Your tax bill is based on the value the assessor puts on your home. If that value is too high, you can ask for it to be lowered, without a lawyer, but only before a short deadline. Pick your state to see the deadline, where to file, the forms and what evidence works.
Homeowners in New Jersey, Illinois, Connecticut pay the highest rates among the states we cover. Start with the savings calculator, the deadlines for every state or our step-by-step appeal guide.
Enter the market value on your assessment notice and what you think the home would really sell for. We estimate the yearly saving if the board agrees with you.
Some states cap how fast the taxable value of a home can rise (California, Florida, Michigan and Texas homesteads, for example). If your taxable value is already held below market value by a cap, a lower market value may not lower this year's bill.
Sorted by when the main deadline usually falls. Many deadlines count from the date on your notice, so check yours.
| State | Deadline to appeal | Where to file | Tax rate | Median tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Feb 20 (Mar 20 if extended) | Board of Assessment Appeals (town) | 1.81% | $6,643 |
| Michigan | March Board of Review (Tribunal: Jul 31) | March Board of Review (local city or township) | 1.25% | $2,904 |
| New Hampshire | March 1 (after fall tax bill) | Town abatement (selectmen / assessing office) | 1.66% | $6,667 |
| Ohio | March 31 (Board of Revision) | County Board of Revision (BOR) | 1.31% | $2,822 |
| New Jersey | April 1 (Jan 15 in 3 counties) | County Board of Taxation | 2.11% | $9,590 |
| New York | Grievance Day (usually 4th Tue in May) | Board of Assessment Review (BAR) - Grievance Day | 1.55% | $6,582 |
| Texas | May 15 or 30 days after notice | Appraisal Review Board (ARB) protest | 1.49% | $4,232 |
| Nebraska | June 1–30 (county clerk) | County Board of Equalization protest | 1.49% | $3,549 |
| Vermont | ~14 days after June notice | Town listers / assessor (grievance), then Board of Civil Authority (BCA) | 1.59% | $5,039 |
| Pennsylvania | Aug 1 most counties (Phila: early Oct) | County Board of Assessment Appeals (Philadelphia: Board of Revision of Taxes) | 1.30% | $3,311 |
| California | Jul 2–Sep 15 or Nov 30 (by county) | County Assessment Appeals Board (or hearing officer) | 0.70% | $5,124 |
| Florida | 25 days after TRIM notice (mid-Sep) | County Value Adjustment Board (VAB) | 0.76% | $2,730 |
| Georgia | 45 days after assessment notice | County Board of Tax Assessors, then your choice of Board of Equalization or Arbitration | 0.77% | $2,341 |
| Illinois | 30 days after publication | County Board of Review (Cook County: Assessor, then Board of Review) | 2.01% | $5,298 |
| Wisconsin | 48 hrs before Board of Review | Board of Review (BOR) | 1.42% | $3,792 |
It shows the value the assessor put on your home and the date by which you must appeal. Keep the envelope or note the mailing date.
Get the record card from the assessor's website. Wrong square footage, extra bathrooms or a finished basement you don't have are the easiest wins.
Three to five nearby homes like yours that sold close to the valuation date for less than your assessed value are the strongest evidence.
Use your state's official form, attach a short letter and your evidence, and keep proof of the date you filed.
Hearings are short and informal. Stick to the value of the home, not the size of the tax bill. If you lose, most states let you appeal again to a state board or court.
More states are coming. Want yours next? Email us.
You usually can't appeal the tax rate, which is set by local governments. You appeal the value the assessor put on your home. If the value goes down, the tax based on it goes down too.
Only during a short window each year, which starts when assessment notices go out. In many states it is 30 to 45 days after the notice; in others it is a fixed date. If you miss it, you usually have to wait a year.
No. Homeowners can file and present their own appeal in every state we cover. Lawyers and tax consultants can help with high-value or complex cases; consultants often charge a share of the first year's savings.
Recent sales of similar homes near yours that sold for less than your assessed value, and proof of errors in your property record, such as wrong square footage or a bathroom you don't have. Photos and repair estimates help if the home needs work.
In some states the board can raise a value it finds too low. Read the rules for your state before you file, and don't appeal unless your evidence supports a lower value.