Mar 30, 2008

Challenging Your Property Tax Bill

The right to protest your appraised property value is the most important right you have as a taxpayer. You can easily do it yourself or hire a company to protest for you. Like the most citizens, I am willing to pay my fair share of taxes - but not more. I have successfully appealed and gotten my tax bill lowered twice. So if you feel your property assessment is too high, here are steps to appeal.

How To Appeal A Tax Appraisal
  • Mail in the protest form attached to your appraisal notice by the May 31 deadline. You may protest any time after May 1st. Do not miss this deadline. There are no extensions.
  • Protests must be written. Electronic protest filing is not accepted.
  • Include your property address, nature of your protest (i.e. market value) and any other supportive information. A hearing will be scheduled in June or July.
  • You must present evidence as to why you think your valuation is too high. Supporting documents and data can include photos, recent sales in your neighborhood, etc. One source of help can be your Realtor. I've helped clients with an analysis of the market, including comparable home sales. The homes you're using for comparison should be as much like yours as possible. Also, include factors that may decrease your homes value. Photos of items that need repairs and an estimate to make those repairs is helpful. Is there anything about your home that negatively impacts its value (heavy traffic, foundation issues, ...)?
  • I recommend you have an informal review with a District appraiser which may resolve your issue without a formal hearing. Make this visit before your scheduled hearing with the Appraisal Board. You may call the Dallas appraisal district at 214.631.0910 or visit the Appraisal District office to arrange a meeting .
  • The Dallas Central Appraisal District is located at 2949 North Stemmons Fwy. Additional information about the district is available at http://www.dallascad.org/
There are several resources that can help you prepare your case. Some have good background information on the appeals process for each county. The American Homeowners Association has a kit to help you with the process. The National Taxpayer's Union has a booklet ($6.95) on fighting property taxes.

As a licensed Realtor, I am happy to assist my clients with information for their tax appraisal protest, including data about recent sales in their neighborhood . Please feel free to contact me.

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