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Making the Most of Property Assessors Offices in Alabama

Save on taxes with Alabama property assessments

By Emmet McMahan
Making the most of property assessors offices in Alabama will require the office to assess the market value of a property. This value is then multiplied by the tax rate to determine the actual tax that the owner must pay on the property each year. Property tax rates may be set by organizations such as cities, counties or school districts.

Alabama property assessors use several factors such as location and size to determine the value of a property. This assessment is usually accurate and requires a property value appeal only on rare occasions. There are three things you need to do when evaluating the property value as determined by the assessor’s office:
  1. Obtain the information the property assessors in Alabama use to make the assessment. You should already know the size and location of the property, but the assessor also will be able to provide the value of other properties in your area.
  2. Get a professional appraisal so you may compare it to the assessor’s property value.
  3. Appeal the assessor’s valuation of your property if needed. Each assessor’s office has a specific procedure for accomplishing this.

 

Learn more about the laws regarding property assessment in Alabama

Each state has laws that provide guidelines on the way that property values are assessed. There also may be laws that specify what property tax information is publicly available.
Try: The Alabama Department of Revenue provides rules and regulations regarding property taxes in Alabama. RE/MAX of Gulf Shores has specific information on the calculation of property taxes in Alabama.

Find out how professional appraisers determine property value in Alabama

Appraisers may use different methods to estimate the value of your property. You will want to ensure the professional appraiser considers the same factors as the property assessor.
Try: Property Appraiser.com allows you to locate appraisers by county in Alabama and also provides extensive information on obtaining a property appraisal. Alabama Appraisal allows you to search for appraisers by city, county and zip code.

Learn how your county performs an Alabama property assessment

Many property assessors offices in Alabama have online resources available to help you with your assessment. You should be able to locate this information on your county's website, in addition to other information regarding property taxes.
Try: The Madison County Tax Assessor has extensive information regarding property tax assessments. The Morgan County Revenue Commissioner answers specific questions on property taxes and includes a description of the appeals procedure.

 

  • Check with your Alabama property assessor to see if you qualify for any exemptions on your property assessment. Exemptions may be recognized for disabled veterans, senior citizens or non-profit organizations. File any appeals to your current tax assessment before the tax deadline. It will be more difficult to obtain a favorable ruling on an appeal after the deadline.

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