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Can AI help me appeal my property tax assessment?

Partly. It can run the comparable-sales math and draft your appeal letter, but you have to pull real sales and follow your county's own rules and deadline.

Verdict: Half-bot · AI helps, you finish✓ Tested 2 times in Llama 3.3 70B · Nov 10, 2026Written for ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini

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Half-bot

01Why half-bot

  • Comparing price per square foot across recent sales is math AI does well.
  • It drafts a clear, polite appeal letter from the facts you give it.
  • It can't look up your county's records or sales, and each county's process is different.
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02The prompt

Replace everything in [BRACKETS] with your own details, then paste it into your AI app.

prompt.txt
You are a property tax consultant who helps homeowners prepare informal reviews and formal appeals. This is not legal or tax advice.

My home: [TYPE, SQUARE FEET, BEDROOMS AND BATHS, YEAR BUILT, CONDITION]
Assessed value on my notice: [$ AMOUNT, TAX YEAR]
Appeal deadline on my notice: [DATE]
Recent sales of similar homes nearby: [PASTE 3-5 WITH ADDRESS, SALE PRICE, SALE DATE, SQUARE FEET]
Errors in the county's record of my home: [WRONG SQUARE FEET, EXTRA BATHROOM, ETC., OR NONE]

Your task: tell me whether I have a case and draft my appeal letter.

Rules:
- MUST compare my assessed value with the sales I pasted using price per square foot, and show the math.
- MUST use only the sales and facts I gave; NEVER invent a sale, a law or a deadline.
- MUST say plainly if the numbers do not support an appeal.
- MUST remind me to check my county's rules and deadline, and say this is not legal or tax advice.
- If anything is missing, ask me up to 3 short questions first.

Give me, in this order: a table of the sales (address, price, square feet, $ per square foot), a one-sentence verdict (appeal or not), a letter under 250 words, and a checklist of documents to attach.

03Steps

  1. Find 3 to 5 recent sales of similar homes on your county's site or a listings site.
  2. Fill in the brackets and paste the prompt into your AI app.
  3. Check the deadline and filing method on your notice or the county assessor's website.

04What can go wrong

  • Missing the county's deadline usually ends the appeal, whatever the numbers say.
  • A weak appeal can waste a hearing; if the math doesn't support it, don't file.

05What to use

Any major AI chat app: ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. The free tier works.

06Our test runs

2 runs, each with a different made-up sample. 2 of 2 passed every check.

Run 1 · Llama 3.3 70B · graded by GPT-OSS 120BOct 14, 2026Passed

The made-up sample:

  • [TYPE, SQUARE FEET, BEDROOMS AND BATHS, YEAR BUILT, CONDITION]Single-family home, 2,200 sq ft, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, built 1995, good condition.
  • [$ AMOUNT, TAX YEAR]$425,000, 2025
  • [DATE]October 31, 2026
  • [PASTE 3-5 WITH ADDRESS, SALE PRICE, SALE DATE, SQUARE FEET]1. 123 Oak Lane – $410,000 – June 15, 2025 – 2,150 sq ft 2. 456 Pine Street – $438,000 – March 20, 2026 – 2,250 sq ft 3. 789 Maple Ave – $422,000 – August 5, 2025 – 2,180 sq ft 4. 321 Cedar Blvd – $435,000 – January 12, 2026 – 2,210 sq ft
  • [WRONG SQUARE FEET, EXTRA BATHROOM, ETC., OR NONE]None
  • Compare assessed value with sales using price per square foot and show math
  • Use only the sales and facts given; never invent a sale, law, or deadline
  • Provide a one‑sentence verdict (appeal or not)
  • Letter under 250 words (81 words, counted by code)
  • One‑sentence verdict (1 sentences, counted by code)
  • Didn't make up details we never gave it

What came back (excerpt):

Based on the calculations, the numbers do not strongly support an appeal, as the price per square foot of your home ($193.18) is within the range of the comparable sales.
Read the full answer
Here is the table of sales:
| Address | Price | Square Feet | $ per Square Foot |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 123 Oak Lane | $410,000 | 2,150 | $190.70 |
| 456 Pine Street | $438,000 | 2,250 | $194.67 |
| 789 Maple Ave | $422,000 | 2,180 | $193.58 |
| 321 Cedar Blvd | $435,000 | 2,210 | $196.83 |

To calculate the price per square foot for your home, we can use the assessed value and square footage: $425,000 / 2,200 sq ft = $193.18 per square foot.

Based on the calculations, the numbers do not strongly support an appeal, as the price per square foot of your home ($193.18) is within the range of the comparable sales.

Here is a draft appeal letter:
Dear [County Board],
I am writing to request a review of my property tax assessment. My home, located at [Your Address], has an assessed value of $425,000. Recent sales of similar homes in the area have prices per square foot ranging from $190.70 to $196.83. I calculated the price per square foot of my home to be $193.18, which is within this range. However, I would like to request a review to ensure the accuracy of my assessment.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Checklist of documents to attach:
* Copy of your property tax notice
* List of recent sales of similar homes (including addresses, prices, and square footage)
* Calculation of price per square foot for your home

Please note that this is not legal or tax advice, and you should check your county's rules and deadline (listed as October 31, 2026, on your notice) before submitting your appeal.

Check that the verdict is exactly one sentence and the appeal letter stays under 250 words.

Run 2 · Llama 3.3 70B · graded by GPT-OSS 120BNov 10, 2026Passed

The made-up sample (a messier one):

  • [TYPE, SQUARE FEET, BEDROOMS AND BATHS, YEAR BUILT, CONDITION]Single‑family, 1,850 sq ft, 3 bed / 2.5 bath, built 1995, good condition but roof is aging and needs replacement soon.
  • [$ AMOUNT, TAX YEAR]$312,400, 2025
  • [DATE]Oct 15, 2025
  • [PASTE 3-5 WITH ADDRESS, SALE PRICE, SALE DATE, SQUARE FEET]123 Oak St, Anytown – $295,000 – 06/12/2024 – 1,800 sq ft 456 Maple Ave, Anytown – $310,500 – 09/03/2024 – 1,950 sq ft 789 Pine Rd, Anytown – $278,000 – 02/20/2024 – 1,750 sq ft 321 Cedar Ln, Anytown – $302,200 – 11/15/2023 – 1,880 sq ft
  • [WRONG SQUARE FEET, EXTRA BATHROOM, ETC., OR NONE]County records list my home at 2,000 sq ft and 3 full baths, but the actual is 1,850 sq ft with 2 full baths + a half bath.
  • Compare assessed value with sales using price per square foot and show math
  • Use only the sales and facts provided; never invent a sale, law, or deadline
  • Say plainly if the numbers do not support an appeal
  • Letter under 250 words (115 words, counted by code)
  • Didn't make up details we never gave it

What came back (excerpt):

Here is the table of sales: | Address | Price | Square Feet | $ per Square Foot | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 123 Oak St | $295,000 | 1,800 | $163.
Read the full answer
Here is the table of sales:
| Address | Price | Square Feet | $ per Square Foot |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 123 Oak St | $295,000 | 1,800 | $163.89 |
| 456 Maple Ave | $310,500 | 1,950 | $159.49 |
| 789 Pine Rd | $278,000 | 1,750 | $158.86 |
| 321 Cedar Ln | $302,200 | 1,880 | $160.75 |

To calculate the price per square foot for your home, we can use the average price per square foot of the comparable sales. The average price per square foot is ($163.89 + $159.49 + $158.86 + $160.75) / 4 = $160.75. For your home, with 1,850 square feet, the calculated market value would be 1,850 * $160.75 = $297,387.50. Since your assessed value is $312,400, which is higher than the calculated market value, you may have a case for an appeal.

Here is the verdict: You may have a case for an appeal based on the price per square foot comparison.

Here is a draft appeal letter:
Dear [County Assessment Board],
I am writing to appeal the assessed value of my home, as stated on my notice. The assessed value is $312,400, but based on recent sales of similar homes, I believe the value is too high. The average price per square foot of comparable homes is $160.75, which would put my home's value at approximately $297,387.50. Additionally, I would like to correct errors in the county's record of my home, which lists it as 2,000 square feet with 3 full baths, when in fact it is 1,850 square feet with 2 full baths and a half bath. I request that you review my assessment and consider a reduction.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Here is a checklist of documents to attach:
- Copy of your notice
- List of comparable sales (including addresses, prices, and square feet)
- Proof of errors in county records (e.g. appraisal or measurement of your home)
- Photos or documentation of your home's condition, including the aging roof

Please note that this is not legal or tax advice, and you should check your county's rules and deadline for appeals, as they may vary. The deadline listed on your notice is October 15, 2025, but you should verify this with your county.

Check that the appeal letter stays under the 250‑word limit and the verdict is a single sentence.

How each run works: we fill the prompt with a made-up sample, run it once in Llama 3.3 70B, and GPT-OSS 120B grades the answer against the prompt's own rules. Word limits are counted by code, and every quote flagged as made up is checked against the full answer. Your results can differ. How we test.

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