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How to appeal your property taxes that are likely going up.
There is a lot of talk about tax increases. The one tax increase you won’t read much about in the news is local property taxes. With the real estate market as hot as it is, property values are going up. And with that, so are property taxes. Local governments around the country are reassessing property values so that you owe more taxes.
Most counties allow you to file an appeal to contest the increase. You should check your local county website for directions on how to appeal. You can google “property tax appeals directions” and your county’s name. It usually goes through the Board of Equalization.
The specifics in this article are for St. Louis County. Links for other nearby counties are listed at the end of this.
St. Louis County reassesses property values in odd years – such as 2021. The median increase across the county is about nine percent.
The county sends out a notification in the mail of the increase. It also lets you know an appraiser stopped by your house to complete the appraisal – likely just an exterior appraisal thanks to Covid.
You can always check the assessed values of your home and properties online here.
The window to file an appeal opened on May 1st and closes on July 12th, 2021.
If you disagree with the appraisal and assessment, you can file an appeal by following the directions here:
You have the option to opt-out of the in-person appeal before the board of equalization. The in-person property tax appeal is only via phone or video chat – again due to Covid.
Tips for appealing property taxes
Here are some tips for appealing property taxes.
- Submitting a complete, certified appraisal of your property will be your best bet. The county might accept the appraisal from a recent home purchase depending on the date.
- A recent sales contract could help.
- If the county’s information on your property is incorrect, then you should make this known. For example, if it lists an extra bedroom that the property does not actually have, then this could be a strong reason to decrease the value, and therefore a way to decrease your taxes.
- Written estimates from qualified professionals describing any adverse conditions or repairs that could help.
- Submitting comparable properties could help, too.
You should be ready to submit backup documents and evidence that support your reasoning for appealing your 2021 property assessment.
If you don’t want to file online, St. Louis County also allows filing by mail and filing in person.
The Board sends decision letters in September and includes directions on how to appeal if you disagree with the decision. The appeal would go through the State Tax Commission.
- St. Louis City residents can find information here.
- St. Charles County residents here.
- Jefferson County residents here.
Interested in other tax strategies? Check out our page here.
Or check out our post about how much a small business pays in taxes.