Tuesday is deadline for most Cobb tax assessment appeals
Jul. 1—For homeowners with a bone to pick with the taxman, they'll have just a few days left to do so as the deadline for most property assessment appeals falls on Tuesday.
And unlike income taxes, Tuesday's is a hard cutoff — no extensions, no second chances.
Stephen White, head of the Cobb Tax Assessor's office, told the MDJ Friday his office has received some 3,600 appeals in a year where 70% of properties will see their valuations increase. The number of appeals accounts for about 1.4% of assessment notices, which began landing in mailboxes in late May.
Residents are given 45 days from the mailing date of their assessment to appeal their assessments if they believe they're inaccurate or unfair. A small number will have until after July 5, but are advised to double-check their notices first.
The number of appeals so far is roughly in line with previous years, which have annually averaged around 4,100 since 2018, according to data provided by White. By far the year with the most appeals was 2020, with 6,181, the first year in which the assessor's office allowed appeals to be filed online.
2022 has been a banner year for home values, as the average home in Cobb saw a 21% increase in its value. That's translated into a growth rate of more than 12% for the county's tax digest.
That 21% figure, however, is only an average — in Marietta's Oakton neighborhood, for example, a number of residents saw valuation increases ranging from 30% to 49%.
Property owners with some time to spare this weekend and an interest in still filing an appeal should start by checking basic facts on their assessment like square footage and lot size. From there, they can check the sales price of comparable homes in their neighborhood at cobbassessor.org.
Once an appeal is filed, the Board of Tax Assessors has 180 days to make a decision, which White said is usually wrapped up by October.
"If the taxpayer is not satisfied with the decision of the (Board of Tax Assessors), the appeal goes to the Board of Equalization," White said. "The Board of Equalization hearings are generally finished by the end of the year."
In a given year, White said, about 45% of homeowners who file an appeal are successful.
Also worth noting is how a valuation increase impacts a taxpayer's bill. In Cobb, many homes have their general fund tax bill locked in under a floating homestead exemption.
But the general fund tax rate — 8.46 mills, with a "mill" representing $1 in taxes for every $1,000 of assessed value — only accounts for around a quarter of the total tax bill for residents in unincorporated Cobb. Other millage rates, like the 2.86 mills for the fire department (set to increase to 2.99 mills this year) and the 18.9 mills for the Cobb County School District, aren't subject to the homestead exemption.
