What to gather before a property tax review
Property tax is set by someone else's opinion of value. A review tests that opinion against facts about your property. Because assessment appeals run on fixed schedules, the order in which you gather documents matters. Start with the dates, then move to the evidence.
Find the deadlines first
Each jurisdiction sets its own calendar for assessment notices, informal reviews and formal appeals. Missing a window can close the door for the year. So before anything else, find the latest notice for every parcel and write down the response date. [VERIFY: appeal deadlines and procedures for each county or taxing district]
Then tell the partner firm those dates when you submit. If a date is close, say so in your request.
Assessment and tax records
For each parcel, collect:
- The current assessment notice
- The prior several notices, to show the trend
- Tax bills and proof of payment
- The parcel number, legal description and owner of record
- Letters about exemptions, abatements or special districts
- Records of any earlier appeal and its outcome
Check the basics too. Does the assessor list the right square footage, building class and use? A wrong property description is among the simplest things to correct.
Property facts
The assessor's file may be out of date. Prepare your own records:
- Floor plans or measurements
- Purchase documents and settlement statement, if you bought recently
- Records of renovations, demolitions or additions with dates
- Notes on vacancy, damage, environmental issues or deferred repairs
- Zoning and permit information
Condition matters. Photographs with dates can support a claim that a building is in worse shape than the assessor assumes.
Evidence of value
One county assessor's appeal guidance lists the kinds of evidence it accepts: recent comparable sales, a closing statement for a recent purchase, an independent appraisal and, for income-producing property, a rent roll and operating statement. Local rules vary, so use that as a guide to what to look for, not as a rule for your area.
For an owner-occupied building, gather any appraisals and recent sales of similar buildings you know of. For rental property, prepare:
- A current rent roll with tenant names, space, rent and lease dates
- Operating statements for several years, with all income and expenses
- Vacancy and concession records
- Leases or abstracts, if the firm asks
Income evidence must be complete. Appeals that omit expenses tend to be set aside. [VERIFY: whether your jurisdiction requires income data on its own forms]
Personal property and equipment
Some jurisdictions tax business equipment and inventory as well as land and buildings. If yours does, collect:
- Fixed asset registers
- Filed personal property returns
- Disposal records for items sold or scrapped
Who to involve
Name a finance contact who can speak to income and cost data, and a facilities contact who knows the building. If a property manager runs your site, include them. If you lease the property under a triple-net structure, find out who actually receives the bill and who has the right to appeal. That may be your landlord, so check the lease. See What to gather before a lease audit for the related lease paperwork.
Checklist before you submit
- List each parcel and its response deadline.
- Collect current and prior assessment notices.
- Check the assessor's property description for errors.
- Assemble purchase, renovation and condition records.
- Prepare a rent roll and operating statements if the property earns income.
- Collect asset registers if business personal property is taxed.
- Confirm who holds the right to appeal.
Where to go next
See Property tax for the scope of this type of review, and Common property tax errors for what reviewers check. When you are ready, send a request through Request a professional. Fairview connects you with a partner firm. The firm does the review, and you remain involved when findings are discussed.
Sources
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