It's that magical time of year... when property tax valuations for the next fiscal year are mailed out all over the land. Don't be naughty and ignore these notices, because property taxes represent some of the most significant operating costs facing businesses today, and the deadlines for appeals of these valuations are often early in the New Year.

For example, in Nevada, property owners have only approximately 30 days from the date they receive their valuation notifications in mid-December to the deadline for property tax valuation appeals to be filed on January 15 (or the next business day if it is a weekend or holiday).

Dickinson Wright's property tax attorneys assist clients with management of property taxes and valuation appeals nationally, including in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia. Therefore, we are fully familiar with each locality's abatement practices, requirements, and dates. Along these lines, we note the following upcoming deadlines for property tax valuation appeals:

  • Maryland: 12/31/2017 (unless new assessment cycle, then 45 additional days or 2/15/2018)
  • Nevada: 1/15/2018
  • Massachusetts: 2/1/2018
  • Connecticut: 2/15/2018
  • Delaware: 2/15/2018
  • Virginia, Ohio, and Washington, D.C.: 3/31/2018
  • Arizona, Mississippi, and New Jersey: 4/1/2018 (Arizona also permits direct filing in court by 12/31/2017)

It is crucial not to miss these appeal deadlines, or your business could be stuck paying too-high property taxes on an overvalued property for the entire next year to come, with no chance to rectify the situation until 2019. Our tax attorneys can tell you many a story about clients who come to us for help when they receive their tax bills mid-year (for example, in Nevada the 2018-2019 property tax bills will go out in July 2018), without realizing that their window of opportunity to challenge the too-high valuations that their property taxes are based on had closed months earlier.

So when you receive your property tax valuations in the mail this holiday season, don't just toss them in a "to-do-later" pile – check them twice and give our team a call if you have any questions about your valuation or appeal rights and deadlines.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.