Have you recently received your Gwinnett County property tax assessment in the mail? Do you feel that your tax bill might have been calculated incorrectly because it seems to be a bit too high – or a lot too high? If the tax assessor’s office is valuing your home incorrectly, you will want to take action as soon as possible. You will typically have 45 days from the time your assessment is sent to you to file your appeal, so you can’t delay. However, you will want to make sure that you have some help while you do, as it will be much easier on you.
What Factors Could Have Affected Your Gwinnett County Property Tax?
Many different elements can affect the value of your home and having an understanding of the types of information that are used for assessments is helpful when you are trying to figure out if you are paying too much in taxes.
The Description of the Property
This is typically the first thing that will be examined by the assessor. They will look at the property description from the last time the home was sold or from when the application for the building permit was filed. They want to know the number of bathrooms that are located in the home, for example. They will also look at the square footage of the buildings on the property, and the overall lot size. If there is anything that is notable about the property, such as having a great view, this could be noted, as well, and it could affect the property taxes.
The more desirable the features the higher valued the property will be. This means that your properties taxes will be higher. Most of the time, the tax assessors do not come into your property. However, this could mean that the Gwinnett County property tax assessment turns out to be incorrect. You could be paying more, or even less, than what you should be paying.
Comparable Properties
The tax assessors will also be looking at comparable properties in the area. These comps are homes that are similar to your own home in terms of size and features. They look at the sale prices for these homes and use them to help determine an appropriate value for your own home. Something to keep in mind is that they will look up the values to use when they are doing your assessment. This means that if you were to look at those same homes later to see if they are comparable, the values might have changed.
Location Can Affect the Property Value
Even the location of your home will play a role in the Gwinnett County property tax assessment. If the property is in a great location, such as near a quality school or near great dining or entertainment, it could increase the home’s value. If the property is instead located near an area that is high in crime, or if there are no good services in the area, the property value could be lower.
The assessors will utilize all of this information in order to get a “picture” of your property’s value. They strive to come up with a number that will be accurate, but that does not always mean they are accurate. Mistakes can be made.
Because of the potential for mistakes, it means that you need to be vigilant when your property tax information comes in each year. If you believe that you are paying the wrong amount for your taxes, it is time to change that. You will want to file an appeal with the county.
Filing an appeal is the only way that you can make sure you are paying the right amount, but it will take a bit of work on your part. You will find that you need to make sure that your property was assessed incorrectly. Look at the information that was sent to you and the assessor’s worksheet to get a better sense of how and where they came up with those numbers. You can look to make sure that they were working with the right information. For example, do they have your property listed as having four bathrooms when you have only two bathrooms? Do they have your property listed as being larger than it truly is, or smaller for that matter? Do they list that you have a pool or a garage on your property that does not actually exist?
You will want to find out where they went wrong and then gather evidence to show the correct information on your property. This way, they can adjust the value when you file your appeal.
What if You Are Paying Too Little?
If you find out that your Gwinnett County property tax assessment means that you are paying too little, you might think it is good news. However, it could end up being problematic for you. If you have your property taxes showing that your home is worth a lower value and you decide that you want to sell your home, people will not be willing to pay much more than that appraised value for the property. This could essentially mean that you will get less than your home is truly worth.
Getting Some Help
Of course, if this sounds like it might be a little more work than you want to handle on your own, you can always have some help. Working with a quality company that handles these types of assessments, such as Fair Assessments, LLC, will help to ensure that you have your appeals handled promptly and professionally. It will mean less work for you, and it often means better results. Get in touch with the professionals and have them review your information to see if you might be paying an incorrect amount for your property taxes. Act as quickly as you can, so you don’t have to go another year paying too much in taxes.
