How to Dispute Your Property Tax Assessment

Property taxes are a required expense of homeownership. Your local government determines how much you owe each year based on several factors. However, your assessed amount may be higher than it should, and you have the right to dispute it.

WorkMoney put together a guide on disputing your property tax assessment, how to evaluate if your assessment is incorrect, and how it can benefit you financially.

Why Property Tax Assessments Are Often Wrong

Imagine a jurisdiction trying to evaluate the value of tens of thousands of homes (or more) where property values can shift quickly. It’s a difficult job, and no two properties are created equally. This process leaves room for error.

Here’s a list of reasons why your assessment could be off:

• Homes are valued in bulk, not individually. Most tax assessors rely on some form of mass appraisal system to value a large number of homes. Many data points go into this system, including property characteristics such as square footage, market trends, public records, and crime records. If any of these data points are off, it could impact how much your property tax bill is.

• Values go up quickly, but don’t always come down as fast. Since the pandemic, property values have skyrocketed twice as fast as they normally would, but have leveled off in recent months. While the value of your home going up is a good thing for your net worth, your property tax assessment will also reflect that.

• Poor selection of comparable sales (“comps”). Your assessment may be based on nearby sales that aren’t truly comparable (due to varying property condition, renovations, views, or lot quality).

• Exemptions or caps not applied correctly. Missing a homestead exemption or assessment cap can make your bill artificially high.
  

The Real Opportunity: How Much You Could Save

The National Taxpayers Union Foundation estimates that 30-60% of taxable property in the United States is over-assessed, leading to higher property tax bills. Yet, less than 5% of homeowners dispute their property tax assessments.

A recent study published in the Journal of Accounting and Economics found shocking results: Of those who appealed, 76.6% won their case and had their assessed home value reduced. The average appeal yielded an average savings of $457.

These savings are a potentially significant financial victory for all homeowners to consider, especially as property taxes have outpaced inflation.

The “Overpaying Check”: Should You Appeal?

You may be hesitant to take on this process of challenging your local tax assessor, but if one of these circumstances has occurred, it may be worth considering:

• Comparable homes nearby are valued lower

• You recently purchased your home for less than the assessed value

• Your home needs repairs or isn’t updated

• There are errors in your property record

If one or more of these have happened to your home, a property tax assessment dispute could potentially net you some savings.

How the Property Tax Appeal Process Works

DIY vs. Done-for-You: What’s the Easier Option?

Putting together a case for yourself could take several hours of legwork. This research includes finding comps in your area, tracking deadlines, attending a hearing, and submitting necessary documentation.

Instead of doing this yourself, Ownwell can handle the legwork for you. Ownwell helps homeowners in several states, including Texas, New York, Illinois, Florida, California, Washington, Georgia, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. On average, Ownwell saves homeowners $774.* 

However you decide, these extra savings can go to a number of places, including bolstering your savings account, putting more away for retirement, or doing that home improvement project you want to tackle.

*Average savings of customers who saved on at least one property in 2025 as of 12/31/2025

Other Resources For Homeowners

If you find yourself struggling to meet your property tax obligation, know that you aren’t alone. Estimates show 5% of homeowners are currently behind on their property taxes.

The good news is that there are resources available to homeowners. Here are a few to consider:

• Your local tax assessor or treasurer’s office: Start by speaking to your local tax assessor or the treasurer’s office. They can likely point you to resources like payment plans, hardship exemptions, or deferral programs. 

• Circuit breaker programs: If your tax bill exceeds a set percentage of your earnings, you may qualify for a tax credit. Many states offer programs like this to help homeowners with their property taxes.

Final Thoughts

Property taxes are an unavoidable part of property ownership, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have some say in them. You have the right to appeal it, fight your case, and even put some money back into your pocket.