How To Win Your California Property Tax Appeal

by J Wyatt

California Property Tax Appeal

Ok, I had finally had it with the property tax increases here in California. My taxes have been going up by insane amounts for the past six years. At this point, my husband and I could hardly afford the monthly payment

So I am writing this to tell you that WE DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Actually, we tried several things. First we filed a general appeal with the Assessor's Office. We waited for weeks only to be denied. We had to beg and plead just to get some kind of justification for my our assessed value was so high. How can the housing market be taking such a "hit" and our assessed value keep rising?

It made no sense at all. And before I go on, let me tell you that I don't live in some beach front, million dollar home. We live in a nice residental neighborhood that was feeling the effects that alot of people around the nation are feeling. Houses in our neighborhood were being sold for ten to fifteen percent less that what they were purchased for back in the late 1990's.

So after my California property tax appeal was unsuccessful, I just could not give up. What was happening was just not right and I wanted justice, or at least a break!

So I did some searching online, but I found few helpful resources. Honestly I just did not know what the next step i could take would be. I needed a guide, a reseource that could explain to me the next step of how to appeal further. I thought of the obvious path, a lawyer, but the costs of hiring an attorney would have far exceeded the increase in property taxes. I am all about winning my California property tax appeal, but not to the point I would actually lose money in the process.

So I came across a blog that had some helpful information on how the system works and how you can fight the system in these situations. I bought this ebook dirt cheap on how to win my California property tax appeal and decided it was worth the effort of my own to save some money since my California property tax appeal was denied unjustly!

I look at it this way, not only am I on a mission to save money NOW, but also save for future years once my assessed value is lowered. If you are in a similar situation and have been denied at every turn, get this book and you will be amazed at all of the options in front of you that your assessors office will never tell you about.

I was fortunate to have found this resource and lowered my assessed value over 6%, making my taxes go down by several hundred dollars. You can get your property taxes lowered NOW by clicking here.

About the Author
J Wyatt is a teacher and loves her job!

When to use a Tax Attorney

by Steve Patterson

Do you know what to expect or what you need to do if you are chosen for an IRS audit? The purpose of this article is to teach the reader what they will need to know to survive being audited by the IRS.

Every tax payer is at risk of being audited by the IRS. Although it isn't very likely to happen, it can and does happen. Some factors put certain people at a higher risk of being audited then others. If you are among the few that receive a letter, learning what to expect can help you get though an audit.

Why Me?

There are many reasons that a tax return may be chosen for audit. Some of those reasons include significant capital gain, large gross incomes or those filed with a Schedule C are most commonly chosen for audit. Also, taxpayers that don't properly report their income or other items are likely to be selected for an audit.

How The Audit is Conducted

An audit may be done completely through the mail; others will require you to meet an auditor at an office of the IRS. You will know if you are chosen because you will receive a letter explaining what information and paperwork the IRS needs as well as the year that you are being audited for. You can request that the date be postponed if you need extra time to prepare.

What to Bring to the Audit

When you go to your appointment at the IRS, only bring the information that they have specifically requested from you. If you bring other documents, such as returns from previous years', you may find yourself being investigated for other reasons.

Hiring an Attorney

If you want to, you can choose to be represented at the audit by a tax attorney, an accountant, an IRS agent or, the person that prepared your tax return. Representation can be costly but can be worth it by making it so you do not have to appear at a meeting. To decide if it makes sense for you to bring representation you should consider some things such as how complex your case is, the dollar amount that you are being audited for, to name a few. You should also consider how comfortable you are about dealing with the IRS yourself when trying to decide if you want to take representation.

About the Author
Steve Patterson is an author for the site 2009 Taxes.