Appealing Property Taxes in Allegheny County: How Recent Base Year Calculation Changes Benefit Homeowners

In Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, homeowners can appeal their property taxes for the years 2023 and 2022 until March 31, 2023, due to a recent court decision. This decision changed the base year calculation for home assessments from 81.1% to 63.5%.

This change can benefit homeowners in several ways. Firstly, if the assessed value of their property was calculated based on the old base year, it may have been overvalued. This would have resulted in higher property taxes for the homeowner. By appealing their property taxes based on the new base year calculation, homeowners may be able to lower their property tax bills.

Secondly, the change in the base year calculation may result in a shift in the tax burden from homeowners with lower-valued properties to those with higher-valued properties. If a homeowner believes that their property was overvalued under the old base year calculation and that they were unfairly shouldering a greater portion of the tax burden, they may benefit from appealing their property taxes based on the new calculation.

To appeal their property taxes, homeowners in Allegheny County can file an appeal with the Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review (BPAAR) by March 31, 2023. The appeal process involves providing evidence to support the claim that the property was overvalued, such as recent sales of comparable properties or appraisals of the property. Homeowners can also hire a professional appraiser or tax consultant to assist them in the appeals process.

Links to forms to appeal both years are found here.

In summary, the change in the base year calculation for home assessments in Allegheny County may benefit homeowners by allowing them to appeal their property taxes for 2023 and 2022. By doing so, they may be able to lower their property tax bills and potentially shift the tax burden from themselves to homeowners with higher-valued properties.