Should Home or Commercial Property Owners Appeal Their Fulton County Property Tax Assessments.docx

Do you know what sort of data is used to determine your Fulton County property tax assessments? The details are often quite surprising to those unfamiliar with the issue, and include

• Lot size
• Whether there is a finished basement
• Square footage
• Number of baths
• Garage size
• Whether there is a pool
• Number of buildings on the premises
• The overall conditions of the premises, and more

The data used also includes what are referred to as "comps" or comparable properties. They could be on the same street or of the same general characteristics, and the Fulton County property tax assessor will determine your tax obligations based on those facts. However, and as you might read with a visit to the D.C. area Office of Tax and Revenue's website, it is "uniform and accurate assessments" that are the very "foundation of fair property taxation."

What that means is that it might be "uniform" for the Fulton County property tax to use data and not make actual visits to the property. In fact, it is not at all unusual if that happens. Across the entire country, tax assessors' offices are so busy that it is standard practice for many to use the printed data and comps. Because of that, though, it could be that your Fulton County property tax assessment is too high or even too low.

Too high and you are paying more than your fair share of local real estate taxes. Too low, and you might be unable to ask for the desired purchase price of a property you are listing for sale.

What can be done about it? The good news is that plenty can be done about a Fulton County property tax you disagree with, but the downside is that it does require a lot of legwork and research.

Getting Started with an Appeal of Your Fulton County Property Tax Assessment

Tax assessments are done every few years, and so it makes good sense for you to appeal it if you feel it is inaccurate or just plain wrong. After all, it could mean that you are going to pay out on that inaccurate amount for the next few years. As you might guess from that statement, you cannot appeal at any time of the year. You have only 30 to 45 days from when you first receive the new assessment to make that appeal, so time is of the essence in this matter.

After you decide to appeal the Fulton County property tax it is up to you to put together the documentation that makes your case. The smartest first step is to simply request from the Fulton County Property Tax Assessor the details they used to determine the amount. Often, a simple issue of human error could be to blame. For example, you might have 2.5 acres and a typographical mistake could make it .25 acres or 25 acres; driving the value down or up accordingly.

If it is as simple as that, you can just make note of your property deed or other official details on file with the county. They can prove you have that 2.5 acres!

What if it is not so simple? Then you need to become a sleuth and put together all of the files you believe will prove your point. You can start with those "comps" of your own. Just as the assessor used comparable properties to calculate a fair amount, you can gather at least five examples of your own. They need to be nearly identical in terms of size, condition, location and so on. Then, you need them to be lower in assessed value (if that's your goal) or higher (if that is what you hope to see on your own assessment).

You must also put together documents as diverse as site plans or maps of your property, architectural drawings to show the actual floor plans, survey maps and even some contractor's reports, estimates or bills to show lower value based on factors like storm damage, structural issues, and so on.

Is It Worth It?

Now, you might be like scores of other, similar property owners. Whether it is your commercial property or residential property with the assessment issue, you might be wondering if the amount of money saved by making the appeal is even worth all of the running around and case building. This is particularly relevant when you stop to consider that you have less than two months after you get the new assessment to submit the entire package.

The answer to whether or not it's worth it is a simple yes. After all, if you get as little as ten to fifteen percent knocked off the assessment, which is not all that substantial, it can amount to hundreds or thousands of dollars in your bank account. It is well worth the time and effort to pursue the appeal.

If you don't feel you have the time or the research skills needed to track down all of the key information, and then track the appeal submission, the good news is that you don't have to. There are experts in real estate valuation and tax reduction processes that are more than able to handle every step. Naturally, the first step is yours, and it is to act as soon as the new assessment arrives. There is no dodging that deadline, so you have to act fast.

Fair Assessments, LLC is your resource for Fulton County Property Tax appeals with more than 24 years of experience and success in commercial and residential property owners. They have a proven history in real estate valuation and tax reduction success and are a great resource for those in the Atlanta metro area as well as commercial property owners in GA and FL. Get in touch today to find out how to begin the process of appealing your Fulton County Property Tax property tax assessment.

Source

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/where-we-live/wp/2014/10/07/how-to-appeal-your-tax-assessment/?utm_term=.b887a80af383