Your property tax bill may be higher than it needs to be. Here’s what to do about it

By Linda Bell, Bankrate.com

My property taxes have ballooned 134% over my 20 years of homeownership . It seems like every year I grumble about another increase, pay the bill and move on. Recent data, however, has me rethinking my approach — it turns out I might be leaving serious money on the table.

More than 40% of properties in the U.S. could save $100 or more — and sometimes much more — with a property tax appeal, according to a Realtor.com analysis . For millions of homeowners, the savings could add up to about $539 annually, and that’s just for a median property. You could save more (or less) depending on where you live.

“Somewhere between 3% and 5% of homeowners actually file an appeal, and of those, between 30% and 50% win some kind of reduction,” says Pete Sepp, president of