Property-Tax Assessment Review and Appeal Kit

Start with the official local record. Property-tax systems, appeal grounds, deadlines, forms, fees, evidence rules, and hearing procedures vary by state and locality. MortgageWhy does not maintain a national deadline database and will not guess your local rules.

Private screening—not an appraisal or appeal filing

MortgageWhy compares the official figures you enter with your evidence. It does not fetch a home value, decide local law, submit a petition, or guarantee savings. Deadlines, assessment ratios, forms, fees, and hearing procedures must be verified with the local office.

Optional on-device document reader

Open an assessment notice or tax bill privately

The file is read in this browser and is not uploaded to MortgageWhy. Remove names, addresses, barcodes, and account identifiers first when practical. Confirm every extracted field against the official notice.

Choose assessment documentPDF, JPG, PNG, or WebP · up to 15 MB · PDFs up to 12 pages

1 · Official local record

Identify the assessment and deadline

Use the county assessor, property appraiser, appraisal district, or equivalent official website. Do not use a real-estate estimate as the official assessment record.

StateCounty or assessment jurisdictionProperty addressKept in this browser and used only in the printable supporting statement.Parcel or property identifierAssessment yearOfficial record or filing-instructions URLOfficial valuation dateAppeal or protest filing deadline

I confirmed this deadline on an official local sourceNot a blog, search-result summary, real-estate portal, or generic statewide deadline.

2 · Values and valuation evidence

Compare like-for-like values

Assessor market, just, or appraised valueUse the value before exemptions, caps, and taxable-value reductions.Assessed value before exemptionsDo not substitute taxable value here.Current taxable valueOptionalCurrent annual property-tax billOptionalMarket value supported by your evidenceFor example, a valuation-date appraisal or recent arm's-length purchase.Evidence sourceDoes the evidence address the official valuation date?Value-gap screening threshold%Default 5%. This is a screening setting, not a legal rule.

3 · Local assessment ratio

Use the jurisdiction's actual rule

Some jurisdictions assess at 100% of market value; others use a different ratio. Leave this blank if you have not confirmed the rule. Taxable value after exemptions is not the correct numerator.

Expected assessment ratio%Screening toleranceptsConfirmed from official local guidance?

4 · Property facts and exemptions

Look for correctable record problems

Living area on assessor recordsq ftLiving area supported by your recordssq ftYear built on assessor recordYear built supported by your records

Exemption	Eligible?	Applied on record?
Homestead
Senior
Veteran
Disability

I checked the official property record and local eligibility informationEligibility can depend on ownership, occupancy, age, disability, service, income, and filing deadlines.

5 · Optional comparable assessments

Compare similar properties from the same cycle

Enter at least two official comparable assessments. Per-square-foot comparison is only a screen; location, use, lot, age, condition, and features still matter.

Comparable 1

Assessed value before exemptionsOptionalLiving areasq ftConfirmed reasonably similar?Same official valuation cycle?

Comparable 2

Assessed value before exemptionsOptionalLiving areasq ftConfirmed reasonably similar?Same official valuation cycle?

Comparable 3

Assessed value before exemptionsOptionalLiving areasq ftConfirmed reasonably similar?Same official valuation cycle?

Comparable 4

Assessed value before exemptionsOptionalLiving areasq ftConfirmed reasonably similar?Same official valuation cycle?

Comparable premium screening threshold%Default 10%. This is a screening setting, not a legal standard.

6 · Expanded property facts

Compare more of the official property record

Only flag a difference after checking reliable records such as permits, surveys, plans, inspections, or the assessor's property card. A mismatch is not automatically an appeal ground.

Lot area on assessor recordsq ftLot area supported by your recordssq ftBedrooms on assessor recordBedrooms supported by your recordsBathrooms on assessor recordBathrooms supported by your recordsFinished or improved area on recordsq ftFinished or improved area supported by recordssq ftDoes the assessor record show a pool?Does the property actually have a pool?Condition on assessor recordCondition supported by current evidence

I checked these facts against reliable recordsThe comparison should not rely only on memory or an automated real-estate listing.

7 · Tax-increase cause

Separate value, rate, exemption, and fixed-charge changes

Enter the prior-year figures from official notices or bills. If tax rates are blank, MortgageWhy derives effective rates from annual tax, taxable value, and entered special assessments.

Previous market or appraised valueOptionalPrevious assessed value before exemptionsOptionalPrevious taxable valueOptionalPrevious annual property-tax billOptionalPrevious total exemption reductionOptionalCurrent total exemption reductionOptionalPrevious effective tax rate%Current effective tax rate%Previous fixed or special assessmentsOptionalCurrent fixed or special assessmentsOptionalOwnership transfer since the prior assessment?New construction or major improvement?

Was an exemption removed or reduced?

8 · Optional comparable sales

Screen verified sales near the valuation date

Enter at least two arm's-length sales. The adjustment is a documented net amount added to or subtracted from the sale price to make it more comparable to the subject. MortgageWhy does not invent adjustments.

Sale 1

Verified sale priceOptionalSale dateLiving areasq ftDocumented net adjustmentOptionalVerified arm's-length sale?Confirmed reasonably similar?Relevant to the official valuation period?

Sale 2

Verified sale priceOptionalSale dateLiving areasq ftDocumented net adjustmentOptionalVerified arm's-length sale?Confirmed reasonably similar?Relevant to the official valuation period?

Sale 3

Verified sale priceOptionalSale dateLiving areasq ftDocumented net adjustmentOptionalVerified arm's-length sale?Confirmed reasonably similar?Relevant to the official valuation period?

Sale 4

Verified sale priceOptionalSale dateLiving areasq ftDocumented net adjustmentOptionalVerified arm's-length sale?Confirmed reasonably similar?Relevant to the official valuation period?

Sale-value screening threshold%Default 5%. This is a screening setting, not an appraisal standard.

9 · Optional assessment-cap screen

Check whether a lower market value may reduce taxes now

Use only a cap or assessment limitation confirmed for this property and tax year. This generic model does not decide portability, reset events, classification rules, or state-specific exceptions.

Does a confirmed assessment cap apply?Prior capped or limited valueOptionalConfirmed annual cap percentage%Effective tax rate for the cap estimate%If blank, MortgageWhy uses the entered current tax bill and taxable value when possible.

10 · Optional payment-effect estimate

Model a corrected taxable value

If you know the taxable value you would expect after a correction, enter it here. MortgageWhy holds the current effective rate constant. Fixed charges, exemptions, caps, special assessments, and a changing tax rate can alter the real result.

Possible corrected taxable valueOptional

Create the private assessment review

The report is generated in this browser. MortgageWhy does not receive the entered property values, address, document, or comparable information.

What this tool can screen

A gap between the assessor's value and valuation-date evidence you enter
A possible mismatch with a confirmed local assessment ratio
A higher assessed value per square foot than entered comparable assessments
A market value above the range indicated by user-entered comparable sales
Potentially missing exemptions or assessment-increasing property-record errors
Whether taxable value, tax rates, or special assessments explain the entered bill increase
Whether a confirmed assessment cap may prevent immediate savings from a lower market value

What it cannot decide

The report is not an appraisal, tax-consulting opinion, legal determination, or guarantee of savings. A high tax bill can come from tax rates or special assessments even when the property value is correct. Assessment caps can also mean that reducing market value produces little or no immediate tax reduction. Comparable-sale adjustments, cap percentages, and effective tax rates must be supported by the homeowner's records; MortgageWhy does not invent them.

Where official records usually live

Search the official website of the county assessor, property appraiser, appraisal district, auditor, or equivalent local office. The tax collector may maintain the bill, while the assessor maintains value, property characteristics, classifications, and exemptions. Recorded transfers and permits may be held by still other local offices. There is no single nationwide official database.

After a successful correction or appeal

Preserve the decision and revised tax bill. Ask the mortgage servicer what documentation it needs and whether it will conduct another escrow analysis. A lower assessment does not automatically or immediately change principal and interest, and the escrow portion may not change until the corrected tax amount is available to the servicer.

Check whether a property-tax assessment deserves a closer look

Private screening—not an appraisal or appeal filing

Open an assessment notice or tax bill privately

Identify the assessment and deadline

Compare like-for-like values

Use the jurisdiction's actual rule

Look for correctable record problems

Compare similar properties from the same cycle

Comparable 1

Comparable 2

Comparable 3

Comparable 4

Compare more of the official property record

Separate value, rate, exemption, and fixed-charge changes

Screen verified sales near the valuation date

Sale 1

Sale 2

Sale 3

Sale 4

Check whether a lower market value may reduce taxes now

Model a corrected taxable value

Create the private assessment review

What this tool can screen

What it cannot decide

Where official records usually live

After a successful correction or appeal

Want to explain your own payment change?