Gwinnett County Tax Assessor notices did go out on April 5th as evidenced by 28 assessment notices I have been sent. The appeal period in Georgia is 45 days in all counties and that makes the appeal deadline in Gwinnett May 20th. This is the last day that your property tax appeal can be postmarked or hand delivered.

I have value changes on approximately 14% of the notices that I have received. Two values decreased, two increased, and 24 had no change in value. No change in assessment isn't necessarily a blessing, especially if your value has remained unchanged for several years and it has not been appealed. In 2012 we appealed many values in Gwinnett County that hadn't changed since the start of the Great Recession. We were able to get most of these reduced.

Gwinnett County property tax is higher than average for the Atlanta metro area. Gwinnett County property tax rates aren't as high as DeKalb County and aren't as low as Cobb County. For the tax year 2012 the Gwinnett County government did not raise the millage rate. However, for 2013 some tax rates will rise and some will fall within Gwinnett County, Georgia. As reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution back in November, based on the settlement of a lawsuit between Gwinnett County and the incorporated cities within it, real estate owners within unincorporated Gwinnett County will see a tax increase, while those in incorporated areas may see an increase or a decrease, depending on how many County services they use.

The Gwinnett County Property Appraiser is also known as the Chief Appraiser of Gwinnett County. The Chief Appraiser works for the Gwinnett County Board of Tax Assessors. The Chief Appraiser of Gwinnett is hired by the tax assessors to administer the daily functions of the tax assessment department, which is responsible for valuing all of the real and taxable personal property in the county. Click here if you are looking for a Gwinnett County real estate appraiser.

When appealing your property tax assessment for an income producing property there are some expense items that you should not include in your income approach to value. The Appraisal Institute defines operating expenses as the periodic expenditures necessary to maintain the real property and continue the production of the effective gross income. Operating expenses can be fixed expenses that do not vary with occupancy, or variable, which generally vary with the level of occupancy or the extent of services provided. They include management charges, leasing commissions, utilities, heat and air conditioning, general payroll, cleaning, maintenance and repair of structure, decorating, grounds and parking area maintenance, security, supplies, rubbish removal and exterminating.  

There are non-operating expenses that you might be tempted to use in your income approach but the tax assessor will throw them out, or tell the board of equalization that you are including non-operating expenses. Some of these non-operating expenses are expenses that the IRS allows on your tax return, which causes some confusion.