If you have a company in a big and growing city like Atlanta, you can expect your property tax amounts to fluctuate, and they recently have probably increased dramatically. As an Atlanta business owner, you have the right to challenge the value of your property taxes that your assessors have placed on your commercial property. There is a specific property tax appeal process that Atlanta business owners should know about in case you disagree with your tax assessment.
How Does My Business File an Appeal?
First, your business must file a proper Notice of Appeal to the County Board of Tax Assessors within 45 days of your County’s Tax Assessment and Valuation notice. The Board of Assessors will review your property value and then send your business a notice of their decision. The decision will either let you know if a change will be made, or it will refer you pursue your issue further with another hearing board or an arbitration hearing. Sometimes the change that the board agrees to can still not be enough for your business, so you can ask at that point to continue the appeal, which will usually happen through a Board of Equalization appeal. If your company owns the property, keep in mind that only a licensed attorney can represent your business in court, not you as an individual.
Before going into this process, your Atlanta business should assess three things about your commercial property in order to best win your case: uniformity, sales, and finances. Before filing your appeal, locate other properties in your area that are comparable to your business. Uniformity is a big factor that can exclude your property in a tax appeal. You should also attempt to compare sales market values to other similar properties, as well as other mortgage and interest expenses. These three factors will help give a better evaluation of how high your taxes really are on your property.
Our Atlanta property tax and appeal attorneys can help you and your company through this complicated appeal process, and we can help assist you in finding out the grounds for assessing your property value. Contact us today for your consultation.