Real Estate Tax Assessment Issues

May 2026

May 1st NYS Tentative Rolls: Most towns across New York State post their Tentative Assessment Rolls on/or about May 1st. Cities and Villages (most, but not all) as well as a few Towns follow a different schedule. The Tentative Rolls list the 2026 assessment, equalization rate, and Full Market Value for tax purposes. Property owners typically have just a few weeks thereafter to prepare an appeal so one can't delay. Be sure to check your roll and plan accordingly.

What to do with an extra $1,840,000? We cut the taxes for a commercial office building in 2018 by 44% saving the client an average of $230,000 every year since totaling $1.84 million thus far. What would you spend that on? Building improvements, debt pay-down, more real estate, a new boat, Lambo, or donate to your favorite charity?

Didn't Receive a Change of Assessment Notice from the Assessor? No problem, right? Not True! Just because there is no change in the assessment, it doesn't mean you're not being hit with more than your fair share of taxes.


Many potential clients tell us that their assessment hasn't changed in years. However, the assessed value is only one component of value utilized for tax purposes. The NYS Equalization Rate (Eq Rate) is vital to know before considering if the assessment is fair or worthy of appeal, and Eq Rates are changing dramatically all across the State.


As example, one town's Eq Rate dropped from 86% to 56% over two years. This change translated to a 54% increase in the Full Market Value used for property tax calculations even though the assessment itself stayed the same. Has your property's value increased by 54% in the past 3 years? That type of Eq Rate change obscures how much an owner might overpay in taxes, and there is no requirement to notify owners other than posting online. 


Don't pay more than your fair share of real estate taxes. Contact us today.

Sample Recent Wins

  • Auto Dealerships: $275,000 annual savings plus more than $400,000 in refunds
  • Re-development Project: $100,000/yr+ Saved
  • Retail Strip Center: $84,000/yr savings plus multiple years refunds
  • Office/Retail: $91,000/yr savings
  • Auto Sales/Service: $68,000/yr savings
  • Self-Storage: 12% Reduction
  • Multi-Family: 30% Reduction
  • Land: 75% Reduction
  • Re-Development Project: 58% Reduction
  • Multi-Family: Nearly $500,000/yr saved plus multiple years refunds
  • Light Manufacturing: 53% Reduction
  • Office: 25% Reduction
  • Medical Office: 28% Reduction

Cutting real estate taxes for more than 40 years


Apartments - Office - Medical Office - Retail - Industrial - Warehouse - Self-Storage - Distribution - Campground - Golf Course - Hotel - Resort - Land

 

Contact:

Theodore (Ted) Welter, CCIM, CPM

Ph: (585) 698-7809

tw@WelterRealty.com

www.WelterRealty.com

 
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