Can I appeal my property tax bill?

You can appeal the assessed value of your property, not the tax rate. Since your bill is the rate times your taxable value, lowering the value lowers the bill. Exemptions, such as a homestead exemption, can also cut what you owe.

What is the deadline to appeal a property assessment?

It depends on the state. Georgia allows 45 days from the assessment notice, Texas generally May 15 or 30 days after the notice, whichever is later, and Florida 25 days after the TRIM notice. In much of New York, it's Grievance Day, usually the fourth Tuesday in May.

What evidence do I need for a property tax appeal?

Recent sales of similar nearby homes that sold for less than your assessed market value are usually the strongest. Also bring photos, repair estimates, your purchase documents, and corrections to any errors in your property record, like square footage or bedroom count.

How to appeal your property tax assessment before the deadline passes

Deadlines run as short as 25 days. A wrong bedroom count on your property record is one of the easiest wins.

You can't appeal your property tax rate. You can appeal the value the county puts on your home, and since the rate is applied to that value, a lower value means a lower bill.

Assessors make that point themselves. "Neither the ARB nor the appraisal district set your property taxes," the Texas Comptroller tells homeowners, referring to the local appraisal review board. New York's tax department says simply, "Assessors do not determine your property taxes." Local taxing bodies like school districts, cities, and counties set the rates.

Here's how the math works in Georgia, using the state's formula. A home's assessed value is 40% of its fair market value. Subtract the $2,000 standard homestead exemption, then multiply by the millage rate. For a house the county values at $300,000, the assessed value is $120,000. Minus $2,000, that's $118,000. At an example rate of 30 mills, or 3%, the tax comes to $3,540. If an appeal knocks the market value down to $280,000, the same math gives $3,300, a savings of $240 a year. In Cook County, Illinois, the assessed value for a home is usually 10% of its estimated market value.

Start with the notice itself. Georgia's annual notice of assessment says at the top, "THIS IS NOT A TAX BILL - DO NOT SEND PAYMENT." It's the document that starts your appeal clock. Check the property details on it, or on your county's online property record, for errors in square footage, bedrooms, bathrooms, or other details. The Cook County Assessor's Office says to file an appeal if those characteristics are wrong, or if the estimated market value is well above what you think your home would sell for.

"I would strongly encourage taxpayers to look at their assessed value, look at their property record card, and make sure that it's accurate," said Samantha Steele, a Cook County Board of Review commissioner, according to WTTW.

The deadlines are short, and they vary a lot:

Georgia: File in writing no later than 45 days after the date on your notice, and pick a path: the county board of equalization, arbitration, or a hearing officer. Applies in Atlanta and every other county.
Texas: In most cases, protest by May 15 or within 30 days of your appraisal notice, whichever is later. The comptroller's page is unclear on whether those 30 days start when the notice is mailed or delivered, so count from the mailing date to be safe. In Houston and elsewhere, you can ask for an informal conference with the appraisal district before a formal hearing.
Florida: Petition the value adjustment board within 25 days after the property appraiser mails your TRIM notice, usually in mid-August. Talking it over with the appraiser doesn't pause that clock. The board can charge up to $50 to file.
Cook County, Illinois: Appeal windows open by township, so Chicago neighborhoods open at different times. If you miss your window in a reassessment year, you can appeal the next year when your township opens again.
New York outside New York City: In most communities, Grievance Day is the fourth Tuesday in May, but confirm it with your assessor or municipal clerk. It costs nothing to file, and you don't need a lawyer.

What evidence works

Bring proof. "You cannot go to the hearing and just say the appraisal district is wrong," the Texas Comptroller warns. It suggests photos of your property and of comparable homes, receipts or estimates for repairs, and documents showing what you paid.

For most homeowners, the strongest evidence is recent sales of similar homes nearby that sold for less than the assessor's estimate of yours, according to New York's tax department. Some owners hire an independent appraiser. In Georgia, an appeal can be based on the home's value, on whether it's assessed fairly compared with similar homes, on whether it should be taxed at all, or on a denied exemption.

Appeals often work. The Cook County Board of Review granted reductions on 44% of residential appeals for tax year 2022. In San Antonio, Bexar County's chief appraiser, Roy Sandoval, told Texas Public Radio that his office has settled 85% to 88% of protests informally for several years.

While you're at it, check your exemptions, which cut the bill separately from an appeal. Texas school districts must give a $140,000 homestead exemption on a primary residence. Florida's homestead exemption can reduce taxable value by as much as $50,000. In Georgia, homeowners can now apply for the homestead exemption up to the end of their 45-day appeal window, not just by the old April 1 deadline.

You don't have to pay anyone to file. Cook County's assessor warns about mailers from firms that charge a fee based on what they think they can save you. One such company, Ownwell, takes 25% of any savings it wins, HousingWire reported. Texas state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, who also runs a tax consulting firm, told KPRC that professional firms "probably get slightly more off" than a homeowner who knows the house well, especially its maintenance and repair issues.