FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Tax Reduction Services
1. Can Tax Reduction Services help me? Why should I use TRS?
2. What will it cost?
3. How do I find out more or get started?
4. How can I find out if my property taxes are too high?
5. What is tax grievance?
6. What is assessment?
7. Can my taxes be raised because I filed a grievance?
8. Will anyone from the assessor’s office come to my house?
9. Will I have to attend any hearings?
10. What if I have tax exemptions?
11. I got a reduction some years ago; should I file again?
12. If a large reduction is granted, and a large fee is incurred, will you accept payment arrangements?
13. How long does the grievance process take?
14. When is the best time to start the grievance process?
15. Can I grieve taxes I have already paid? Will my reduction be retroactive to earlier years?
16. Can I file a grievance myself?
17. Is it OK to sign up with more than one tax reduction company?
18. How are property taxes determined?
19. What is Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR)?
20. Can TRS help with my commercial property?
Q : Can Tax Reduction Services help me? Why should I use TRS?
A : TRS is the oldest, most experienced and most respected company in the field, with a success rate of over 95%. We do not charge any upfront fees; no fee is due unless your tax assessment is reduced. Tax reduction is our only business and our office is open year round to serve you.
Q : What will it cost?
A : No reduction = no fee: If your assessment is not reduced, you pay nothing. If your assessment is reduced, you pay 50% of the first year's savings, plus the $30 filing fee and the $50 appraisal fee. After that, every year, all the tax savings from your reduced assessment are yours.
Q : How do I find out more or get started?
A : Just call TRS: (631) 477-1304, or click here for more information.
Q : How can I find out if my property taxes are too high?
A : Sign up with TRS and our staff will evaluate your case and tell you if you are paying too much. Just call us today: (631) 477-1304.
Q : What is tax grievance?
A : Tax grievance is the legal process for getting property taxes reduced. A complaint, or grievance, is filed against a town’s assessment of a piece of property. If the grievance is denied, that decision can be appealed by filing a petition in New York State Supreme Court.
Q : What is assessment?
A : Your assessment is the town's determination of your property'value, or a fraction of that value. The amount you pay in taxes is based on your assessment - the higher your assessment, the higher your taxes. Some assessments are fractional, at something less than 100%, making it hard to determine what value is assigned to your property for tax purposes. For example, your assessment may be $2000 - if the assessor is assessing at 2% and your property is worth $100,000.
Q : Can my taxes be raised because I filed a grievance?
A : No. Your taxes cannot be raised by filing a tax grievance. Your assessment can only go down or remain the same. An assessment can only be raised if the town does a complete area-wide revaluation or if you have improved your property under a building permit, for example, by putting on an addition or adding a pool.
Q : Will anyone from the assessor's office come to my house?
A : No one from the assessor's office or TRS will come to your home.
Q : Will I have to attend any hearings?
A : No. TRS prepares and files all papers and makes all appearances for you.
Q : What if I have tax exemptions?
A: Any reduction will be in addition to any exemptions you already have. Your existing exemptions and future eligibility will be unaffected.
Q : I got a reduction some years ago; should I file again?
A : Yes. Because real estate values have decreased in the past few years, many homeowners who reduced their property taxes in the past are now entitled again.
Q : If a large reduction is granted, and a large fee is incurred, will you accept payment arrangements?
A : Yes we will - and we will not charge any interest!
Q : How long does the grievance process take?
A : The whole process usually takes about a year. If the town reviews your case early in the process, your savings will be reflected on your December tax bill. If the town doesn't get to your case until after December, once a reduction is granted, it will be retroactive to the tax year in which the grievance was filed and you will get a refund for any overpayment of taxes.
Q : When is the best time to start the grievance process?
A : The best time to sign up with TRS is right now! We will be ready to file your grievance on Grievance Day which comes only once a year, on the 3rd Tuesday in May (Suffolk) and on March 1st (Nassau). If the date is missed, you have to wait until the next year. Call us: (631) 477-1304.
Q : Can I grieve taxes I have already paid? Will my reduction be retroactive to earlier years?
A : No. The grievance process only applies to the current tax year and future years.
Q : Can I file a grievance myself?
A : Yes. However, most homeowners who file for themselves don't get the reduction they deserve. Many are unprepared and don't have the time, experience or tools to deal with the complicated grievance process.
Q : Is it OK to sign up with more than one tax reduction company?
A : No. If you sign with more than one company, you will delay your case and, if a reduction is granted, end up having to pay each company.
Q : How are property taxes determined?
A : Taxes are determined by multiplying your assessment by the various tax rates associated with the tax districts your property is located in, such as county, town, school, etc. Taxes go up as the tax rates go up. We can't do anything about the tax rates but we can protest the assessment. If the assessment is lowered, then the resulting taxes will be lower than they would have been at the higher assessment.
Q : What is Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR)?
A : Click here for more information.
Q : Can TRS help with my commercial property?
A : Yes, call us and ask for Terri for more information: (631) 477-1304.
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