How To Appeal a Tax Assessment on Your Home
Written by
Daria Uhlig
Edited by
Cory Dudak
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State and local governments use property tax revenue to pay for vital services like schools, road construction and maintenance, and emergency services. The tax is based on your home’s assessed value, as determined by your local tax assessor.
It’s important to note that assessed value isn’t the same thing as appraised value. An assessor estimates your home’s value for tax purposes, whereas an appraiser estimates its value in the sales market. They’re two different valuations for different purposes, so they usually don’t match.
If you believe the assessor overestimated the value of your home and you wound up with an artificially high tax bill as a result, appealing the assessment gets the assessor to take another look to see if they made a mistake in the valuation of your property. Here’s how to do it:
1. Check the Deadline for Appealing a New Assessment
These can vary by location. In Worcester County, Maryland, for example, homeowners have 45 days from the date on their assessment notices to appeal.
2. Review Your Tax Record
Visit your tax assessor’s office online or in person to look at your record to confirm whether the information is correct. Check the the following:
- Lot size
- Classification as a residential property
- Improvements (home, garage, permanent shed, built-in pool and other taxable items]
- Year constructed
- Square footage
- Existence/absence of a basement
- Finished basement square footage
- Number of bedrooms and baths
- Existence/absence of a garage
- Lot size
If any of this information is incorrect and the cause of an inflated valuation, simply reporting it to the assessor’s office might resolve your issue without having to go through a full appeal process. Otherwise, continue to the next steps.
3. Document Relevant Information About Your Home
RISMedia recommended gathering photos, repair estimates and even blueprints, if necessary, to support your claim that your home is worth less than the assessed value.
4. Compare Your Assessment to Assessments of Comparable Homes
Tax assessments are public information, so you can search assessments for local homes similar to yours that were assessed at the same time. Get copies of the comparable assessments for your records.
5. Get Sale Comparables
Using real estate portals like Zillow or Realtor.com, search recent closed sales only for homes similar to yours in your local area. Print the listings for your records.
6. Consider Getting an Appraisal
If you can’t find good tax and sales comparable and you stand to save a significant amount of money by winning your appeal, consider having your home appraised. An appraisal is not the same thing as an assessment, but if the appraisal is much lower than the assessment, it could indicate that the assessment is too high.
7. File an Appeal
Follow your local jurisdiction’s process for filing an assessment appeal. You might submit it in writing, for example, or during a live or video hearing (per our Maryland assessment). Regardless of the format, you’ll need to prepare an explanation of why you’re appealing and be prepared to submit the assessment and sales comparables, as well as the appraisal report (if you ordered one).
8. Escalate Your Appeal, If Necessary
If your local assessor doesn’t agree that your assessment is too high, but you’re convinced that it is, consider escalating the appeal. The exact process varies by jurisdiction. In Maryland, for example, you can take your appeal to the Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board. If unsuccessful there, then you may proceed to the state tax court.
One thing to remember: If the assessor visits your home in connection with your appeal and finds taxable improvements they previously overlooked, such as a backyard shed on a permanent foundation, your appeal could result in a higher tax bill.
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