First, do your research
What does your county assessor say your property is worth? Look at your 2013 notice of assessment. If you don’t have it, you can look it up online. Many counties have searchable databases of residential property. (Web addresses for the five largest metro counties listed here.)
Clayton: weba.co.clayton.ga.us/tcmsvr/htdocs/indextcm.shtml
Cobb: www.cobbassessor.org/cobbga/search/commonsearch.aspx?mode=address
DeKalb: web.co.dekalb.ga.us/PropertyAppraisal/realSearch.asp
Fulton: qpublic9.qpublic.net/ga_search_dw.php?county=ga_fulton
Gwinnett: www.gwinnettcounty.com/TRRPWeb/AssesmentNoticeEntry.do
Are you overvalued?
What do you know about sales of other homes in your neighborhood? Do values seem to be going down? If so, the county might have overvalued your house. If you think your house was overvalued, you can appeal the value.
File a property tax return
1. A property tax return is a document that lets you tell the county what you think your property is worth. You don’t have to file a return to appeal the county’s value of your property; but if the county accepts your value, it would save you the hassle of a formal appeal. To file a return, download and print the one-page form at: etax.dor.ga.gov/ptd/adm/forms/pt50r/index.aspx
If you live in Gwinnett County, you can file your return online at www.gwinnett-assessor.com.
2. Section C of the form asks you to list last year’s “fair market value” on your land and your house. Then it asks you to list the value of the land and the house this tax year (as of Jan. 1, 2014). This is where you tell the county how much you think the value of your property has gone down based on sales in your neighborhood. You must send the form to your county tax assessor between Jan. 1 and April 1.
3. The assessor reviews your return and decides whether it reflects your property value. The county will respond with a Notice of Current Assessment between April and June telling you what it estimates your property is worth (the county will send an assessment notice even if you don’t file a property tax return questioning the value).
4. The county can agree or disagree with the value you propose. If it disagrees, you can appeal.
Appeal your appraisal
1. Counties must send every property owner a Notice of Current Assessment stating the estimated value of their property. If you disagree with the county’s value, you must file your appeal within 45 days of the date on your notice. First stop: the county board of assessors. Most appeals are worked out there.
2. If you can’t reach agreement with the board of assessors, the next stop for residential taxpayers is:
a) a board of equalization, which is a panel of county residents that hears appeals unresolved at the assessor level, or
b) binding arbitration, which involves submitting a written private appraisal to an arbitrator appointed by the superior court clerk.
You can appeal a board of equalization decision to your county superior court. Note that both arbitration and appealing to Superior Court carry fees. There is no fee for an appeal to a board of equalization.
More information on appeals:
etax.dor.ga.gov/ptd/adm/taxguide/appeals.aspx
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