BOE Appeal Information

APPEALING THE VALUATION OF TAXABLE PROPERTY
& BOARD OF EQUALIZATION INFORMATION
WHAT IS ASSESSMENT? Per Missouri State Statutes, the County Assessor appraises, equalizes and adjusts your
real estate to determine its fair market value in money as of January 1 of every odd-numbered year (a two-year
assessment cycle). The fair market value of your real estate is then multiplied by 32% (for commercial properties),
19% (for residential) or 12% (for agricultural) to reach the ASSESSED VALUE, as seen on your tax bill.

Examples:

Commercial property worth $100,000 fair market value has an assessed value of $32,000 (100,000 x .32 = 32,000)
Residential property worth $100,000 fair market value has an assessed value of $19,000 (100,000 x .19 = 19,000)
Agricultural property worth $100,000 fair market value has an assessed value of $12,000 (100,000 x 12 = 12,000)
Note: To arrive at fair market value from assessed value, you must use the inverse equation, i.e.: 32,000 ÷ .32 =
100,000

Taxpayers who disagree with the value given at assessment may appeal to the County Board of Equalization.

MOST COMMONLY ASSERTED GROUNDS FOR APPEAL.
1. Overvaluation. The standard of value is what a willing buyer and seller would agree to as a price for
the property, based on what the property would bring in the open market on January 1, 2013.
2. Misclassification. The assessor by law must classify real property as commercial, residential or
agricultural.
3. Exemption. A non-profit corporation’s real property is being used for religious, educational or
charitable purposes and has not been given an exemption from taxes.
4. Natural Disaster. An assessor may, upon application of the property owner, remove on a pro rata
basis any residential real property improvements destroyed by natural disaster, if such property is
unoccupied or uninhabited due to such destruction. Commercial properties may not appeal on the
grounds of parcel occupancy. [137.082(9)]

BOARD OF EQUALIZATION DUTIES. A county Board of Equalization hears all appeals of valuation of
property, and may increase the assessed value set by the Assessor, decrease it, or leave it at its current level. The
Board also may correct classification errors and determine whether exemptions should be granted.

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. The Taney County Board of Equalization consists of the three Commissioners of
the County Commission; the County Assessor as a non-voting member; the County Clerk, as the non-voting
Secretary of the Board; and two County citizens appointed by the Commission.

HOW TO APPEAL. Any taxpayer who wishes to appeal the assessment of real property will need to first contact
the Assessor’s Office at (417)546-7241 for an informal hearing before July 1st. The Assessor and his staff may be
able to resolve your dispute before an appeal is necessary. If you are unable to reach an agreement with the
Assessor’s Office, then you must submit an application to appear before the Board. You may receive the application
via one of the three methods below:

1. On-line at www.taneycounty.org (Click on “Departments”, then on “Clerk”, and then you will find the “BOE
Appeal Packet” Listed under the “Board of Equalization” heading.)
2. By phoning the Clerk’s Office at 417-546-7249 and requesting a fax to be sent to you.
3. In person at the Taney County Clerk’s Office, 132 David St, Forsyth, MO 65653.

HEARINGS BEFORE THE BOARD. Appeals to the Board of Equalization are summary proceedings and are
somewhat informal, and the taxpayer, his attorney or agent should present evidence at the hearing.
PROOF OF VALUE. You must present persuasive evidence to support your position. Simply stating that your
property taxes are too high or that property values are decreasing (referencing news articles, etc.) is not relevant
testimony. While an owner claiming overvaluation by the Assessor may offer his opinion as to the value of his
property, such testimony alone is generally not persuasive. Corroborating evidence, such as an appraisal by a
certified appraiser, a closing statement from a recent similar sale, or comparative sales data from realtors regarding
properties similar to yours may prove persuasive. There is no presumption that the Assessor’s valuation is correct.

PLACE OF HEARING. Hearings are held at the old court house located at 132 David Street, Forsyth, Missouri.
However, an appellant may opt for a telephone hearing instead of appearing in person, or an appellant may submit
the appeal on the record.

DECISION LETTER. A decision will not necessarily be rendered at the time of your hearing. However, a written
decision letter will be mailed to you once a conclusion has been reached.

BOARD OF EQUALIZATION DECISIONS MAY BE APPEALED. If you disagree with the decision made by
the Board of Equalization, you may file an appeal with the State Tax Commission of Missouri by September 30th, or
within 30 days after the Board of Equalization decision, whichever is later. The State Tax Commission may not
hear your case unless you first submitted a timely appeal to the Board of Equalization. For more information
regarding an appeal to the State Board of Equalization, you may go to http://www.stc.mo.gov/; contact them by
phone at 573-751-2414; or reach them via mail at: State Tax Commission of Missouri, P.O. Box 146, Jefferson City,
MO 65102.

*The above summary is not a complete explanation of all matters regarding the Board of Equalization and is intended only for your convenience.
For legal advice you should contact an attorney of your choice.