If you believe your property taxes are too high, you might be looking into a real estate tax protest. Here, we will explain how to protest your property taxes in four steps.
If you live in El Paso and are looking to lower your real estate taxes, Property Tax Experts can help. We are El Paso’s top property tax consultant and will happily aid you in your real estate tax protest. Give our office a call at (915) 201-4944 or contact us online for a free consultation.
Your Real Estate Tax Protest Guide
Unfortunately, in recent years, the real estate market has been climbing. Due to this increase, the concept of protesting property taxes has become more common. About 50% of real estate tax protests in El Paso are successful and have saved homeowners around $600 on their bills. Read below the steps it takes to protest your real estate taxes.
1. Research Comparable Properties- The first thing you should do is compare your property to similar properties in the area. To do this, pick one of the following:
a. Work with a property tax expert to run the comparison
b. Ask your neighbors for an assessment
c. Research recently sold properties in your county
d. Hire a certified appraiser
2. Contact the Tax Assessor- You are within your rights to contact the tax assessor and ask how they came to their valuation on your real estate taxes. If you aren’t satisfied with their reasoning, you can move forward in your real estate tax protest. Even though an appeal is something you can do on your own, hiring a property tax expert can help take some of the burden off you.
3. Appeal to the Local Board- This step varies from state to state; however, the appeal process typically goes as follows:
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- A homeowner pays the filing fee and files the formal appeal
- There is paperwork to fill out, and the homeowner must provide evidence and documentation to support their appeal
- Once all the paperwork has been submitted, the local board will review the appeal. (Note: the decision-making process can take several months to a year to complete).
4. Receive the Appeal Decision- If the board approves your real estate tax protest, this means that they agree to decrease your home’s value to get you a lower property tax amount.
Real Estate Tax Protests in El Paso
The professionals at Property Tax Experts have over 20 years of experience in working with property owners within El Paso. We will make sure your real estate tax protest is filed in the appropriate time frame and help you gather any evidence or documentation you may need. If you’re interested in receiving a free consultation, call (915) 201-4944 today!