OwedifyAre you overpaying property taxes? Check in 10 minutes
Two free lookups most owners never make.
Your property record card
Search "[your county] assessor" and use the .gov site. Pull your property record card, the county's data sheet on your home, and verify six facts:
- Square footage
- Year built
- Bedroom and bath count
- A garage or finished basement you do not have
- Lot size
- Condition rated better than reality
A factual error here is the easiest win in the entire tax system. Some are fixed with a phone call.
The quick check: what similar homes sold for
Look up three recent sales of similar homes near you. If they sold for less than your assessed value, you have the start of a case.
The missed money
Homestead, senior, disability, and veteran exemptions cut the bill year after year, and none of them are automatic. One application each, at the assessor's office.
Experts estimate 30 to 60 percent of U.S. properties are over assessed, fewer than 5 percent of owners ever appeal, and most who properly prepare win at least a partial reduction. Source: National Taxpayers Union Foundation.