Your county probably got your property tax wrong. Here’s how to find out in 10 minutes.

April 16, 2026

By Kim Komando

You have a pretty good idea what your home is worth. So does your county assessor. That number drives your property tax bill every single year. A beautiful system where strangers estimate your biggest asset, then send you an invoice.

They get it wrong. A lot.

Studies show 30% to 60% of American homes are overassessed. Which means the county thinks your home is worth more than it actually is, and you’ve been paying taxes on a made-up number.

Homeowners who formally appeal win about 40% of the time. The average savings? $300 to $1,500 a year. Not yacht money but absolutely “why did I let them keep that?” money.

Most people never try. The process looks complicated, the paperwork looks intimidating, and who has time for that?

AI removed every single one of those excuses. Nice to see it take a brief break from writing breakup texts and meal plans.

🧮 Here’s what you do 

1. Find your current assessment. Go to your county assessor’s website and look up your property. Write down your assessed value and tax bill. While there, look for your appeal deadline. Miss it, and you wait another year. Can’t find the date? Google “[your county] property tax appeal deadline.” 

2. Find five comparable sales. Pull up Zillow, Redfin or Realtor and search for homes similar to yours in size, age and condition that sold in the last 12 months. You want homes that sold for less than your assessed value. Those are your ammo.

3. Let AI build the appeal for you. With the facts you got in 1 and 2, use this prompt with your favorite chatbot:

You are a property tax consultant with 20 years of experience winning assessment appeals. I believe my home is overassessed. My current assessed value is [amount]. Here are three comparable homes that sold recently for less: [list comps with addresses and sale prices]. Write me a formal appeal letter to my county assessor that is professional, specific and makes the strongest possible case for a reduced assessment. Include the key comparable sales as evidence and explain why my assessment should be reduced to [target amount].

AI spits out a complete, results-driven appeal letter in under 60 seconds. Print it. Sign it. Send it certified mail before your county’s deadline. Nothing gets me going like using a futuristic machine to fight a tax form from 1998.

The county is counting on you not doing this.

If your appeal window has already closed, put a reminder in your phone for next year. This is now an annual habit. And yes, I’ve always understood real estate. But I’ve never quite figured out what abstract estate is.

You know what they say, the house always wins.