Wilkes County taxpayers are reminded that deadlines for appealing tax assessments will be strictly observed and every effort should be made to meticulously file appeals according to prescribed guidelines.

As reported earlier, over 300 Wilkes County taxpayers attended a public meeting on August 12 where they were informed that a large number of recently issued tax assessments were in error and would be reissued.

Louis Ricciuti, retired attorney and Washington resident, moderated the session and explained the appeal process, with which he has personal experience. John Sisson, an appraiser, gave an informative presentation on how valuations are determined, explained the coding system and strongly suggested that every landowner check to make sure his tax information is correct.

"Both gentlemen are to be commended for volunteering their time and knowledge in an effort to inform the public of the tax structure and taxpayer rights," said Wiley Crittenden of Rayle, organizer of the meeting.

"It was made very clear that property owners play an important role in overseeing property taxes," Debbie Bennett, another organizer, explained. "It is their responsibility to review more than just their assessment notice. Much more detailed information is housed in the chief appraiser's office. It is up to each individual to check the information to make sure it is correct."

Bennett further emphasized that it is also the responsibility of property owners to inquire about possible exemptions such as homestead exemption, conservation use assessment, and preferential assessment to determine if they are eligible. Most of this information can be found online, by calling the Georgia Department of Revenue, or simply by asking at the local tax assessor's office.

According to the Georgia Department of Revenue website, "Appeals may be filed on issues concerning: 1. taxability - the property is exempt from taxation; 2. uniformity of assessment - values are the same within the same class of property; 3. value - if the county board of tax assessors changed the appraised value of the owner's property this year; and 4. denials of homestead exemption."

All appeals should be in writing to the Wilkes County Board of Assessors and be made based on one or more of the above reasons. Property owners must include their Map and Parcel Number and account number from the original assessment they received. It is best to make copies and hand deliver your appeal to the Chief Appraiser or her office, since regular mail delivery times can vary and the deadline must be adhered to for an appeal to even be considered. If you choose to mail your appeal, the address is: Wilkes County Board of Assessors, Room 202, 23 Court St., Washington, GA 30673. Be sure to include a return address and check to make sure it is received by September 8. A sample appeal form appears on page 9 of this issue.

"Taxes in general are a very complicated issue, and it is important that the public has a good understanding of their right to appeal," stated David Reville who lives at Newtown. "In Wilkes County, the appeal deadline for the first notice is September 8. Only approximately 150 landowners will receive corrected notices and those can be appealed only if the first one was. NO ONE should let September 8 come and go without appealing unless each has personally checked and his or her assessment is correct."