O.C. residents have until Monday to file property tax appeal

Way back in April, the Orange County Assessor’s office stopped taking informal appeals, leading many to incorrectly believe the property tax reduction window was closed. In most other counties, the informal appeal process is left open allowing homeowners to work with the Assessor’s office on a reduction in property tax value. However, because the informal process was closed so early in Orange County, there are thousands of homeowners that have not filed appeals and do not know that the they have until Monday to get a formal property tax appeal filed.

Homeowners are entitled to a temporary reduction in their property taxes due to a decline in property value under Proposition 8. This reduction is only available if your assessed value is more than the market value of your home as of Jan. 1, 2008.

The confusion about appeal dates stems from the differences between the formal and informal process for a property tax reduction. The informal appeal is handled through each County’s Assessor’s office. This is the most expeditious means of appealing your property’s assessed value. In most Counties, there is a form used to prepare a Prop. 8 temporary reduction in value request. Generally, you supplement this form with comparables sales from your neighborhood that will be evaluated by the Assessor. If a reduction is granted, then you’ll get refund or a smaller property tax bill. Since this process is closed in Orange County, the only option is the formal property tax appeal.

The formal appeal process is still open but only if a “Request for Changed Assessment” is filed by Monday. Orange County is one of a small number of Counties due in September; most other counties allow formal appeals until Nov. 30.

To economically streamline the appeal process try www.californiaproptaxappeal.com where you answer interview style questions then print your property tax appeal form along with comparable sales all done within 10 minutes for $29.99. CaliforniaPropTaxAppeal.Com is headed by Jeffery Morris who is a CPA with 25 years experience and has served as an adjunct professor of taxation at Golden Gate, CSUF and USC. The inspiration for the site came from his experience as a Tax Partner at a Big 4 firm where technology was used to simplify preparation of tax forms for a variety of tasks for clients.