Get ready, Gwinnett: Tax assessments up third straight year

Gwinnett County property tax assessments are up sharply this year as real estate values continue to recover from the Great Recession.

The county will mail assessments for some 275,000 properties beginning today. Steve Pruitt, the county’s chief appraiser, said overall property values are up 9 percent, though individual properties may vary substantially.

It’s the third consecutive increase in property values after years of decreases that followed the recession. In 2014 Gwinnett assessments were up nearly 10 percent; they rose 3 percent last year.

Pruitt attributed this year’s increase to the continuing recovery of real estate prices.

“The real estate market is not smoking, but it’s still a great market,” he said. “We hear every day about someone listing (their house) one day and selling three days later.”

Each year the county assesses the value of real estate for tax purposes. Those values – combined with tax rates set by local governments – determine the size of property tax bills that will be mailed later this year.

If owners believe the county has not properly valued their property, they can appeal the assessment. To appeal online, visit the Gwinnett Tax Assessor's Office here.

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