Millions of homeowners are opening their county assessment notices this spring and doing a double take.
After two years of surging home prices, local tax offices are finally catching up, and the new values on paper often look nothing like what owners expected.
In parts of Texas, Florida, and Georgia, assessment increases of 20% to 40% are showing up in mailboxes, even though the house hasn't changed one bit.
The catch is that a higher assessment doesn't automatically mean a higher tax bill — but it usually does.
Your tax is the assessed value multiplied by the local millage rate, the number your city, county, and school district set each year.
When values jump across an entire county, some local governments trim the rate to soften the blow.
That's why two neighbors with identical houses can see very different bills.
The reason this is hitting now comes down to timing.
Most assessors use sales data from the prior year or two to set values.
Home prices spiked in 2021 and 2022, but many offices only reassess every two or three years.
That lag means the increase is landing all at once instead of being spread out.
If you bought your home before 2020, your gap between market value and assessed value could be unusually wide.
Every county has an appeal process, and it's often free to file.
First, pull your notice and check the deadline, which is usually tight — sometimes as little as 30 days.
Then compare your assessed value to recent sales of similar homes in your neighborhood.
Sites like Zillow and Redfin are a starting point, but your county's own sales records carry more weight.
If three comparable homes sold for less than your assessment, you have a case.
Wrong square footage, a bedroom count that's off, or a pool that was removed years ago can all inflate a value.
Document everything with photos and closing statements, and submit it before the deadline.
Many counties allow you to file online, and some hold informal hearings where a quick conversation resolves the issue without a formal appeal.
If you'd rather not go it alone, a property tax consultant typically charges a contingency fee of 25% to 35% of whatever they save you.
That can be worth it for large commercial properties or complicated cases, but for a typical single-family home, the paperwork is manageable on your own.
Just be wary of anyone asking for an upfront fee before they've reviewed your notice.
One more thing worth knowing: homestead exemptions can cap how much your assessment rises each year in states like Florida, Texas, and California.
If you recently bought a home and never filed for the exemption, you may be leaving real money on the table.
Filing is usually free and takes minutes through your county appraiser's website.
The bottom line is that an assessment notice is an opening offer, not a final bill.
Counties count on most people ignoring it, and most do.
Spending an hour with your paperwork and a few comparable sales could shave hundreds off your annual tax bill — or it might confirm the number is fair.
Final Thoughts
Either way, you'll know instead of guessing.