I am writing an article on property tax appeals 1) to advise taxpayers of the recent changes in GA law and 2) to answer common questions relating to the process. But since I deal with this every day, I tend to lose sight of the everyday questions folks may have.
So, if you have any questions about why you should appeal, how it works, what to do, etc, please post here. I will answer them, and also address the common questions in my article.
To me, the biggest question would be "my value is fine (or low), why should I appeal?" The answer is that there has been a statewide moratorium on raising taxes since 2008. That expires after 2011. So next year expect big increases in valuations as counties recoup shortfalls in revenue. If you appeal, even if you do not get a reduction, the county cannot raise your value until 2014. To me, that alone is reason enough to appeal. I would not wait for the county to raise my taxes before appealing, when I can take a simple step to prevent any increase for three more years.
