It is the desire of the Board of Tax Assessors to avoid appeals whenever possible. If there are serious concerns over the valuation of property, the owner should call or come by the office to discuss his/her property with a professional staff appraiser.
- How to Dispute your Assessment
Tax Assessor ( http://www.cobbassessor.org/)
Cobb County Board of Tax Assessors
736 Whitlock Ave
Marietta, GA 30064
Phone: (770) 528-3100
Fax: (770) 528-3118
E-mail:cobbtaxassessor@cobbcounty.org
What if I don't agree with my assessment?
Call the Tax assessor Office. During this informal session you can learn how your assessment was made, what factors were considered, and what type of records are kept regarding your property. After this review, if I still think the assessment is incorrect, what can I do? The next step is to file an objection with the Assessor's Office. Your objection must be written. Forms are available in the Assessor's Office. When you receive your tax bill in October, it is too late to file an objection for that year. Paying your taxes under protest does not constitute an assessment objection unless you have first filed an appeal with the Board of Review. Note: You can pay 85% of your new bill to avoid the 5% late charge.
What evidence do I need to present?
State law puts the burden of proof on the property owner to show that the assessment is incorrect. Keep in mind that your evidence must be strong enough to prove that the assessor's value is incorrect. Only relevant testimony given at the hearing will be considered by the Board. STATING THAT PROPERTY TAXES ARE TOO HIGH IS NOT RELEVANT TESTIMONY. You should establish in your own mind what you think your property is worth. The best evidence for this would be recent sales prices for properties similar to yours. The closer in proximity and similarity, the better the evidence. Another type of evidence is oral testimony from a witness who has made a recent appraisal of your property. Note: Contact trusted real estate office for assistance with comps.
APPEAL PROCESS:
PROPERTY OWNER IS SENT CHANGE OF ASSESSMENT NOTICE
PROPERTY OWNER FILES WRITTEN APPEAL WITHIN 45 DAYS OF DATED NOTICE. APPEAL
MUST INDICATE IF OWNER CHOOSES ARBITRATION IN LIEU OF BOE
BTA ACKNOWLEDGES RECEIPT OF APPEAL AND FURNISHES VALUE REVIEW WORKSHEET
TO BE COMPLETED BY THE OWNER (OPTIONAL) AND RETURNED WITHIN 15 DAYS
STAFF APPRAISER EXAMINES PROPERTY VALUE AND ANY OWNER CONCERNS MENTIONED IN LETTER OF APPEAL
BTA REVIEWS APPEAL AND RENDERS DECISION
BTA NOTIFIES PROPERTY OWNER OF DECISION WITHIN 180 DAYS
PROPERTY OWNER MAY APPEAL TO BOARD OF EQUALIZATION (BOE) WITHIN 21 DAYS
AFTER NOTIFICATION THAT THE BTA CHANGED VALUE
IF BTA DOES NOT CHANGE VALUE, APPEAL IS AUTOMATICALLY FORWARDED TO BOE OR TO ARBITRATION IF REQUESTED BY OWNER IN LETTER OF APPEAL
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