Deadlines for the first step in administrative appeals are swiftly approaching. For 2011 assessments, which will be the basis for 2012 taxes, the general deadline is July 1, 2011. A specific property may have a later deadline, but only if the county mails a value notice. Then the deadline is 30 or 60 days (depending on the county) from the date of mailing. Washington requires value notices if the value changes. Some counties voluntarily send notices even if the value has not changed; yet a county’s policy on voluntary notices can change from year to year. If you are in a county that sent voluntary notices last year, you should not necessarily expect one this year. Taxpayers unhappy with last year’s assessments may want to file an appeal by July 1. If a satisfactory value change notice arrives later this year, the appeal can be withdrawn at that time.
Michelle DeLappe, Garvey Schubert Barer, mdelappe@gsblaw.com American Property Tax Counsel (APTC)
