
Real Estate Property Tax Services
ASSESSMENT REVIEW
In January, PTAG’s experienced consultants will collect any correspondence or information requests you receive from local tax authorities. Additionally, we request any year-end financials, rents rolls, details of deferred maintenance concerns, and the most recent portfolio list. After collecting these materials, we conduct our annual assessment reviews and handle the exchange of information with county appraisal agencies. PTAG provides you with both informal and formal appeal advice during the spring months. We do this to help you develop a plan of action in the upcoming tax year.

INFORMAL NEGOTIATION
PTAG begins conversations with local tax agencies several months before the county’s tax roll values are finalized. The objective is to come to an agreement on these values before county appraisers send out the proposed tax notices (TRIM) in August, thus avoiding the tedious appeals process and ensuring fair assessment of your properties. The employment of a true property tax advocate allows for early decisions to be made and substantial time savings for all involved. The relationships cultivated with local appraiser staff will facilitate the dialogue necessary for us to fight for you.

APPEAL SERVICES
If the informal approach we take does not result in the lowest possible assessment, we will let you know before taking action with the Value Adjustment Board (VAB), intending to file a formal petition before the September deadline. TRIM notices are sent out each August and filings occur within 25 days of the mailing. We will advise you of our appeal recommendations prior to the final deadlines.
ACQUISITION | CONSTRUCTION

You should contact PTAG while planning acquisitions because our team specializes in working with The sellers to structure the deal to have the lowest possible initial tax basis. We also provide guidance with allocations, entity purchases, and other proactive strategies to enable lower overhead costs and better opportunities to outbid competitors. Involving PTAG in the planning stages guarantees that all possible tax mitigating approaches have been considered. As a PTAG client, you will benefit from proactive documentation of various soft costs during your construction projects, as well as other forms of due diligence. This results in multiple tax benefits for you. Very few organizations can match the capacity, qualifications, relationships, and resources needed to provide these benefits.

BASE ENROLLMENT
It is important to ensure that the base values of a project or acquisition are accurately registered once they have been completed. This avoids having to challenge the initial assessment. Without taking any preventive action, you should anticipate that the assessment of the purchase price will range from 85%-95%. PTAG’s continuous dialogue with county appraisers on behalf of taxpayers increases the chances of setting the lowest possible base values. Also, any subsequent (non-schoolboard) assessments are capped, meaning they will not increase more than 10% per year. PTAG’s early involvement helps reduce your first-year expenses and any future assessments.

TAX FORECASTING | ACCRUALS
At PTAG, we provide you with estimates of the most probable tax liability when you are planning to construct or purchase a new asset. Our team’s experience and our reliable database give us the ability to make accurate projections. Property tax is often the largest expense for any owner. PTAG will implement cash and accrual budgets for your property. When you are aware of the potential tax liability early on, you can better understand your company’s financial options. We help you plan your tax allocation far ahead of time, which gives you the foresight needed to budget accordingly.