How to Appeal Property Taxes

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Home values are up, and that may mean your property taxes have gone up, too. But what if you believe they’re too high? You may have grounds for an appeal, and in most cases, you can do it yourself.

Step 1

First, look for errors that could be unfairly inflating the value of your home. Ask your local assessor’s office for a property record card, which lists the factors used to come up with your assessment. This information may be available online. Fixing obvious mistakes such as incorrect square footage or the wrong number of bathrooms could lower your property value.

Step 2

Next, check out tax bills for similar properties in your neighborhood. This is public information and may also be available online. Compare your home with others in your tax classification, which usually lumps together homes of similar size and age. If your assessment is much higher than the assessment for other homes in your group, you could have a good shot at an appeal.

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Step 3

Finally, make sure you’ve been given all of the tax breaks you deserve. Most states offer exemptions, lower tax rates or reduced assessment ratios for certain taxpayers, such as primary homeowners, senior citizens, or veterans. Check your state’s department of taxation Web site for more information. You can also find more information on appealing a property tax bill at NTU.org, the Web site for the National Taxpayers Union.

Looking for more ways to lower your tax bill? Start by making sure that you aren't missing out on the most common overlooked tax deductions.

Block joined Kiplinger in June 2012 from USA Today, where she was a reporter and personal finance columnist for more than 15 years. Prior to that, she worked for the Akron Beacon-Journal and Dow Jones Newswires. In 1993, she was a Knight-Bagehot fellow in economics and business journalism at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She has a BA in communications from Bethany College in Bethany, W.Va.