Nobody loves paying taxes, but doing the paperwork to submit your taxes can also be quite a nuisance. Luckily, there are tax preparation professionals who can do this paperwork for you. They'll make sure you are getting all of the credits and deductions you are eligible for so you don't pay more than the government requires.
But even if you hire someone else to do your taxes, it is important to know the basics. You need to know what deductions are, when taxes are due, and so forth. Learn about these and other tax topics as you dig into our blog posts.
Many people would like to think government entities are on top of their affairs. However, because most of their processes are handled by humans, there is always space for errors. Unfortunately, these errors sometimes show up in the form of an inaccurate tax assessment. For a property owner, this mistake can be a costly one, but fortunately, there is a way to navigate these situations.
Clerical Errors
When a homeowner receives a property tax bill that is considerably higher than they expected, in many situations, this scenario is the result of a clerical error. For example, the record might state that the property is 1.3 acres when it is actually only .3 acres. These situations can be cleared up easily, but you do need to provide evidence that the record is incorrect. Usually, mailing in a record with the official property info can resolve the matter.
Overlooked Exemptions
States offer a variety of tax exemptions for property owners, including homestead, veteran, and disability exemptions. If the exemption is not applied, the tax bill might be higher. Unfortunately, some homeowners have a hard time getting approved for these exemptions, so that they can be applied. If you experience routine resistance from your local tax office to get an accurate exemption, you should consider reaching out for help.
Incorrect Improvement Status
It is true that improvements to a property can cause an increase in its property tax assessment. However, tax offices must adhere to certain guidelines as to when the increase for these assessments can be applied. Typically, only if the improvement status is complete, or habitable, at the time of the assessment deadline can it be considered towards value. If the project is not complete at this time, it cannot be applied until the next assessment period.
Comparable Property Mistakes
Local tax offices rely heavily on comps to assess property tax values. Comps is a reference to comparable properties within a certain mile radius of your home. It is not unheard of for the office to apply incorrect comps that lead to overvaluing of a home. However, correcting the issue often requires work on the part of the property owner. An appraisal and a review of tax records for nearby homes are just a couple of the steps that must be completed to appeal the increase. A tax professional can aid with this step.
If you believe your property tax increase is inaccurate, be sure to speak with a tax professional at a firm like The Ray Tax Group who can provide you with assistance.