Travis Bunn

Founder, AppealDesk · Published March 5, 2026 · Updated August 22, 2026

Property Tax Appeal Success Rates: What the Data Actually Shows (2026)

Updated August 2026 · 12 min read

There is no published national success rate for property tax appeals. What the National Taxpayers Union does report: between 30 and 60 percent of taxable property in the United States is over-assessed, fewer than 5 percent of taxpayers challenge their assessment, and the majority of those who do, when properly prepared, win at least a partial reduction. Your own odds depend on whether the assessment is actually too high and on the evidence you bring.

Source: National Taxpayers Union, “Are You Paying Too Much in Taxes?”

Over-Assessed

30-60%

of taxable property (NTU)

Who Challenges It

<5%

of taxpayers (NTU)

Prepared Filers

Majority

win at least a partial cut (NTU)

Strongest Evidence

3-5 comps

recent, similar, nearby

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National Success Rate Data

The property tax appeal system is one of the most underutilized financial tools available to American homeowners. Here is what the data shows:

Between 30 and 60 percent of taxable property in the United States is over-assessed, with middle- and lower-income taxpayers among the most often over-assessed (source: National Taxpayers Union)
Fewer than 5 percent of taxpayers challenge their assessment, and the majority who do, when properly prepared, win at least a partial victory (source: National Taxpayers Union)
No national figure exists for the size of a typical reduction. It depends on how far the assessment sits above what comparable sales support
Savings are the reduction times your effective tax rate, and they repeat every year the corrected value stands
Boards that publish outcomes show one consistent pattern: evidence-backed appeals succeed far more often than bare objections (Cook County Board of Review annual reports, the Texas Comptroller’s ARB survey, the NYC Tax Commission annual report)

The gap between a 30-60% over-assessment rate and a sub-5% filing rate means most over-assessed homeowners never challenge their assessment. For a home overassessed by $30,000 in a state with a 1.5% effective tax rate, that is $450/year left on the table indefinitely.

Property Tax Appeal Success Rates by State

No state publishes a statewide residential success rate, and county figures are not comparable to each other (some count informal settlements, some only formal hearings). What does differ by state, and does change your odds, is the process: who hears the appeal, how often values are reset, and how long the window is. Every row below comes from our state registry, the same data that builds your filing guide.

State	First appeal body	Reassessment	Filing deadline	Guide
Alabama	County Board of Equalization	annual	Varies by county	Appeal guide
Alaska	Board of Equalization	annual	30 days from notice	Appeal guide
Arizona	County Board of Equalization	annual	Within 60 days of notice	Appeal guide
Arkansas	County Equalization Board	biennial	Third Monday in August	Appeal guide
California	Assessment Appeals Board	annual	September 15 or November 30	Appeal guide
Colorado	County Board of Equalization	annual	June 8	Appeal guide
Connecticut	Board of Assessment Appeals	annual	February 20, or March 20 in municipalities granted a Grand List extension	Appeal guide
Delaware	Board of Assessment Review	biennial	Varies by county	Appeal guide
District of Columbia	Real Property Tax Appeals Commission	annual	April 1	Appeal guide
Florida	Value Adjustment Board (VAB)	annual	25 days from TRIM notice	Appeal guide
Georgia	Board of Equalization	annual	45 days from notice	Appeal guide
Hawaii	Board of Review	biennial	Varies by county	Appeal guide
Idaho	County Board of Equalization	annual	Fourth Monday in June	Appeal guide
Illinois	Board of Review	annual	30 days from publication	Appeal guide
Indiana	Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals (PTABOA)	annual	June 15 or 45 days from notice	Appeal guide
Iowa	Board of Review	annual	April 2 to April 30	Appeal guide
Kansas	Small Claims Division or District Court	annual	30 days from notice	Appeal guide
Kentucky	Local Board of Assessment Appeals	triennial	Within 1 year of assessment	Appeal guide
Louisiana	Board of Review	annual	August 1 to September 15	Appeal guide
Maine	Board of Assessment Review	biennial	Varies by municipality	Appeal guide
Maryland	Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board (PTAAB)	triennial	Within 45 days of notice	Appeal guide
Massachusetts	Board of Assessors (Abatement Application)	annual	February 1	Appeal guide
Michigan	Board of Review	annual	March board of review, protest sessions the week beginning the second Monday in March, through March 31	Appeal guide
Minnesota	Assessor (Open Book Meeting)	annual	April 30	Appeal guide
Mississippi	Board of Supervisors	triennial	Varies by county	Appeal guide
Missouri	Board of Equalization	annual	Second Monday in July	Appeal guide
Montana	County Tax Appeal Board	annual	30 days from notice	Appeal guide
Nebraska	County Board of Equalization	annual	June 30	Appeal guide
Nevada	County Board of Equalization	annual	January 15	Appeal guide
New Hampshire	Board of Selectmen / Assessors (Abatement)	annual	March 1 following notice	Appeal guide
New Jersey	County Board of Taxation	annual	April 1, or May 1 where a revaluation or reassessment applies, or January 15 in Burlington, Gloucester, and Monmouth counties, or October 1 in some	Appeal guide
New Mexico	County Valuation Protest Board	annual	30 days from notice	Appeal guide
New York	Board of Assessment Review (Grievance)	annual	Varies by municipality. NYC deadline is typically March 1; most other jurisdictions set Grievance Day in late May or June.	Grievance guide
North Carolina	Board of Equalization and Review	quadrennial	Each county's Board of Equalization and Review (BOER) sets its own appeal deadline — the date the Board adjourns (N.C.G.S. 105-322). Boards convene no earlier than the first Monday in April and adjourn no later than required to complete their work, typically in late April or early May. If you received a value-change notice, the deadline is the later of the Board's adjournment date or the 'Last Date to Appeal' printed on your notice.	Appeal guide
North Dakota	Local Board of Equalization	annual	April 1	Appeal guide
Ohio	Board of Revision	annual	March 31	Appeal guide
Oklahoma	County Board of Equalization	annual	Varies by county	Appeal guide
Oregon	Board of Property Tax Appeals (BOPTA)	annual	December 31	Appeal guide
Pennsylvania	Board of Assessment Appeals	annual	August 1 or September 1, depending on the county; Philadelphia first Monday of October	Appeal guide
Rhode Island	Board of Assessment Review	annual	December 31	Appeal guide
South Carolina	County Board of Assessment Appeals	annual	90 days from notice	Appeal guide
South Dakota	Local Board of Equalization	annual	Thursday preceding the third Monday in March (local board), or the first Tuesday in April (county board)	Appeal guide
Tennessee	County Board of Equalization	quadrennial	June 15 reappraisal years	Appeal guide
Texas	Appraisal Review Board (ARB)	annual	May 15 or May 31 with extension	Protest guide
Utah	County Board of Equalization	annual	September 15	Appeal guide
Vermont	Board of Listers (Grievance)	annual	Varies by municipality	Appeal guide
Virginia	Board of Equalization	annual	Varies by locality	Appeal guide
Washington	County Board of Equalization	annual	July 1 most counties	Appeal guide
West Virginia	County Commission	biennial	February 1 to February 20	Appeal guide
Wisconsin	Assessor (Open Book)	annual	First Monday in May	Appeal guide
Wyoming	County Board of Equalization	annual	May 31	Appeal guide

Source: AppealDesk state registry (appeal body, reassessment cycle, statutory deadline), the same data that drives each state’s filing guide. Deadlines are the statewide rule; counties can differ, and your notice controls.

What Affects Your Odds of Winning

Factors That Increase Success

Filing with comparable sales evidence

The single biggest factor. Three to five recent sales of similar nearby homes that sold for less than your assessed value give the review board concrete proof. “My taxes are too high” without data is the #1 reason appeals fail. Learn how to find comparable sales.

Professional evidence packets

Boards that report outcomes by representation consistently show evidence-backed filings winning more often than bare objections. The difference is evidence quality, not legal skill.

Factual errors on property record card

A meaningful share of successful appeals are clerical fixes: wrong square footage, extra bedrooms, incorrect lot size. These are the cleanest wins because the error is objective.

Recent purchase below assessed value

If you bought your home for less than the county says it is worth, your purchase price is strong evidence of market value.

Market decline since assessment date

Assessments reflect a specific valuation date. If the market has dropped since then, comparable sales from after that date support a lower value.

Property condition issues

Foundation problems, roof damage, outdated systems, or functional obsolescence not reflected in the assessment. Photos and repair estimates strengthen these cases.

Factors That Decrease Success

−

Filing without evidence

“I just think my taxes are too high” is not evidence. Review boards need data: comparable sales, error documentation, or condition reports.

−

Recent purchase at or above assessed value

Your purchase price is the strongest indicator of market value. If you paid more than the assessment, the county has evidence supporting their number.

−

Rapidly appreciating market with supporting comps

If nearby similar homes are selling at or above your assessed value, the data supports the assessment, not your appeal.

−

Missing the deadline

Automatic denial, no exceptions. Check your state’s appeal deadline before doing anything else.

Success Rates by Service

Different appeal methods produce different outcomes. Here is what the available data shows:

Method / Service	Reported Success Rate	Cost	Notes
AppealDesk	Not published yet	$49 flat fee	Evidence packet, you file. We will publish a rate when our outcome ledger has enough verified results to report honestly.
Ownwell	88% reported	Contingency, varies by region	Full-service, 9 states. Self-reported aggregate.
O’Connor & Associates	Not publicly reported	Contingency (varies)	50+ years, $213M saved in 2025 (self-reported). 40+ states.
Texas Protax	Not verified	40% contingency + fees	Austin/Houston only. Their site blocks automated checks; no figure we can cite.
DIY (with research)	No published figure	Free	Homeowner finds own comps and files. Results vary with effort.
DIY (no evidence)	Lowest of any method	Free	Files appeal without comparable sales data. Lowest success rate.
With professional evidence	Highest of any method	$49-$1,000+	Any method using professional comparable sales analysis.

Important caveat: Success rates depend more on your county’s assessment accuracy and the quality of your evidence than on which service you use. Texas appraisal districts settle a large share of protests informally before any hearing; Cook County runs a more formal review-board process. Both yield meaningful savings for homeowners who file with strong evidence. For a full comparison of services, see our best property tax appeal services guide.

How to Improve Your Odds

Check your property record card for errors first

Free and highest ROI. Wrong square footage, extra bedrooms, or incorrect lot size are nearly guaranteed wins. Request your property record card from your county assessor (usually available online) and compare every line to reality.

Find 3-5 comparable sales below your assessed value

This is the foundation of every successful appeal. Similar homes, nearby, sold recently, for less than what the county says yours is worth. See our guide on how to find comparable sales.

Understand your state’s assessment ratio

Not all states tax at 100% of market value. Tennessee taxes at 25%, Georgia at 40%. You need to compare apples to apples. See our assessment ratio by state guide.

File before the deadline

This seems obvious but it is the #1 procedural reason appeals fail. Deadlines are strict and non-negotiable. Find yours in our property tax appeal deadlines by state guide.

Use professional evidence if your potential savings justify the cost

Every board that reports outcomes shows the same thing: evidence-backed filings win far more often than bare objections. At $49 for a complete evidence packet, the math works for any property overassessed by more than a few thousand dollars.

Check If Your Property Is Overassessed

Enter your address for a free analysis. Takes 30 seconds. If the numbers support an appeal, we'll build your complete evidence packet for $49.

✓ All 50 states✓ Instant results✓ $49 flat fee

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average property tax appeal success rate?

There is no published national average. The National Taxpayers Union reports that fewer than 5 percent of taxpayers challenge their assessment and that the majority who do, when properly prepared, win at least a partial victory. Rates vary by county and by the evidence a homeowner brings, far more than by state.

Can my taxes go up if I appeal?

In some states, yes. A number of boards can raise an assessment if the evidence shows the property is under-assessed, which is why the first step of any appeal is an honest check of comparable sales before filing. A homeowner who files with sales that support a lower value has little to fear; one who files on principle can be surprised.

Do I need a lawyer to appeal property taxes?

No. Most residential property tax appeals are designed for homeowners to navigate without legal representation. Review boards expect to see regular homeowners presenting comparable sales data. A lawyer may be worthwhile for commercial properties or properties valued over $1 million.

How much does a successful appeal save?

Savings equal the reduction in assessed value times your effective tax rate. A $30,000 reduction at a 1.5% rate is $450 a year, and the corrected value stays in effect until the next reassessment cycle, which is annual in some states and every few years in others.

Is it worth paying for a property tax appeal service?

Yes, if your estimated overassessment exceeds the service cost. Evidence-backed filings win far more often than bare objections, and at $49 for an evidence packet from AppealDesk the math works for any property overassessed by more than a few thousand dollars. Contingency services (typically a quarter to a half of first-year savings) make sense if your expected savings are modest and you want zero effort.

What happens if my appeal is denied?

Your assessment stays the same. There is no penalty for filing. In most states you can try again during the next assessment cycle (annually in Texas, every 2-4 years in other states). You may also be able to escalate to a higher review board or state tax court.

How long does a property tax appeal take?

Most appeals are resolved within 2 weeks to 6 months depending on your state and county. Texas informal hearings happen 2-4 weeks after filing. Cook County, Illinois can take 6-12 months through the Board of Review. The filing itself takes minutes with a prepared evidence packet.

Sources: National Taxpayers Union Foundation (“Are You Paying Too Much in Taxes?”); competitor figures are each company’s own published, self-reported numbers as of August 2026; state process and deadline data from the AppealDesk state registry (app/lib/seo/stateData.js), which cites the governing statute for each state.