Dear Clients:

I am alerting all my clients that have purchased property in the last couple years that you may be eligible for a reassessment of your property tax basis.

As you know, your property tax is based on the purchase price of your home.  Therefore, the current market value of your home may be less than the current assessed value, due to the circumstances of the current housing market. 

Consequently, you may be eligible for a reduction in value, which would result in a lower property tax bill. 

There are two ways to request a review of your assessed value:

1. Informal Review of Assessment

If you have reason to believe that the market value of your property as of January 1 is less than the amount shown on your annual notice and you have factual evidence to support a lowered assessment, you can request an informal review by contacting the San Francisco Assessor's Office before September 1 by phone (415) 554-5596 or email assessor@sfgov.org. Requesting an informal review does not preclude you from filing a formal appeal with the Assessment Appeals Board.

2. Assessment Appeals Board

If you disagree with the assessed value or our informal review, you may file a formal "Application for Changed Assessment" with the Assessment Appeals Board, an independently appointed review board. Application information can be obtained from the Clerk of the Assessment Appeals Board, City Hall - Room 405, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102, phone (415) 554-6778 or web at www.sfgov.org/aab. Assessment appeals must be filed with the Clerk between July 2 and September 15.

In both instances, you will need to provide evidence supporting the presumed current property value.  I would be happy to provide this information for you at your request.  Please just let me know that you are appealing the assessed value of your property and I will provide you with information on sales of comparable properties in your neighborhood that will prove to the Assessor that your property value has declined.

I recently had a client appeal the Assessor, and consequently had her tax bill lowered.  Therefore, I am urging all my clients to do the same.  Though there is a little legwork involved in the process, there is the potential to save some money.