How property tax assessments work
How your county turns market value into a tax bill: the valuation date, the assessment ratio, caps and exemptions, and where an appeal fits.
Property tax appeal guides
How assessments work and how to appeal one, written by Appealmetrics Research from statutes, state revenue departments and county assessors. Each guide lists its sources.
How to read your property tax assessment notice
The three figures to find on an assessment notice, what each state calls its market value, the property facts to check, and where the appeal deadline is printed.
Unequal appraisal vs market value: which appeal ground to use
A market-value appeal says your home would sell for less than its assessment; an unequal-appraisal appeal says it is assessed higher than comparable homes. Which one your state recognizes decides the evidence.
Homestead caps and assessment limits: why taxable value can sit below market
How homestead caps limit yearly increases in taxable value, the caps in each state, and why a value appeal only saves money when it lands below the capped figure.
Informal review vs formal hearing: how an appeal is heard
What happens at an informal review with the assessor, what happens at a formal board hearing, and where you can go after the board.
Evidence that works in a property tax appeal
What appeal boards accept: recent comparable sales, comparable assessments where uniformity counts, factual errors and condition problems. And what they ignore.
Property tax appeal deadlines by state
The deadline rule for a first-level property tax appeal in every state and DC, from 25 days after the notice to fixed dates like May 15, March 31 and June 30.
What is an assessment ratio?
The assessment ratio is assessed value divided by market value. What it is in each state, how ratio studies measure it, and how to use it to check your assessment.
When not to appeal your property tax assessment
Skip the appeal when the value is fair, the saving is small, a cap already holds your taxable value below market, or the board could raise your value.
What happens after you file a property tax appeal
After you file: acknowledgement, an informal offer, the hearing, the written decision, the next level’s deadline, and how a reduction reaches your bill.