According to the Thurston County Board of Equalization, local homeowners have until Oct. 28 to appeal their property tax assessments.
This county webpage provides explains the procedure and provides forms.
This process could lead to potentially significant savings for those whose properties have been overvalued, according to the National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF), which says that about 60% of properties are over-assessed in the United States, which leads to higher property tax bills.
"Middle- and lower-income taxpayers are among the most often over-assessed. Yet typically fewer than 5% of taxpayers challenge their assessments, even though the majority who do so win at least a partial victory when properly prepared," NTUF stated.
NTUF added that it is a crucial opportunity for homeowners in Washington state to potentially reduce their property tax burden, especially given that the state ranked as having the eighth highest cost of living nationwide.
In Washington, property taxes are calculated by multiplying the county tax rate by the property's assessed value. When a property is assessed at a value higher than its actual market worth, homeowners pay higher taxes.
To successfully challenge the value assessment, a homeowner must demonstrate that their property has been over-assessed. NTUF offers suggestions for those seeking to appeal their assessment:
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FirstOtter
I am one of those "low income" taxpayers. I am retired and semi disabled. I own my manufactured home. And my taxes go up and up, every year. They must think it's a million dollar house. It's not. It's 30 years old and is small.
On the few occasions I've challenged the assessment, I've been told that they don't make mistakes, that what they think my double wide is worth is real. Even though they made mistakes in the past and the onus is on ME to prove them wrong. They said my double wide had four bedrooms, had aluminum siding, and the detached garage had insulation and heat. ALL of it was wrong. They even had the length wrong!
I learned that the assessor at the time was a man who decided from the seat of his vehicle, about 150 ft from the road, what was in and on the house, and made his decision right then and there.
Also, I learned that if you make a complaint or challenge the assessment, up on submission, you have NO RIGHT to add more before your hearing, even with written and photographed proof that the assessor was wrong. YOu have to wait til the next assessment..which you never know WHEN they're going to drive past your house..to make your addition.
Sunday, October 13 Report this