Insights Property tax
Your assessment went up. When is an appeal worth it?
A practical checklist for Douglas and Sarpy County owners before the protest deadline.
A higher valuation notice is never welcome. Before you decide to protest, it helps to know when an appeal is likely to be worth the effort, and what evidence a county board will take seriously. This checklist is written for owners in Douglas and Sarpy counties, but the steps apply across Nebraska.
1. Read the notice carefully
Check the property details the county has on file. Errors in square footage, the number of bedrooms or bathrooms, a finished basement that is not finished, or the condition rating are common, and they are the easiest problems to fix.
2. Compare with real sales
Look at recent sales of truly similar properties near yours. If homes like yours consistently sold for less than your new assessed value, you may have a case. Assessed values of your neighbors are useful context, but sales are stronger evidence.
3. Mind the date and the deadline
In Nebraska, property is valued as of January 1 of the tax year. Evidence should speak to that date, not to today's market. Protests are filed with the county, usually during a short window in June. Check the exact dates and forms on your county assessor's or clerk's website before you start, because a late protest is generally not heard.
4. Do the simple math
Estimate how far the assessed value is above what you believe the property is worth, then apply your local tax rate to that difference. Compare that yearly saving with the cost of an appraisal. Residential appraisals with us start at $1,500, and commercial fees depend on the property. For a modest gap, your own sales research may be enough. For a large gap, or for commercial property, an independent appraisal is often the strongest evidence you can bring.
5. Bring evidence, not frustration
County boards see many protests. Short, organized evidence works best: the corrected property details, a handful of good comparable sales, and, where it makes sense, an appraisal with a January 1 effective date that explains how the value was reached.
When to call an appraiser
Call us if the increase was large, the property is unusual, or it produces income. We will tell you honestly whether an appraisal is likely to help before any work starts. As one client put it in a Google review, we helped them “save on property taxes after a large increase from the assessor's office.”
This article is general information, not an appraisal or legal advice for a specific property.
