Reduce Your Real Property Tax Liability

Fill out the form to request a tax opportunity analysis and determine if you may be overpaying.

Do you think you’re overpaying on your commercial property taxes? You don’t want to stress about how your bottom line is affected by your taxes – especially when you’re dealing with multiple properties!

How Can I Lower My Commercial Property Tax Liability?

Property owners can appeal assessments based on equality with similar properties or even inconsistencies with their assessment. At Citrin Cooperman, we’ve developed a proven process for compiling and analyzing data for equal analysis that not only relieves the stress of our clients but also helps with their bottom line.

Reasons to Appeal Your Property Tax Assessment

While property taxes are a necessary part of ownership, inaccurate assessments can lead to overpayment and a severe financial burden. Let’s explore a few key reasons to appeal your assessment so your property taxes aren’t mistakenly affecting your bottom line.

✔ Your assessment included the wrong details of a property.
If you’ve uncovered inaccuracies in the details of your property, like building square footage, leasable area, or condition of the property, you have a solid basis for appeal.

✔ Your assessment valued a property twice.
If one of your properties was valued more than once on your assessment, you can rectify this error through appeal.

✔ Your assessment didn’t value a property similarly to other properties nearby.
If your property's assessment seems inconsistent with the valuations of neighboring properties, you’ll have grounds for appeal.

✔ Your assessment increased above the legal limit.
If your assessment skyrocketed beyond the legal cap in your state, you must file an appeal.

Hear What Our Clients Have to Say

"The Citrin Cooperman Real Property team has a deep bench to address complex questions and supports all my real property and other tax related requests.

From helping us with our due diligence before acquisitions, to handling our appeals, to providing other services such as segregation studies, Citrin Cooperman is truly client focused with all the resources I need to run my business. I highly recommend reaching out to Clearview and seeing how they can help!"

Stephen P. Bellone
President
Persimmon Ventures, LLC

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Real Property Tax Assessment Appeal Process

To get started on your real property tax assessment appeal process, we’ll do an initial consultation where we learn about your property types and understand your reasoning for appeal.

1. Opportunity Analysis

We will review your commercial real estate portfolio and conduct research on relevant market information and trends.

We’ll analyze how your jurisdiction values your properties and look for miscalculations to identify opportunities for assessment adjustments, with the goal of ensuring your properties are valued fairly and accurately.

2. Review

Once the Opportunity Analysis is complete, we’ll review it with you, explain the cost vs. benefits of an appeal, and discuss any possible risks you may see moving forward.

Though appeals can seem daunting, our real property tax experts are with you every step of the way.

3. File the Appeal

We handle filing the appeal with your specific jurisdiction, prepare the analysis presentation, and accompany you as representation at first-level hearings – all while keeping you informed and up to date throughout the entire process.

1. Opportunity Analysis

1. Opportunity Analysis

We will review your commercial real estate portfolio and conduct research on relevant market information and trends.

We’ll analyze how your jurisdiction values your properties and look for miscalculations to identify opportunities for assessment adjustments, with the goal of ensuring your properties are valued fairly and accurately.

2. Review

2. Review

Once the Opportunity Analysis is complete, we’ll review it with you, explain the cost vs. benefits of an appeal, and discuss any possible risks you may see moving forward.

Though appeals can seem daunting, our real property tax experts are with you every step of the way.

3. File the Appeal

3. File the Appeal

We handle filing the appeal with your specific jurisdiction, prepare the analysis presentation, and accompany you as representation at first-level hearings – all while keeping you informed and up to date throughout the entire process.

State and Local Tax FAQs

Do commercial property owners pay property taxes?

Yes, commercial property owners are required to pay property taxes. These taxes are levied on commercial real estate, which includes buildings and land used for business purposes.

The tax is typically based on the assessed value of the property, which is periodically determined by a local or municipal tax assessor.

Should I appeal my commercial property tax assessment?

If you believe that your commercial property tax assessment is inaccurately high, you should consider appealing it. Assessments can sometimes be based on outdated information or may not reflect the current market or condition of your property.

Filing an appeal could potentially reduce your tax liability if the assessment is adjusted to a lower value. It's recommended to review the assessment details and consult with a real property professional if necessary, to determine the viability of an appeal.

What if I don't agree with my real estate assessment? Can I argue that the jurisdiction overvalued my property?

Yes, you can.

Every jurisdiction that values real estate offers an appeals process. The appeals process and timeline varies greatly by jurisdiction. A good practice is to scrutinize every real estate assessment and carefully consider filing appeals to reduce the assessment. If you question whether your real estate assessments are overvalued, we can help to establish the correct value and, depending on the results of this analysis, represent you during the appeals process

Is real property tax the same as real estate tax?

Yes, real property tax is essentially the same as real estate tax. Both terms are used interchangeably to describe the tax levied on land and any structures permanently attached to the land, such as buildings or offices.

What is real property tax?

Real property tax is a tax on real estate, including land and structures. It is typically calculated based on the property's assessed value, determined by local government assessors.

How Our Variety of Real Property Tax Services Can Help

Ongoing Support

Our job is not done when the appeal is submitted. We continue to support you through compliance with your local jurisdictions (like income questionnaires), tracking your tax bills and refunds, budgeting, and even any other ad valorem and non-ad valorem needs.

Cost Segregation

We provide an engineering-based analysis of your property completed by highly-skilled tax professionals to re-categorize a portion of your property from 27.5 or 39 year life to a 5, 7, or 15 year life, thus accelerating your depreciation of your property expense and reducing your overall income tax liability.

Due Dilligence

During the due diligence phase of purchase or construction, we provide support for the extensive tax projections. We’re here to make sure you have the right information to make the best decisions for your properties.

Pre-Assessment

We provide a proactive pre-assessment meeting during the construction of your property. This approach allows us to work directly with your local jurisdiction, develop positive relationships with the assessor, and drive positive initial valuations.

Other Tax Scenarios

When you face unforeseen tax scenarios, like tax credits, opportunity zones, PILOT agreements, or brownfields, we step in as the experienced professionals. We come in to ensure confident compliance at all stages.

See What Citrin Cooperman Can Do for Your Business

Citrin Cooperman is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing professional services firms. Since 1979, our daily mission has been to help middle-market companies and high-net-worth individuals find success in their business and personal financial lives through our proactive guidance, specialized solutions, and industry insights. Whether your operations and assets are located around the corner or across the globe, we provide new perspectives on strategies that help you achieve your short- and long-term goals.

Explore some of our other services offerings to learn how we can assist your business in reaching its goals.