Geary County homeowners pay a median of $2,496 a year in property tax on a median home value of $172,700. Its effective tax rate (property taxes paid as a share of home values, per the Tax Foundation) is 1.47%, the 26th highest of 105 Kansas counties. The Geary County Appraiser values every home in Geary County as of January 1 and mails your Notice of Appraised Value by March 1. The Geary County Appraiser also holds the first appeal meeting, called an informal meeting.
Opens soonThe spring informal appeal window for 2026 closed in March. The payment under protest window for 2026 taxes opens when tax statements are mailed, from November through December 15, and closes December 20, 2026 (or at payment if you pay later). The next spring window opens with the 2027 notices, mailed by March 1, 2027.
Your first appeal is to the county appraiser, and it must be filed within 30 days after the notice was mailed (K.S.A. 79-1448). The county appraiser holds an informal meeting after that. Example: Johnson County mailed its 2026 notices starting February 25, 2026, and the county set the informal appeal deadline at March 27, 2026. For the next step, BOTA and the Division of Property Valuation say 30 days from the mailing of the informal meeting results. But K.S.A. 79-1448 and 79-1606 set 18 days for small claims and hearing officer appeals. To avoid losing your right to appeal, file within 18 days. Payment under protest is a separate route. You file it with the county treasurer when you pay your property tax, or by December 20 if you pay part or all of it by then. Tax statements are mailed from November through December 15. You cannot use both routes for the same property and tax year.
Phone: 785-238-4407
Email: [email protected]
Address: 200 E 8th Street, Room 113, Junction City, KS 66441
Official website: gearycounty.gov
The county appraiser values your home, keeps the property record, mails your notice of value and holds the informal meeting before any state appeal.
The county appraiser mails a Notice of Appraised Value to each owner on or before March 1 (Johnson County mailed its 2026 notices starting February 25). The notice shows your appraised value, explains your right to appeal and includes an appeal form. The notice does not mean you owe more tax. Tax rates are set separately by local governments.
Look up your home on the Geary County Appraiser website and check square footage, bathrooms, condition and features. Mistakes are the easiest wins. Use our record card checklist.
Return the appeal form printed on the back of your notice, or file online if Geary County offers it, within 30 days of the date the notice was mailed. The Geary County Appraiser schedules an informal meeting. If you disagree with the result, you can appeal to the State Board of Tax Appeals. Deadlines after the informal meeting are short, so file within 18 days to be safe. Some counties also have a hearing officer or panel. Ask the Geary County Appraiser which steps apply.
Recent sales of similar homes near you. Ask the county appraiser for the comparable sales it used for your home's value.; Your purchase contract or closing statement, if you bought the home within the last two or three years; A recent appraisal of your home by a Kansas certified appraiser, with an effective date of January 1 of the year you are appealing. A single appraisal like this can shift the burden of proof back to the county.; Photos and repair estimates for damage or condition problems that the county did not fully consider.
At the informal meeting, the county appraiser must start by giving you the evidence that supports the value. At a hearing or at BOTA, the county must show that its value is correct, by a preponderance of the evidence. There is no legal presumption that the county's value is right. The one exception is leased commercial and industrial property, which does not apply to a home.
Next step: State Board of Tax Appeals (BOTA). BOTA and the Division of Property Valuation say to file within 30 days from the mailing date of the informal meeting results. But K.S.A. 79-1448 and 79-1606 set 18 days for small claims and hearing officer appeals, so file within 18 days to be safe. For a single-family home, you must go to the BOTA Small Claims Division first. If you disagree with the Small Claims decision, you can then appeal to the regular BOTA division within 30 days of that decision. If your county has a hearing officer or panel, you appeal to it first by filing with the county clerk within 18 days after the appraiser's final decision was mailed (K.S.A. 79-1606). You can then appeal the hearing officer's order to BOTA within 30 days (K.S.A. 79-1609). Ask your county appraiser which steps apply in your county. File the appeal form with BOTA at 700 SW Harrison St., Suite 1022, Topeka, KS 66603. Send a copy to the county clerk and to the county appraiser. Include a copy of the Declaration of Representative form if someone else is representing you. Single-family homes pay no fee in Small Claims. Other property pays a fee set by K.A.R. 94-5-8 (for example, $100 per parcel for a value of $250,000 or less in Small Claims). Small Claims hearings are informal and are heard by one hearing officer. A decision is usually mailed within 30 days after the hearing.
The official appeal form is County form: Informal appeal application (on the back of your Notice of Appraised Value, or the county's online appeal portal).
Open Form County formEnter 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.
Fill in your details and download a written appeal statement as a PDF or Word file. Most boards also require their own appeal form: file the form and attach this letter and your evidence to it.
Tax Appeal Map is a free information site, not a law firm or appraiser. The letter is a template, not legal advice.
Your first appeal is to the county appraiser, and it must be filed within 30 days after the notice was mailed (K.S.A. 79-1448). The county appraiser holds an informal meeting after that. Example: Johnson County mailed its 2026 notices starting February 25, 2026, and the county set the informal appeal deadline at March 27, 2026. For the next step, BOTA and the Division of Property Valuation say 30 days from the mailing of the informal meeting results. But K.S.A. 79-1448 and 79-1606 set 18 days for small claims and hearing officer appeals. To avoid losing your right to appeal, file within 18 days. Payment under protest is a separate route. You file it with the county treasurer when you pay your property tax, or by December 20 if you pay part or all of it by then. Tax statements are mailed from November through December 15. You cannot use both routes for the same property and tax year.
File your informal appeal with the Geary County County Appraiser within 30 days of the date the Notice of Appraised Value was mailed. The county appraiser then holds an informal meeting with you.
Phone 785-238-4407. Website: gearycounty.gov.
No fee.
Contact details change; call or check the office website before you visit.