TAXPAYER INFORMATION ABOUT ABATEMENT PROCEDURE
REASONS FOR AN ABATEMENT
An abatement is a reduction in the tax assessed on your property for the fiscal year. To dispute your valuation or
assessment or to correct any other billing problem or error that caused your tax bill to be higher than it should be, you must apply for an abatement.
You may apply for an abatement if your property is:
1) overvalued (assessed value is more than fair cash value on January 1 for any reason, including
clerical and data processing errors or assessment of property that is non-existent or not taxable to you),
2) disproportionately assessed in comparison
with other properties,
3) classified incorrectly as residential, open space, commercial or industrial real property, or
4) partially or fully exempt.
WHO MAY FILE AN APPLICATION
You may file an application if you are:
- the assessed or subsequent (acquiring title after January 1) owner of the property,
- the personal representative of the assessed owner’s estate or personal representative or trustee under the assessed owner’s will,
- a tenant paying rent who is obligated to pay more than one-half of the tax,
- a person owning or having an interest or possession of the property, or
- a mortgagee if the assessed owner has not applied.
WHEN AND WHERE APPLICATION MUST BE FILED
Your application must be filed with the assessors on or before the date the first installment
payment of the actual tax bill mailed for the fiscal year is due, unless you are a mortgagee. If so, your application must be filed during the last 10 days of
the abatement application period. Actual tax bills are those issued after the tax rate is set. Applications filed for omitted, revised or reassessed taxes
must be filed within 3 months of the date the bill for those taxes was mailed. THESE DEADLINES CANNOT BE EXTENDED OR WAIVED BY THE
ASSESSORS FOR ANY REASON. IF YOUR APPLICATION IS NOT TIMELY FILED, YOU LOSE ALL RIGHTS TO AN ABATEMENT AND THE
ASSESSORS CANNOT BY LAW GRANT YOU ONE. TO BE TIMELY FILED, YOUR APPLICATION MUST BE (1) RECEIVED BY THE ASSESSORS ON
OR BEFORE THE FILING DEADLINE OR (2) MAILED BY UNITED STATES MAIL, FIRST CLASS POSTAGE PREPAID, TO THE PROPER ADDRESS
OF THE ASSESSORS ON OR BEFORE THE FILING DEADLINE AS SHOWN BY A POSTMARK MADE BY THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE.
For Fiscal Year 2026 you may file once the Q3 Actual tax bill is issued, due February 2, 2026, at 4:00pm.
PAYMENT OF TAX
Filing an application does not stay the collection of your taxes. In some cases, you must pay all preliminary and actual
installments of the tax when due to appeal the assessors’ disposition of your application. Failure to pay the tax assessed when due may also subject you
to interest charges and collection action. To avoid any loss of rights or additional charges, you should pay the tax as assessed. If an abatement is
granted and you have already paid the entire year’s tax as abated, you will receive a refund of any overpayment.
ASSESSORS DISPOSITION
Upon applying for an abatement, you may be asked to provide the assessors with written information about the property
and permit them to inspect it. Failure to provide the information or permit an inspection within 30 days of the request may result in the loss of your
appeal rights.
The assessors have 3 months from the date your application is filed to act on it unless you agree in writing before that period expires to extend it for a
specific time. If the assessors do not act on your application within the original or extended period, it is deemed denied. You will be notified in writing
whether an abatement has been granted or denied.
APPEAL
You may appeal the disposition of your application to the Appellate Tax Board, or if applicable, the County Commissioners. The appeal
must be filed within 3 months of the date the assessors acted on your application, or the date your application was deemed denied, whichever is
applicable. The disposition notice will provide you with further information about the appeal procedure and deadline.
Appellate Tax Board -The ATB hears and decides state and local tax appeals, including property tax, individual income tax, corporate excise, sales and use tax, automobile excise, and water bills.
ATB Forms - Various forms offered by the Appellate Tax Board.
Application for Abatement Form
Application for Abatement