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Florida - Taxpayers' Burden of Proof Lowered in Appeals
New legislation should help level the playing field for
taxpayers who appeal their property values. The passage of
HB 521 now requires property appraisers to show that their
work meets certain standards.
The new law, which applies to appeals beginning this year,
includes several positive outcomes for taxpayers.
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Florida - Voters Will Decide Reduced Assessment Cap
An election will be held in November, 2010 to give
voters the final word on whether the current 10%
assessment cap on non-residential property will be
lowered to 5%.
While a lower cap sounds like a benefit, critics fear it
would end up requiring higher millage rates that would
raise taxes for everyone. Another concern involves tax
disparities between like properties. Depending on how
long they are owned, similar buildings could end up
with different tax burdens.
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Pennsylvania - Reassessment in
Allegheny County
Many business property owners welcome last month’s state
Supreme Court ruling that requires Allegheny County to
conduct a reassessment. With the real estate downturn,
they feel it could help bring assessments down to their
true market value.
County officials are fighting the reassessment order.
They plan to lobby the legislature to address the
problem of "base year" assessments statewide.
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Proactive Tax Strategies for Industrial Properties
Assessors don’t intentionally over value industrial
property. But all too often, taxpayers unwittingly
help them do so by failing to provide relevant data
and following up to check the results. Providing the
assessor with quality information and support for
all adjustments is often the best and most economical
way to control taxes.
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Seattle - Landlords Lose Leverage
Like many other major cities, Seattle has now become
a tenant’s market. New office buildings are going up,
vacancies are increasing, and rents are dropping.
These factors may create appeal opportunities that
should be pursued.
The King County appeal deadline is fast approaching.
The deadline for filing an appeal is July 1st or within
60 calendar days after the date on the assessment
notice, whichever is later.
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Washington Moves to
Annual Revaluations
By January 1, 2014, all Washington counties must revalue
real property every year.
Substitute Senate Bill 5368, passed by the House and
Senate in April, also requires a physical inspection of
all properties at least once every 6 years. Previously,
the schedule varied from county to county.
While annual
revaluations statewide will help eliminate
the sticker shock that comes
with less frequent revaluations,
the change also has a down side
by creating more opportunities for assessors to raise
values.
The Department of
Revenue will conduct a pilot project this year in at
least one county to develop the expertise necessary to
make the conversion.
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