Protest Your Colorado Property Tax Value: Free Course

Property tax protest course glossary: 74 terms

Every trade word from the course in plain English, A to Z. Each links to the lesson that teaches it.

A B C D E I L M N O P R S T U

A

Abatement: A request to cancel or refund tax that was erroneously or illegally charged. Reading your notice of valuation
Abatement: The county cancelling taxes, or refunding them, that were charged by mistake. Abatement for past years, plus exemptions and relief programs
Actual value: The assessor's estimate of what your property is worth for tax purposes; this is the number you can protest. How Colorado values your home and turns value into a tax bill
actual value: The assessor's estimate of what your property is worth, before the assessment rate is applied. Filing the protest with the assessor
Actual value: The assessor's value of the property, before the tax percentage is applied. Abatement for past years, plus exemptions and relief programs
Adjustment: The dollar change between last year's and this year's actual value on your notice. Reading your notice of valuation
alternative protest procedure: An option some counties elect that moves the assessor's written answer date later. Filing the protest with the assessor
alternative protest procedure: A county option that moves the petition and decision dates later. The county board of equalization
arbitration: A process where a neutral person decides the case; the result is final. The county board of equalization
Arbitration: A hearing before one neutral person who decides the dispute; the result is final. The Board of Assessment Appeals, arbitration, or district court as next steps
Arbitrator: The neutral person, chosen from a county list, who decides an arbitration case. The Board of Assessment Appeals, arbitration, or district court as next steps
Assessed value: Actual value times the assessment rate; the amount the tax rate is applied to. HB24B-1001 (2024) defines it separately from valuation for assessment. How Colorado values your home and turns value into a tax bill
Assessed value: Actual value times the assessment rate; the notice does not print it. Reading your notice of valuation
Assessment date: The date the law uses to test things like age and occupancy for an exemption. Abatement for past years, plus exemptions and relief programs
Assessment rate: The percentage set by law and multiplied by actual value to get assessed value. It changed for 2023 through 2025, so check your year. How Colorado values your home and turns value into a tax bill
assessment rate: The percentage of actual value that is actually taxed; a change in it is not a reason to protest. Filing the protest with the assessor
Assessor: The elected county official who values all property in the county. How Colorado values your home and turns value into a tax bill
assessor: The county official who sets the value of each property for property tax. Filing the protest with the assessor

B

Board of Assessment Appeals: The state body that hears appeals of county board decisions. The county board of equalization
Board of Assessment Appeals (BAA): A state board that hears appeals of county board decisions on property value. The Board of Assessment Appeals, arbitration, or district court as next steps

C

Classification: The property type, such as residential, that decides which assessment rate applies. Reading your notice of valuation
Clerical error: A simple paperwork mistake, such as a wrong figure or wrong parcel on the record. Abatement for past years, plus exemptions and relief programs
Comparable sale: The sale of a similar home, close in size, age, location and quality, used as evidence of value. Is your value too high? Comparable sales, condition problems, and errors in the assessor's facts
comparable sale (comp): A recent sale of a similar nearby home, used as evidence of value. Filing the protest with the assessor
comparable sale (comp): A recent sale of a similar nearby home used as evidence of value. The county board of equalization
Condition: The physical state of a home, such as foundation, roof or water damage. Is your value too high? Comparable sales, condition problems, and errors in the assessor's facts
county board of equalization: The county panel that hears petitions from people whose protests the assessor denied. The county board of equalization
County board of equalization: The county commissioners acting as a panel that hears property value protests after the assessor. The Board of Assessment Appeals, arbitration, or district court as next steps
Court of appeals: The higher court that may review a BAA decision against the owner, based on the record only. The Board of Assessment Appeals, arbitration, or district court as next steps

D

Data-gathering period: The past window of sales the assessor must use; the statute text we checked starts with the 18 months before the July 1 that precedes the assessment date. How Colorado values your home and turns value into a tax bill
Data-gathering period: The past window of sales the assessor must use for value. Is your value too high? Comparable sales, condition problems, and errors in the assessor's facts
denial: The assessor's written refusal to change your value, with reasons. The county board of equalization
Denial: The county board's decision to refuse your petition in whole or in part. The Board of Assessment Appeals, arbitration, or district court as next steps
District court: The state trial court in your county; an appeal there is heard fresh. The Board of Assessment Appeals, arbitration, or district court as next steps

E

Economic life: The years an improvement stays useful; when it ends only salvage value may remain. Is your value too high? Comparable sales, condition problems, and errors in the assessor's facts
Erroneous valuation: A value placed on the property by mistake, which makes the tax too high. Abatement for past years, plus exemptions and relief programs
Estimate of taxes: An approximate tax figure on the notice; it is not protestable. Reading your notice of valuation
Exemption: A part of the home's value that is not taxed. Abatement for past years, plus exemptions and relief programs
exhibit: A document, photo or table you hand the board as evidence. The county board of equalization

I

Improvements: Structures, buildings and fixtures built on or attached to land. Reading your notice of valuation
Itemized listing: The list of your land and building facts that the first-year notice must include. Reading your notice of valuation
Itemized listing: The list of your home's facts on a first-year notice; check each line. Is your value too high? Comparable sales, condition problems, and errors in the assessor's facts

L

Level of value: The actual value found from sales in a set past window of time. How Colorado values your home and turns value into a tax bill

M

Market approach: Valuing a property by what similar properties actually sold for. How Colorado values your home and turns value into a tax bill
mill: A tax rate unit equal to $1 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value. Filing the protest with the assessor
Mill levy: A tax rate set by each taxing entity; one mill is $1 of tax per $1,000 of assessed value. How Colorado values your home and turns value into a tax bill

N

Nonrefundable filing fee: A fee paid to start a BAA appeal that is not returned even if you win. The Board of Assessment Appeals, arbitration, or district court as next steps
Notice of determination: The assessor's written decision on a protest. Reading your notice of valuation
Notice of determination: The assessor's written answer to a protest; once mailed, overvaluation abatement for that year is barred. Abatement for past years, plus exemptions and relief programs
Notice of valuation: The county's yearly mailing that states your property's value and how to protest. Reading your notice of valuation
notice of valuation: The letter the assessor mails each spring showing last year's and this year's actual value and how to protest. Filing the protest with the assessor

O

Owner of record: A person whose name is on a valid recorded deed. Abatement for past years, plus exemptions and relief programs
Owner-occupier: An owner (or listed spouse or trust maker) who lives in the home as a primary residence. Abatement for past years, plus exemptions and relief programs

P

personal property: Movable items such as business equipment, taxed on a separate, later deadline. Filing the protest with the assessor
petition: The written request, on the state form, asking the board to hear your appeal. The county board of equalization
Petitioner: The property owner who files the protest or appeal. The Board of Assessment Appeals, arbitration, or district court as next steps
Postcard notice: A short notice that links to the full notice online; you can ask for the long form. Reading your notice of valuation
postmark: The date stamp the post office puts on mail; the law presumes a mailed protest arrived that day. Filing the protest with the assessor
presumption: An assumption treated as true unless disproved; here the board assumes neither side is right. The county board of equalization
Presumption: A starting assumption that one side is right; here there is none for either value. The Board of Assessment Appeals, arbitration, or district court as next steps
Price per square foot: Sale price divided by finished living area; a way to compare homes of different sizes. Is your value too high? Comparable sales, condition problems, and errors in the assessor's facts
Primary residence: The home where you mainly live. Abatement for past years, plus exemptions and relief programs
protest (objection and protest): Your statement to the assessor that the value is wrong, made in person, on the form, or by letter. Filing the protest with the assessor

R

real property: Land and the buildings on it. Filing the protest with the assessor
Reassessment cycle: A two-year block that uses the same level of value; the first year is the full revaluation. How Colorado values your home and turns value into a tax bill
referee: A person who may hear a case for the board and make findings and recommendations. The county board of equalization
Refund: Money paid back after taxes were collected in error. Abatement for past years, plus exemptions and relief programs
Refund interest: Interest the county adds to a refund, running from a date set by the statute. Abatement for past years, plus exemptions and relief programs
Residential real property: Land and buildings people live in; the law values it by the market approach only. How Colorado values your home and turns value into a tax bill

S

specific dollar amount: The exact value you state as correct, which a real property petition must include. The county board of equalization

T

Taxing entity: A local government, such as a school or fire district, that bills property tax. How Colorado values your home and turns value into a tax bill
Trial de novo: A new hearing of the case from the start, rather than a review of the earlier record. The Board of Assessment Appeals, arbitration, or district court as next steps
Typical sale: A negotiated sale screened and verified as reflecting a true selling price. Is your value too high? Comparable sales, condition problems, and errors in the assessor's facts

U

Unusual condition: An event or change the law names, such as damage, an addition or a remodel, that can change value. Is your value too high? Comparable sales, condition problems, and errors in the assessor's facts