How to Challenge a King County Property Tax Assessment

Annual Valuation Notices

The Assessor revalues all property in King County each year and sends out revaluation cards in April, finishing sometime in August, depending on location and/or property type. These new valuations will be the basis for the amount of taxes due the following year.

Opportunity to Appeal and Filing Deadlines

Property owners who believe the newly assessed value of their property exceeds its fair market value have the opportunity to appeal each year following receipt of the Assessor’s revaluation notice by timely filing a petition to the King County Board of Equalization (BOE). Do not miss your filing deadline. Petitions must be received by the Board on or before July 1st of the assessment year or within sixty (60) calendar days after the date listed on the Assessor’s value change notice – whichever date is later. Due to the timing of the Assessor’s revaluation notices, in most cases, the filing deadline will be 60 days from the mailing date listed on the notice.

How to Appeal

Submitting your petition in a timely manner is key. While it is recommended that you provide the evidence you will use to support your appeal as early as possible, additional evidence may be submitted up to seven (7) business days before your future hearing, which is typically several months after you file the appeal. There is no filing charge for filing an appeal.

Assessor’s Response to Your Appeal

You should expect a response from the Assessor in two to six months, depending on the volume of appeals. Based on the evidence included within your petition, the Assessor may choose to recommend an adjustment in the assessed value. If this occurs and you agree to the Assessor’s stipulated or recommended value amount, the need for a hearing will likely be eliminated. About 20 to 25 percent of the petitions filed each year are resolved in this manner.

Have questions about challenging your property tax in King County? Contact one of our Kirkland real estate attorneys.