Unfortunately, not every property owner and taxpayer can win a property tax appeal. But it can safely be said that most of those who don’t win didn’t have the proper perspective about the process and the people. Here are a few important things that will contribute to your winning perspective.
Protest Your Property’s Assessed Value Every Year
Many people think that filing a property assessment appeal isn’t cost-efficient because of the time, energy and money poured into it. But you will be surprised that the savviest tax advisors actually advise their clients to file it on a yearly basis, if possible. Such a piece of advice isn’t just about the tax advisors getting rich from the professional fees, usually earned through a contingency fee arrangement.
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Instead think of it as plastic surgery for people who always want to look and feel good about their physical appearance – the procedure has to be maintained every year for the best possible results. Of course, you will never save a large fortune for every successful yearly protest that you win. But you should still file appeal because you will likely save several thousands of dollars over time.
In Georgia, if your value is reduced at the second or third level of appeal (BOE, hearing officer, arbitration and superior court) your value is then capped for three years and there is no reason to appeal annually!
Keep Your Story Short
You should put yourself in the shoes of the county’s taxing authorities if you want to win a property tax appeal. The members of the various boards tasked with hearing the property assessment appeals are human, too, so they will likely hate their jobs during the appeal season’s peak period. For this reason, you can increase your chances of a winning appeal by:
- Keep your story short and simple. The board members, hearing officers, and arbitrators, as well as the judges, have plenty of appeals on their dockets. The more you stick to the verifiable and valid facts supporting your proposed value, the more likely you can get a favorable decision.
You shouldn’t waste the taxing authorities’ time by going on and on about your gripe. You will only have 15 minutes or so to present your case so be quick yet effective, efficient and persuasive about it.
- Keep your sob story to yourself. You should avoid giving the taxing authorities a story about your property taxes being an onerous burden on your life. Your story, sadly, will fall upon deaf ears because it’s your responsibility as the property owner to pay the corresponding taxes. They will probably tell you to make certain you have all of the exemptions you are eligible for.
What will happen when you’re not exactly the type who can gather valid evidence, organize it into an effective dossier, and present a persuasive case? Don’t despair as you can hand over these tasks to a trustworthy property tax advisor! Of course, you must be active in the appeal process – you’re still the property owner and the taxing authorities will still hold you accountable – but you have a higher chance to win a property tax appeal with a property tax advocate on your side.
Conclusion
In the end, the chance to win a property tax appeal starts with proper preparation and guidance from a trustworthy property tax advisor with a good track record. Your tax advisor has the proper perspective about the appeal process, thanks to their years of work experience in the matter, which you can develop in yourself, too.
