What do I need to do if I believe my valuation is too high?

The Board of Tax Assessor's Office will be adjusting the 2010 tax value on several thousand properties in Gwinnett County as assessors review the real estate sales and foreclosure data occurring in certain areas the county. To make sure your property is included on the review list, you are required to file a Real Property Tax Return. The property tax return will allow you to declare your opinion of the value of your property.

The property tax return process begins with the timely filing of a Real Property Tax Return. The time frame for filing was between January 1 and March 1, 2010.  Mailed returns must be postmarked by the USPS no later than March 1, 2010. Your completed return will not be accepted via email or fax - no exceptions.

If your value is not accepted, a Notice of Change in Assessment will be issued to you (scheduled mailing by mid April 2010). The notice allows you to appeal the value, which will result in a review process and possibly further into hearings.

Should you have questions about the process, please read the list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) or please call 770.822.7200 or e-mail assessor@gwinnettcounty.com.
Why We Conduct Periodic Value Updates

Georgia law and state Revenue department regulations require the local county Board of Tax Assessors to maintain taxable values at a minimum of 90 percent (on average) of actual market value.

In 1999, our Property Appraisal staff spent more than 18 months and $700,000 on a program to validate property characteristics and revalue all classes of property in the county - a very expensive and resource-intensive process. On the other hand, periodic value updates are more cost effective and most people we interviewed prefer frequent smaller increases to infrequent large increases.
How the Process Works

Every year we review property sales by area or neighborhood. If sales prices indicate that our appraised values are out of line with the market, we update the valuations for that area. For example, in 2009 we mailed over 75,000 change of assessment notices in three separate mailings. In 2010 we expect to change about 80,000, with 65,000 of those being value reductions and 15,000 resulting from new construction and tax return filings.

We will continue to review all sales and take appropriate action on every neighborhood, area, or property type. We have considered foreclosures and bank sales in the 2010 valuation process. We reviewing market transactions in all of the county's 1,400 neighborhoods and make indicated changes when sufficient market information is available. Most property owners receiving notices will see value decreases for 2010.

In 2009, almost 45 percent of the Property Tax Returns we received were in neighborhoods already being adjusted downward.

To appeal an assessment change notice, you must file within 30 days from the notice date in writing (USPS-stamped or hand delivered within 30 days). An appraiser will review your additional information, make changes if necessary, and the Board will notify you of the appeal review results.

Assessment notices explain how to make an appeal. If you have questions about the assessment notices, please read the list of frequently asked questions (FAQs).

If you have questions about your appraisal, please feel free to contact us at 770.822.7200 or assessor@gwinnettcounty.com.
Property Record Information

You can search our data online with no special software required by using our Geographic Information System (GIS) browser. You can easily locate any street, address or intersection in the county, print or email your map, or create a URL so others can easily go to the same data.

Click below to open the browser. Then click on the Quick Start Guide located on the left side of the browser page to get acquainted with its tools and controls.

GIS Data Browser

To see neighborhood sales data, turn on the Neighborhood layer through Advanced Tools > Display Manager under 'Parcel Data', then zoom in and use the 'i' button for more information.

Gwinnett County Tax Assessor's Office: 770.822.7200