Protesting your property taxes requires taking action well in advance of receiving your tax bill; it starts when you receive your valuation notice on the mail. If a jurisdiction plans to increase your property’s market value, they will send you a notice.

Different jurisdictions use different assessment methods, and may consider things like supply and demand, prior years’ worth of property data, and comparative market data.

Examine the details of the assessment:

• • Do you agree with the market value? 
  • Is the information about your home correct? 
  • Is the value significantly higher than the previous year? 

Any of these questions could highlight an issue that makes a protest worth pursuing. (Don’t forget to note the deadline for filing a protest. Missing a filing deadline or—later—a documentation deadline could mean losing the opportunity to protest altogether.) 

To convince a review board you (or Slash-Tax working on your behalf) need to present facts and objective evidence that supports a claim for a lower valuation for your property, such as:

• • Past year sales of comparable properties
  • Professional appraisals of your property
  • Relevant information or photos related to the condition of your home, including damages, estimates of required repairs, etc.
  • Relevant information about the local area that may be impacting property values

Prepare a document to share the evidence with the review board and make multiple copies.