Pennsylvania property tax appeals
Use our Pennsylvania appeal guide and county filing facts now. Automated assessment checks are not open here yet, so tell us where you are and we will email you when they open.
Pennsylvania assesses your home against a base year value, and each year the state certifies a common level ratio to compare it with current market value. An appeal makes sense when recent sales show your value is too high after applying that ratio. It usually will not help if your bill rose only because the millage rate went up.
- Recent comparable sales show your home's market value, divided by your county's common level ratio, is below your assessed value.
- Your county has not reassessed in years, so an old base year value may no longer match your home.
- Your county's common level ratio is low, which magnifies even a small over-assessment.
- Your bill went up but your assessment is fair. A higher bill often comes from the millage rate, not the value.
- You are unhappy with the total tax with no evidence the value is too high. The board reviews value, not the size of the bill.
Read the full explanation
In Pennsylvania, your county assesses your home against a base year value, and each year the State Tax Equalization Board certifies a common level ratio that translates today's market value into that base year. If you think your assessment is too high, you appeal to your county's board of assessment appeals, and an appeal you file this year takes effect for next year's tax bill. An appeal helps when recent comparable sales show your home's market value, divided by the common level ratio, is below your assessed value. It usually will not help just because your tax bill went up, since a higher bill can come from the millage rate, not your assessment. Deadlines, fees, and forms are set county by county. This is general information, not tax advice.
Source: Pennsylvania State Tax Equalization Board (common level ratio FAQ) · checked 2026-07-16. We're publishing verified county filing facts as each review is completed. Automated assessment checks will follow our rollout schedule.
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