Overland Park KS Homes for sale & Johnson County Real Estate Blog: How to Protest your Johnson County Kansas Property Tax Bill

Well it's that time of year again. Johnson County Kansas mailed out your annual property tax statement. For most of you it came as a surprise because the average bill went up 4.3% this year. So how does my property tax bill go up when home prices have been falling for over a year?

There are generally 2 reasons that your taxes are higher this year. The first is the Mill Levy, that is the rate used to compile all of the collected taxes including taxes for schools, road projects and other bonds issued by the county. The other is when the sale of comparable homes in your neighborhood go up. If your property tax assessment was $250,000 last year and 2 of your neighbors homes that are comparable sold for $260,000 you can expect that your assessment will go up to match those recent sales. But what if the sales prices are declining and your assessment still went up? That"s where you can protest to the county and ask for them to lower your taxes.

So if you think that your taxes are wrong and you want to protest, here is where you get started www.treasurer.jocogov.org

Here is how the process works:

• If you have not had a meeting with the County Appraiser on the valuation of your property for the same tax year, you can file a protest. Protest forms are available from the County Treasurer or you can print the associated form.
• Contact your County Treasurer's office to request the protest forms (or print them from the associated documents). Please read and follow the instructions carefully for a successful appeal. NOTE: If the protest form is received in the Treasurer's office unsigned the protest will be considered invalid and will be returned to you. The delay may jeopardize your chances for a hearing.
• Complete the tax protest form and file a copy with the County Treasurer's Office on or before December 20th with your payment. (If at least one-half (1/2) of the taxes are paid by an escrow agent, a protest of the taxes must be filed no later than the following January 31.) If taxes are paid after these deadlines, any protest of the taxes must be filed at the time the taxes are paid.
• The protest form can be submitted through fax to 913-791-5360, as long as it is sent in by the first half and second half deadlines given in step 3 above. After those deadlines, please fill out the form online and print a copy to mail with your payment.
• You must keep a copy of the protest form. You will need to use this form to file the protest with the Board of Tax Appeals if you are not satisfied with the County's decision.
• The County Appraiser will contact you to schedule an informal meeting after the County Treasurer forwards your protest form to the Appraiser. If you are filing a protest on the basis of an illegal tax levy, an Appendix must be completed and attached to the protest form. Those protest forms will be mailed by the Treasurer to the State Board of Tax Appeals. No informal hearing will be held with the Appraiser in the case of illegal tax levy protests.
• If you are successful in your appeal and your paid taxes are reduced, a refund will be issued upon the Treasurer receiving a correction from the County Appraiser's office. If there is still a second half balance due, that amount will be reduced and no refund will be made.

Property Tax protest form

If you want to know what your neighbors tax value is? Visit the link below.

Johnson County Kansas Aprraiser site

If you need help, feel free to contact me at 913-681-1383 or info@russellhometeam.com

For all of the latest information on the Johnson County Kansas Real Estate market Feel free to visit our website at www.SearchjocoHomes.com