Making the Most of Property Assessors Offices - Tennessee

Save on taxes with property assessors in Tennessee
By Emmet McMahan Making the most of property assessors offices in Tennessee 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.

Tennessee property assessors offices 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 TN property assessors 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 property value by the property assessor for Tennessee.
3. Appeal the assessor’s valuation of your property if needed. Tennessee assessors have a specific procedure for accomplishing this.

Learn more about the laws regarding Tennessee property tax records

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 Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury provides information on state laws regarding property assessment, including the tax freeze program. The Tennessee County Trustee's Association has a FAQ on property taxes including the appeals process.

Find out how professional appraisers determine a Tennessee property value

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:  Stephenson & Associates summarizes its appraisal process and also provides a sample appraisal. The Caldwell Group describes an appraisal and addresses some misconceptions about appraisals.

Learn how your county performs a Tennessee property assessment

Many counties have online resources available to help you with your property tax assessment. You should be able to locate this information on your county's website, in addition to other information regarding property taxes.
Try:  The Shelby County Assessor of Property provides the specific procedure for calculating appraisal values in Shelby County. The Blount County Property Assessor defines the duties of the Property Assessor and also lists important information regarding property appraisals.

• Check with your Tennessee 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.