Tax Appeal Information
The timeline of your property tax appeal is of great concern to you. For your reference, the following is the typical timeline of an appeal:
- Filing period is open from July 2nd to November 30th. A few counties end their filing period on September 15th.
- Appeal is scheduled for hearing within 6-12 months of close of application filing period closing.
- Hearing card mailed to your property’s mailing address and CRE Tax Appeal notifying us of date, time, and location of appeal.
- CRE Tax Appeal finalizes the valuation of your property as does the Assessor’s office.
- CRE Tax Appeal negotiates with the Assessor’s office to reduce your assessed value.
- If negotiations are unproductive, CRE Tax Appeal prepares and presents your customized case to the Assessment Appeals Board.
- The reduction in assessed value that CRE Tax Appeal created for your property will be shown in the county’s databases within three months.
- The county will issue a check to you within three to six months of the resolution date.
- CRE Tax Appeal will track your refund with the county treasurer, auditor, and tax collector’s office.
- CRE Tax Appeal will send you an invoice for services after the refund has been received by you.
A visual representation of the tax appeal process
How NOT to select a tax appeal consultant:
1. Choosing a consultant solely based upon price:
Many agents offer their services for a flat fee or incentivize clients with rewards for signing up. As always, caveat emptor: From a client perspective, hiring a tax appeal consultant is about creating the maximum amount of tax refunds and/or reductions while minimizing cost, risk, and your time involvement. CRE Tax Appeal performs our duties with this context; we strive to create the best result and customer experience for you! While many firms may offer lower fees, they cannot compete with our results: 95% success rate with an average tax reduction of 25%. Choose a property tax consultant who will discuss your appeal in depth with you, respond to your communications rapidly, and has a sterling record of successes in tax appeal.
2. Selecting a tax appeal consultant who does not have a background in real estate appraisal:
Appraisers who become tax appeal consultants have a better understanding of real estate and the factors that influence value than other tax appeal practitioners and assessors. Having learned from one of the nation’s leading appraisers, the principals of CRE Tax Appeal are more knowledgeable about real estate valuation than their competitors and their counterparts at the assessors’ offices. Appraisers have an extensive knowledge of the real estate market, understand the fundamentals of a well-functioning market, and how to value property in any market.
3. Selecting a nationwide tax appeal firm:
Nationwide tax appeal firms often do not have the requisite expertise on local real estate markets and do not have long-standing working relationships with assessors. Larger or nationwide firms often do not have a singular point of contact for you: you may be talking with their lawyer about a contract, their customer service about your appeal status, their tax agent about your appeal, their accountant about your bill, etc. You are just another number to them; you won’t be treated with the outstanding quality of customer service that CRE Tax Appeal will provide. CRE Tax Appeal assigns one representative to you, who will be in contact with you several times throughout the year to ensure that all of your tax appeal needs are being handled to your satisfaction. CRE Tax Appeal can handle any specialized reporting or update requirements that you may have; please contact us so that we can tailor our services for your needs.
Case study on why specialist property tax representation matters
A national commercial real estate firm purchased a large Southern California office building for $120,000,000 in 2017. The firm offered property tax appeal services and represented itself on the appeals.
The results: appeals lost in 2020 and 2021. A reduction to $112,000,000 in 2022. The 2023 assessment was reduced by the county and accepted by firm to $80,000,000 only after the property was sold in 2024 for about $40,000,000.
Large generalist firms offer property tax appeal as one of dozens of services. It is rarely their specialty, rarely their priority, and rarely where their best people spend their time.
CRE Tax Appeal does one thing. We appeal commercial property taxes in California — with a 95%+ win rate and an average assessment reduction of 25%. We work on contingency: no savings, no fee.
The 2026 filing deadline is September 15 or November 30 depending on the county.