Last Chance: Appealing Tax Assessments

Fairfax County taxpayers have until April 6 to appeal their property tax assessments.

• To discuss your assessment with DTA staff, please call 703-222-8234, [TTY 703-222-7594]; or if you simply need assessment information, you may call the Automated Information System at 703-222-6740. If you prefer send an inquiry by email. Staff will reply within five business days of your message.
  
  
•  Download the Appeal Application Form or use our Online Residential Appeal application. 
  
  
• The process for filing an appeal is relatively simple. It is important to include the basis for your appeal and the information that you believe, if considered by DTA, may change your assessed value.

• For residential properties, you should provide sales information that demonstrates the assessment is not at its fair market value; or comparable properties that are assessed at a value that is not similar. Simply saying the increase in value is too much in a single year is NOT a basis for appeal; however, DTA will gladly discuss your assessment and how it was derived. In most cases, receipt of an appeal is acknowledged in writing. In all cases, the decision by DTA on an appeal is communicated to the property owner or their agent in writing.
  
  
• For commercial or income producing properties, it is important that the appropriate income and expense survey form has been filed with our office.
• If you need assistance or are not sure whether we have received your income information, please call 703-222-8234, [TTY 703-222-7594; Español 703-324-3855] or simply send an email and we will be happy to check your records. If an agent is filing an appeal on your behalf, DTA requires a signed and notarized letter of authorization from the property owner stating the relationship of the agent to the property owner and granting the agent the authority to represent the property owner. The original letter of authorization must be on file before any official information is provided to your agent.
  
  
• Steps in the Appeal Process:
  
  
  • Discuss your assessment with DTA staff appraisers. DTA encourages property owners to utilize staff in understanding the assessment and to further document their appeal should they wish to continue. In addition, sales and detailed property information is available on our website.
    
    
  • DTA appraisal staff contacts the property owner to schedule a field inspection of the property. Appraisers will thoroughly inspect and re-measure the property, if required. It is important to note that, while DTA maintains a physical description of all real property in the county and our data base is updated from field inspections on new construction, it is our policy to require staff to verify the field information when appeals are initiated.
    
    
  • DTA appraisers consider the information obtained during the physical inspection, and then review the available market sales information to reappraise the property. The analysis and value determination is reviewed by a Supervising Appraiser, who forwards his or her recommendation to the Real Estate Division Assistant Director. The original assessed value may be either affirmed, increased, or decreased based upon the analysis.
    
    
  • The property owner is advised of the determination by letter and given information regarding further right of appeal.
    
    
• Appeals may also be submitted to the Board of Equalization of Real Estate Assessments (BOE). The BOE filing deadline is June 1st.