Property tax appeal · Fairfax County, VA
Appeal your property taxes in Fairfax County, VA.
Fairfax County homeowners appeal through Virginia’s system: the commissioner of the revenue or local real estate assessor sets the value and the local Board of Equalization hears the case. Boards act on evidence of market value as of the assessment date, and a licensed, USPAP-compliant appraisal is that evidence.
$5, credited toward your appraisal.
Fairfax County, VA
Home to Fairfax
- Filing deadline
- On your notice
- Valuation date
- January 1
- Values your home
- Commissioner of the revenue or local real estate assessor
- Hears your case
- Local Board of Equalization
- Desktop appraisal
- $225
- $5 check credited
- Timing
- Confirmed with your order
Deadline
Deadlines are set locality-by-locality — many appeal windows follow the annual reassessment notice, and your notice states yours. Your assessment notice states the exact date.
Confirm your filing window and recipient requirements before ordering. Service availability and delivery depend on the property, evidence and appraiser. You remain responsible for filing on time.
How it works
How to appeal your property taxes in Fairfax County.
- Step 1
Check your savings
Enter your address and pay $5. We check your Fairfax County assessment against recent nearby sales.
- Step 2
Order the appraisal
A desktop appraisal valued as of your assessment date, with the $5 credited. Complex homes get one exact quote.
- Step 3
Show us your home
Walk through on your phone so the appraiser sees its condition. A desktop appraisal needs no visit.
- Step 4
File your appeal
A state-licensed VA appraiser signs it, with a cover letter and filing steps. You file by your deadline, and the local Board of Equalization hears your case.
The evidence
Boards act on value, not frustration.
However Virginia labels the process, the case underneath is the same: show what your home was actually worth on the assessment date. A licensed, USPAP-compliant appraisal, with comparable sales, documented adjustments and a signed opinion of value, is that showing.
What the appraisal gives you
- Valued as of your assessment date, not today
- Comparable sales with adjustments and citations
- Signed by a state-licensed VA appraiser
- A phone walkthrough; a desktop appraisal needs no visit
- Starting search in Fairfax County: 3+ comparable sales within ~1 mi, sold within 12 months
Search settings are starting points for the appraiser, not universal filing requirements. The appraiser selects appropriate evidence for the assignment.
Confirm before you file
- The assessment date (January 1) and tax year on your notice
- The recipient: Fairfax County Assessor
- The electronic filing format and required official forms
- Appraiser availability and delivery timing, before you order
The process
How Virginia handles appeals.
Virginia real estate is assessed locally — by a real estate assessor’s office in most cities and larger counties, or the commissioner of the revenue elsewhere — at 100% of fair market value. Reassessment frequency varies enormously: Northern Virginia jurisdictions reassess every year, while some rural counties go up to six years between general reassessments. The usual track is an administrative review with the assessing office first, then a hearing before the local Board of Equalization; Virginia also lets you take a valuation challenge directly to circuit court. Whichever forum, the presumption favors the assessment, so the burden is on you to prove fair market value with credible evidence.
Worth knowing in Virginia
Because Virginia’s standard is full fair market value with the burden on the taxpayer, the cases that succeed are the ones anchored to documented comparable sales as of the assessment date — the exact work product of a licensed appraisal. In annual-reassessment jurisdictions, a win also positions next year’s value.
FAQ
Fairfax County questions
When is the Fairfax County appeal deadline?
Deadlines are set locality-by-locality — many appeal windows follow the annual reassessment notice, and your notice states yours. Confirm your exact filing window using the assessment notice and official authority.
How do appeals work in Fairfax County?
Virginia real estate is assessed locally — by a real estate assessor’s office in most cities and larger counties, or the commissioner of the revenue elsewhere — at 100% of fair market value. Reassessment frequency varies enormously: Northern Virginia jurisdictions reassess every year, while some rural counties go up to six years between general reassessments. The usual track is an administrative review with the assessing office first, then a hearing before the local Board of Equalization; Virginia also lets you take a valuation challenge directly to circuit court. Whichever forum, the presumption favors the assessment, so the burden is on you to prove fair market value with credible evidence.
What evidence should I bring?
Comparable sales as of the assessment date, adjusted for the differences between those homes and yours — potential supporting evidence. Check the reviewing authority’s rules for admissibility, valuation date, forms and filing. An appraisal does not guarantee a reduction.
See if an appeal is worth it.
$5, credited toward your appraisal.