When property tax notices of assessed value are sent, many assessors advise property owners;

“just because your assessed value went up doesn’t mean your property taxes will.”

Property owners should appeal every property every year, regardless of whether the initial assessed value is up, down or flat from the prior year.

Property owners are not allowed to see the evidence file for their property unless they protest!  How can you determine if the appraisal district guesstimate is accurate without seeing the evidence?

The canard of “just because your assessment rose doesn’t mean your taxes will” is generally incorrect.

Let’s consider a simple example:

House value at $250,000 in 2020

Assessment increases to $275,000, in 2021.

The aggregate tax rate 2.7% in 2020 and 2.65% in 2021

2020 property taxes are: $250,000 x 0.027 = $6,750

2021 property taxes are: $275,000 x 0.0265 = $7,288

Property taxes rose by over $500 in just one year when the assessment rose and the tax rate fell.

So, now you know what to do the next time you hear, “just because your assessment rose doesn’t mean your taxes will.”