What to Do if You’re Paying Too Much on Your Fulton County Property Tax

Posted by Daniel Jones on May 15, 2019 9:18:00 AM

Atlanta property tax appeals

Are you in a situation where you feel like you might be paying too much on your Fulton County property tax this year? Taking this first step to learn more is an excellent choice and we’ll help you determine what the best course of action going forward is.

The truth is that across the country home values have gone up. This also means that property taxes are going up. However, that doesn’t mean you should just assume that your taxes are accurate. If your Fulton County property tax has gone up quite a lot, it might be time to consider an appeal. This is especially the case if the increase seems off when you consider the appreciation in the area.

Read Over Your Assessment Letter

The next step you can take to determine the situation you are in is reading over your assessment letter. The local government periodically assesses all of the real estate in the area being taxed. At the time that you receive a new assessment in the mail, it’s going to provide information about your property, such as a legal description or lot size, and the value assessed for your land and home.

Your Fulton County property tax bill is going to be calculated using the assessed value of your home multiplied by the tax rate, which may be different in one town than it is in the next.

If it seems like your assessment is higher than you expected, it’s important to immediately challenge it. That is because you have a limited time to do so. You can usually find the specific procedures you need to follow on the same letter that shows your assessment.

Consider Whether an Appeal is the Right Choice

The effort that you choose to put into an appeal is going to depend on what you have at stake. As an example, in 2015 the median property tax across the United States was around $1,500 per capita. That’s also less than one percent of a median-value home worth $222,000 that same year.

In some areas of the country the cost is much higher, which also means that appealing the decision could save you more money. This applies in any area where the home prices are more expensive than the median. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t appeal if you can save money. The good news is that you can talk to an expert to determine what your best option is.

Take a Look at the Property Data

In order to find all the information held about your property, you’ll need to visit your local accessor’s office or see if the information is available on their website. This will offer an official description of your house which you should look over for any mistakes. For example, if the record card says you have a home with three bedrooms but your home only has two, that might lead to a reduced assessment value and lower taxes. This also can make your appeal very simple since it’s a matter of clearing up the information that is on record.

Acquire Information on Comparable Properties

You can enlist the help of a realtor or do this step on your own. What you want to do is find three or four properties similar to your own, known as “comps” to realtors. You want to find properties that are similar in style, location, size, and condition. You can also hire an appraiser for this step, but it will likely cost a few hundred dollars to do so.

After you find some comps, look at the Fulton County property tax assessments for those properties. This can often be found on a public database, but if that isn’t possible, a realtor or your neighbors may be willing to help. If it turns out those other properties have lower assessments, that gives you the ability to argue yours might be too high.

Call the Local Assessor’s Office

Once you have the evidence and information you need about your Fulton County property tax being off, it’s time to get in touch with the local assessor. You can often have a conversation by phone but if this isn’t possible, you can choose to request a formal review instead.

At this point, it’s crucial to pay attention to the proper procedures and deadlines. You may have a form that you need to fill out along with instructions about turning in the evidence you have. The review can take some time and you may need to wait a number of months before you get a final decision. It should come in writing.

Get Ready for an Appeal

If things do not go the way you could like them to with your Fulton County property tax, that doesn’t mean you have no other options available to you. You can choose to appeal the decision with or without the help of professionals. There may be a small filing fee in order to do so but the amount is generally negligible. If you do end up in front of the appeal board, the challenge may take months or even a year to get a final decision.

There are a few things to keep in mind if you are deciding whether to go forward with an appeal. While the board can choose to lower your assessment, they are not able to change the rate you are taxed at. It’s also possible, although unlikely, that your assessment could end up raised and you will owe even more in taxes.

What to Do Now

If you need additional help, the experts at Fair Assessments, LLC are experience with property assessment values in Fulton County. This can give you additional knowledge and help if you choose to go through with an appeal. These professionals can offer you an appointment for a consultation to look at your case. This will help to get your appeal approved more quickly and can give you peace of mind.

Topics: Fulton County Tax Assessor appeal

property tax appeals

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