Tax assessment notices reflecting increases, but not final bills

Tax bills that are arriving in the mail for local property owners will reflect an increase this year after reevaluations were required by the state Department of Revenue, according to a release from Polk County administration last week.

In the release, county administration stated that annual assessment notices that were mailed out to Polk County property owners from the Board of Tax Assessors are showing increases because of “deficiencies in the Polk County digest” that were corrected. Many of those assessment notices were received on May 26 following the Memorial Day holiday.

The release stated the deficiencies were determined by the Georgia Department of Revenue, and after found were required to be fixed by an order from the DOR by the 2020 review year.

“The Polk County Board of Tax Assessors chose to revalue the properties within Polk County to correct the noted deficiencies,” county administrators stated in a release. “The recent tax assessment notices reflect estimated tax bills based upon 2019 millage rates and may not accurately reflect final bills. The Polk County Board of Tax Assessors are governed by state law and regulated by the State of Georgia.”

More specifically, county administrators wanted to make it clear that the Board of Commissioners had no part or authority in making the property value determinations.

Those with questions about their property re-evaluations will need ato call 770-7492108 for additional information, the release stated.

Of note for property owners, the tax assessment notices aren’t their final bill and the likelihood of millage rate decreases that will bring down final tax costs for 2020 is high.