Franklin County homeowners pay a median of $2,740 a year in property tax on a median home value of $249,800, an effective rate of 1.03%, the 51st highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties. Your home's value is set by the Franklin County Assessment Office. Annual appeals go to the Franklin County Board of Assessment Appeals, which must hear them by October 31.
Closed for 2026Closed for 2027 annual appeals in most counties (August 1 or September 1; Philadelphia October 5, 2026). Interim changes can be appealed within 40 days of the notice.
Annual appeals go to the county Board of Assessment Appeals. State law sets the deadline at September 1, but county commissioners may pick an earlier date, no earlier than August 1, after public notice. Most counties use August 1 (example: Montgomery County, August 1). If the county changes your assessment during the year, you have 40 days from the date of that notice. Philadelphia is different: First Level Review with OPA was due September 1, 2026, and the formal appeal to the Board of Revision of Taxes was due October 5, 2026 (the first Monday in October) for tax year 2027. Allegheny County uses its own law and calendar.
Phone: 717-261-3801
Keeps the property records and accepts annual and interim appeals for the county Board of Assessment Appeals.
Owners get a mailed notice when the county changes an assessment. Counties do not have to mail a notice every year if nothing changed. Philadelphia mails a Notice of Proposed Valuation each spring or summer (for tax year 2027 it was mailed starting June 30, 2026).
Look up your home on the Franklin County Assessment Office website and check square footage, bathrooms, condition and features. Mistakes are the easiest wins. Use our record card checklist.
File the county's own appeal form with the Franklin County Board of Assessment Appeals by the county's annual deadline (August 1 in most counties, never later than September 1). Many counties only accept mail or in-person filing.
A recent appraisal by a licensed appraiser, with an effective date close to the appeal date; Recent sales of similar nearby homes; Photos and repair estimates showing condition problems; Errors on the county property record (square footage, bedrooms, lot size).
The county's assessment is presumed valid at the start. You must bring credible evidence of your home's market value. The board then converts that value to an assessment using the common level ratio (or the county's ratio if it is within 15% of it).
Next step: County Court of Common Pleas. Within 30 days of the mailing date of the board's decision. File an appeal in the county's Court of Common Pleas under local court rules and send a copy to each taxing district (county, municipality, school district). The court decides the value from scratch. Many owners hire a lawyer at this stage.
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.
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.
Annual appeals go to the county Board of Assessment Appeals. State law sets the deadline at September 1, but county commissioners may pick an earlier date, no earlier than August 1, after public notice. Most counties use August 1 (example: Montgomery County, August 1). If the county changes your assessment during the year, you have 40 days from the date of that notice. Philadelphia is different: First Level Review with OPA was due September 1, 2026, and the formal appeal to the Board of Revision of Taxes was due October 5, 2026 (the first Monday in October) for tax year 2027. Allegheny County uses its own law and calendar.
With the Franklin County Board of Assessment Appeals, through the county assessment office, using the county's own appeal form.
Phone 717-261-3801. Website: franklincountypa.gov.
Set by each county. Example: Montgomery County charges $50 per parcel for a single-family home (non-refundable, check or money order). Philadelphia's BRT form lists no filing fee.
Contact details change; call or check the office website before you visit.