How much can I save by appealing?

How much you save depends on three numbers: how much you can knock off your assessed value, your local tax rate, and whether the reduction carries forward. There is no single nationwide dollar figure — anyone who quotes one is guessing.

The formula. Savings = (reduction in assessed value) × (your combined local tax rate). Example: if your home is assessed at $400,000 but solid comps support $360,000, that's a $40,000 reduction. At a 2% combined rate, you save about $800 per year. At a higher 2.5% rate it's about $1,000; at 1.2% it's about $480. Plug in your own assessment and the millage/rate printed on your tax bill.

The odds of getting any reduction. According to Pete Sepp, president of the National Taxpayers Union, via Bankrate (Oct 31, 2025): "Somewhere between 3% and 5% of homeowners actually file an appeal, and of those, between 30% and 50% win some kind of reduction." That is the only well-sourced success-rate figure — treat any "40–60% guaranteed" or "most homes are over-assessed by X%" claims with skepticism, as they have no published methodology.

Savings often recur. A reduced value frequently becomes your new baseline for the next year (and in some states, like Georgia, is frozen for multiple years after a successful appeal), so a one-time effort can compound. Across a few years, a $800/year reduction is several thousand dollars.

Net it against the cost and the federal angle. Filing is usually free or nominal, and you can represent yourself. Because property tax is an itemized federal deduction subject to the SALT cap (IRS Publication 530), the after-tax value of a reduction depends on whether you itemize and where you fall under the cap.

The honest caveat: if your home is already assessed at or below market value, your realistic savings may be zero. Run the comps first, then the formula — don't assume a fixed dollar amount.