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Maryland Property Tax GuideAppeal and Lower Your Maryland Property Tax.
Maryland is one of the few states where property assessments are handled by a statewide agency (SDAT) rather than individual counties. Every property is reassessed once every three years, and the 45 day window after your triennial Notice of Assessment is the single best time to appeal.
How the Maryland Appeal Process Works
- Receive your Notice of Assessment, mailed late December to properties in the reassessment group.
- Choose your appeal method: written, telephone, or in person supervisor review.
- File with the SDAT supervisor in your county within 45 days of Notice.
- Supervisor hearing, informal, roughly 20 minutes, present comparable sales.
- Appeal to PTAAB within 30 days of the supervisor's decision.
- Maryland Tax Court within 30 days of the PTAAB decision for further review.
Major Maryland Counties, Where to File
- Montgomery County: SDAT office via dat.maryland.gov (select Montgomery).
- Prince George's County: dat.maryland.gov (select Prince George's).
- Baltimore County: dat.maryland.gov (select Baltimore County).
- Baltimore City: dat.maryland.gov (select Baltimore City).
- Anne Arundel County: dat.maryland.gov (select Anne Arundel).
- Howard County: dat.maryland.gov (select Howard).
- Harford County: dat.maryland.gov (select Harford).
The three year cycle matters. Maryland divides every county into three groups that rotate on a 3 year reassessment schedule. Your Notice only comes once every three years, miss it and you wait three years to appeal at the fresh cycle. You can also file a "Petition for Review" in the two off years, but reassessment year wins are cleaner and broader.
When You Probably Qualify for a Reduction
- Your three year reassessment jumped materially, above neighborhood trends
- Comparable sales on your block over the past 18 months are below your new value
- Your parcel record has errors (square footage, finished basement, outbuildings)
- Your home has unrepaired damage, flood history, or major deferred maintenance
- You purchased your home for less than the reassessed value in the past year
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Start My Maryland Appeal →Maryland Property Tax Appeal FAQ
Will appealing raise my assessment?
SDAT supervisors can adjust in either direction but homeowner appeals almost always reduce or leave value unchanged. Present a realistic claimed value backed by comparable sales.
What's the phase in value?
Maryland phases in assessment increases over three years. Your tax bill uses the "phase in" value, lower than the "new value" in years one and two. Appeals target the new value, which affects the phase in.
How does the Homestead Tax Credit interact with appeals?
The Homestead Tax Credit caps annual taxable value growth (4% in Montgomery County and Baltimore City, up to 10% in others). A successful appeal reducing your assessed value still works alongside the Homestead Credit.
Can I appeal in a non reassessment year?
Yes, via a Petition for Review filed by the second to last December. You need to show a change since the last assessment, damage, structural change, or error.