Friday, December 19, 2014

Beware Tax Appeal Scams

The Atlantic County Board of Taxation is advising recent home buyers to be aware of a tax appeal scam that attempts to secure payment for services that are never provided and that property owners can just as easily, and perhaps more economically, obtain on their own.

The issue was recently brought to the attention of the Atlantic County Board of Taxation by a local tax assessor after a resident responded to an official looking mailer from an alleged property tax assessment service with a Trenton address.

According to Marge Schott, Atlantic County Tax Administrator, the mailer contained the owner's name, address, and property block and lot numbers. It also provided, in much smaller print, the property's sale price and current assessed value as well as a "correct assessment according to NJ State Law" with savings calculated on an annual and 10-year basis. The mailer encourages the homeowner to submit payment to have the State of New Jersey review and correct the property tax/assessment according to state tax laws.

"This is a complete scam. This mailer was not issued by the State of New Jersey nor does the state have any involvement with this service," stated Schott. "It is extremely unfortunate that there are those who make a living by taking advantage of unsuspecting residents."

Property owners seeking to appeal their tax assessments must file a Petition of Appeal with their County Board of Taxation and pay a filing fee ranging from $5 to $150 based on assessed valuation. Tax appeal petitions of assessments for the current tax year (2015) must be submitted by April 1, 2015 unless otherwise noted due to municipal reevaluations.

Anyone who receives similar mailers or has questions about the tax appeal process may learn more at www.aclink.org/taxation or by calling the Board of Taxation, Monday through Friday, at (609) 645-5820.

County News