appeals process.
Help When You Need It
If you are interested in learning more about the appeals process, Fair Assessments LLC offers a blog, videos, and eBooks to assist you. Our website also includes state profiles and a checklist to help you through the process of a property tax appeal. We work hard to offer the information you need to begin the process, whether or not you choose us to assist with the appeal.
You can get in touch with us at any time of the day and in whatever form you are most comfortable with. You can give us a call at 404-618-0355 or send an email to info@Fair-Assessments.com. We also offer a contact form on our website and a mailing address is listed there for your convenience.
