|
|||
|
Galveston Texas Property Tax Appeals Steps to Protesting and Reducing Your Property Value Annually Step 1. File a Protest Galveston Central property owners should appeal their property tax assessment annually. Appealing is simple and is often successful. The simplest way to file an appeal is using the form provided by the appraisal district (which is also available at cutmytaxes.com). Appeal both market value and unequal appraisal. In addition, request the House Bill 201 information available from the appraisal district. O'Connor Service Area It includes all of Galveston county: Bayou Vista, Clear Lake Shores, Dickinson, Friendswood, Galveston, Hitchcock, Jamaica Beach, Kemah, La Marque, League City, Santa Fe, Texas City, Tiki Island, Bacliff, Bolivar Peninsula, High Island, Port Bolivar, and San Leon. Filing Your Own Protest Texas property tax appeals can be filed using the form provided by the appraisal district, or the form available on poconnor.com in the property tax section (see Useful Forms Forms in the left column). Otherwise send a short letter to the chief appraiser at the central appraisal district stating that you are protesting your property taxes. You should indicate the basis is both assessed value over market value and equal appraisal. Protest Deadline The deadline to file a protest is May 31, or 30 days after notice of your assessed value is mailed to you, whichever is later. Protest annually to minimize your property taxes. An appeal on market value is requesting a reduction in assessed value because the appraisal district has assessed your property's value in excess of its market value. An appeal for unequal appraisal is appropriate when your property is assessed unfairly with regard to similar properties. Step 2. Research the Central Appraisal District's Record Card In Texas, each appraisal district is responsible for maintaining a database of all properties in the county and their physical characteristics. The information for each property is referred to as a "record card". The appraisal district in your county has a record card for each property it assesses. This card contains information such as lot size, building size, amenities, and much more. You will need to go to the district office to obtain the complete record card and there may be a nominal charge. However, you can probably review much of the basic information on the appraisal district's website. Check for Errors Ask the staff if you have questions about the information. Errors in the record card are a sound basis for a protest. It is impossible to maintain correct data for every property in the county. If you can identify meaningful errors on the appraisal district record card for your property, it can reduce your property taxes for the current year, prior years and future years. For example, if your house has 2000 ft.² and the appraisal district records indicate it has 2200 ft.², you can reduce your property taxes for the current year and the four prior years (using 25.25c). In addition, this will reduce your property taxes in future years based on the correct information being used to set the initial value. Step 3. Establish Property Value Texas appraisal districts typically recognize one of three different approaches to determine market value when granting reductions in property tax assessments. Those approaches are sales comparison approach, income approach, and cost approach. The sales comparison approach is typically used for houses and owner-occupied properties. The income approach is typically used for investment properties. The cost approach is typically used for newer properties and special-use properties. Unequal Appraisal In addition, recent court rulings have paved the way to encourage more districts to also recognize the Uniform and Equal Approach (unequal appraisal) to valuing the property as provided in the Texas Property Tax Code. Many property owners are unfamiliar with the options to appeal utilizing unequal appraisal. Even if your property is assessed for less than its market value, you can appeal utilizing unequal appraisal. If you can identify a reasonable number of comparable properties that have more favorable levels of assessment than the assessment for your property, you have the basis for an unequal appraisal appeal. For a full description of these approaches, click on The Approaches to Establishing Property Value. Analyze both market value and unequal appraisal when preparing for your Texas property tax appeal. Step 4. Journey through the Legal Avenues
Or you can select O'Connor & Associates to be your agent. » Sign Up Now! Links & Resources | |