When I prepare and file a tax appeal for a property, there are 5 major components of a tax appeal that are on my mind.
- Basic tax appeal form (PT-311-A form)
- Property write-up
- Supporting Photos
- Supporting sales comps
- Other supporting evidence
The absolutely, positively, most critical piece of any Georgia tax appeal is the filling out, signing, and delivering the required tax appeal form within 45-days of the print date of your assessment form! This is non-negotiable!
Everything else can wait.
The property write-up and supporting photos of the property tell the story & background of the condition of the property. While not required, without these items, you are limited in what you can accomplish. Strategic photos are very persuasive in showing the true property condition. The property write-up is generally a one-page maybe two-page Word document I submit regarding statements of fact or explaining the situation.
Because the tax appeal process spans several months with intermittent deadlines, I frequently don’t have everything assembled upfront. I don’t put that kind of pressure on myself to have EVERYTHING prepared when I deliver my signed tax appeal form.
Some properties are harder than others to prepare for. Some need more time and work. I use my personal and professional judgment as to how much I want to attach and include when I submit my signed tax appeal form. It depends on the situation, the client, the property itself, difficulty of assembling important information/documents, etc.
In theory, the more you can prepare and submit upfront, the better. In the real world, it can be somewhat scattered. And that is okay as long as you make sure you go through the entire tax appeal process to its proper conclusion.
I wrote a book “TAX FREEZE: How to File & Win Property Taxes in Georgia” (available on Amazon) which will help you through your GA property tax appeals.
I launched a new YouTube channel called TAX FREEZE Command. You should subscribe to it to get my latest insights and information on GA property tax appeals and other tax matters.
I also have a playlist of YouTube videos for property owners to educate themselves about the GA property tax appeal process.