Did you get a letter from the Gwinnett County Tax Assessor about your commercial or residential property's assessed value, and feel it was wrong? If so, take a deep breath and relax because you have the option to appeal their assessment. Secondly, never take any of this personally. The staff of the Gwinnett County Tax Assessor uses an array of data to create the valuations and it is not their intention to over or under valuate any properties. They are striving for an accurate valuation that ensures you pay the right amount in tax dollars.
Unfortunately, it is a common national issue that tax assessors' offices are maxed out and cannot always head out to visit every single home and commercial property in their jurisdictions. Because of that, they use a reasonable set of criteria to create a new assessment on any given property. That criteria includes:
- The size of the plot of land
- The square footage of the building(s) on the land
- The number of baths (in a residence)
- Whether there are outbuildings and structures such as garages or pools
- If a basement is finished, this applies to residential properties
- What other, similar properties in the general area are assessed at and/or sold for (this is known as comps)
As you can see, the Gwinnett County Tax Assessor is indeed using a very fair and accurate range of facts to value the building. However, what they may not know are changes that impact the value of the property (up or down). For example, they might have a document that says your 1.75 acres of land is 17.5. A simple mistake in typing can lead to a big problem. They might not also know of severe storm damage, such as a large old tree wrecking half of the roof on a commercial building or taking down a garage.
That is why the Gwinnett County Tax Assessor offers the appeal process. If you get the new assessment and think it is wrong or inaccurate, whether too high or too low, you have 45 days to submit an appeal. Why would you want them to adjust it upward? Perhaps you got a decreased valuation and are trying to sell the building? If so, that means you may have to accept less. However, perhaps they did not know you added a new bathroom or did some major improvements. This is information you can submit in the appeal, too.
Getting Together an Appeal for the Gwinnett County Tax Assessor
So, do you just head in and explain what is "off" or inaccurate from the new assessment you received from the Gwinnett County Tax Assessor? No, it is a formal process with application and the need for documentary evidence from you. One of the most common parts of the evidence is a formal appraisal done by a third-party professional. This can show the value of the property from their perspective, and is often a very strong argument in your favor.
In addition to an appraisal, you will want to put together a package of information for the Gwinnett County Tax Assessor that includes:
- Surveys and maps
- Property drawings or renderings
- Contractor's reports showing work to be done and anticipated costs
- Photos of your property and other nearby properties
- Comps of your own. We suggest looking around for at least five properties of similar nature that have sold in recent months or the past year - demonstrating a reasonable likeness to your property and how it should be valued
With all of that data, it can make it much easier for the Gwinnett County Tax Assessor to give your property a second assessment and see if there were mistakes in the data used or errors in the amount that a property should have been valued.
Is It Worth It to Appeal to the Gwinnett County Tax Assessor?
Of course, a lot of property owners feel that the many steps needed, and the time required to get the appraisal, contractor's reports, and all of the other documents may not be worth it. Before you agree, just consider that different data suggests that valuations can be off by as much as 23% on the national average.
Let's just dial it back to 20%. If your property taxes are $4500 annually, and you feel that this is due to an assessment that is flawed, just knock that 20% off of the tax bill. That amounts to a $900 each year. Your tax bill is due to the assessment amount being multiplied by the tax rate, so if you can get that assessment down by that 20% it will make a tremendous difference to your finances. However, even a ten percent decrease adds up over time.
Remember that you don't get new tax assessments each year. Instead, it is every few years. Because you can only appeal the assessment within 45 days of getting notification of the amount, you are, technically, stuck with it until you are next assessed. So, paying 10 or 20% more for a year may seem acceptable, but it is far more than that because it is for several years in a row.
Naturally, many people worry about the use of the appeal process because they don't have the time to roll up their sleeves and do all of the data gathering and work it is going to take. The good news is that you are not legally obliged to do it on your own. You can work with experts who specialize in putting together appeals and ensuring property valuations are accurate - whether commercial or residential.
At Fair Assessments, LLC , you can find a team ready to help you prepare a good and strong appeal for the Gwinnett County Tax Assessor. With more than 20 years of experience with property valuation and tax reduction work, they can assemble a strong case and do all of the paperwork that seems to scare away so many property owners.
