Halloween May Be a Scary Time, but Tax Season Needn’t Be

With Halloween around the corner, it’s time to discuss a really scary topic: property taxes.

Witches, ghosts, and zombies aren’t the only terrifying thing that you’ll have to face in the near future: It’s almost time to start thinking about your property taxes. Here are a couple of tips that will help you make sure that you’re paying your fair share of taxes, as well as options you have if you find out that you’re not.

When you get your tax bill, if you’re paying anything besides 4% for a primary residence, you need to contact your tax assessor’s office and get it corrected right away. Remember: Even if your mortgage company is paying your taxes for you, you still need to look at the bill and determine if your property is listed as your primary residence.

If you’re paying anything besides 4% for a primary residence, you need to contact your tax assessor’s office and get it corrected right away.

Contesting a tax assessment is simple. You sign a form, show them your driver’s license with your address on it, and present them a copy of your utility bill that has your name and address on it. If you’ve overpaid on your taxes, Richland, Lexington, Kershaw, Fairfield, and Salutin counties will reimburse you for up to three years of your overpayment. The process usually takes about a month or two.

Also, be sure to look at your home’s assessed value on your tax bill. Keep in mind that the average house in the Midlands right now is selling for over $200,000, and prices are going up. If your home is assessed at a higher price than you believe it should have been, you can appeal the assessment. Compile a list of homes comparable to yours that have sold in the last six months to a year and present that to the county; based on those comparable sales, they should reduce the assessed value of your home.

If you need help navigating any of these processes, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. In the meantime, I hope you have a very happy and spooky Halloween season.