Our Lead Practice
Property tax advisory
We manage assessments across a portfolio year over year rather than reacting to them once a year. Values are discussed with assessors while they are still being set, which is when they can still be influenced.
Ahead of the Curve
The cheapest reduction is the one you never had to fight for.
The prevailing model is reactive. A property is left alone until the assessment spikes, an appeal is filed, and the firm that files it takes a share of the savings. Contingency arrangements of 30 to 50 percent of the reduction are common in this market.
We work the other way. Assessments across the portfolio are monitored and discussed before the roll is struck, so the spike does not happen, and there is no share of savings to hand over when it does not.
What drift looks like
Assessed and market value rarely part company in one dramatic year. They separate slowly, and the gap compounds into tax paid on value the property does not have.
View as a table
| Year | Market value | Assessed value | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $24.0M | $24.0M | $0.0M |
| 2019 | $25.2M | $25.4M | $0.2M |
| 2020 | $26.1M | $27.0M | $0.9M |
| 2021 | $28.4M | $29.8M | $1.4M |
| 2022 | $31.0M | $33.6M | $2.6M |
| 2023 | $32.2M | $36.9M | $4.7M |
| 2024 | $32.8M | $39.2M | $6.4M |
| 2025 | $33.5M | $41.0M | $7.5M |
How we manage an assessment
A continuous cycle rather than an annual scramble. Most of the work happens before a notice is ever issued.
Portfolio Monitoring
We track assessed values across your holdings year over year and against market evidence, so a problem is visible long before a notice arrives.
Pre-Roll Engagement
We engage assessors while values are still being set, with evidence in hand. A reasonable number agreed early is worth more than a good argument made late.
Assessment Review
When the notice is issued we test it against our own valuation, so you know immediately whether it is defensible or not.
Appeal, If Warranted
Where an assessment cannot be reconciled, we prepare the valuation, the evidence and the representation. This is the exception rather than the plan.
When an appeal is warranted
Prevention does not always work, and some assessments are simply wrong. Where one cannot be reconciled, these are the grounds we test it on.
Valuation Error
The assessed value exceeds what the property would realise on the open market. This is the most common and most direct ground.
Incorrect Classification
The property is assessed in a class that does not reflect its actual use, applying the wrong tax rate to the whole assessment.
Inequity
The property is assessed inconsistently with comparable properties in the same market, carrying more than its share of the burden.
Factual Error
The assessment rests on incorrect physical particulars: floor area, age, condition, zoning, or the income attributed to the property.
We prepare the valuation, the evidence and the representation through review panels and appeal boards. Where a matter proceeds to litigation, we act alongside established national tax and legal firms in Canada and the United States.
What we need from you
Enough to form a view. An initial review of your assessments does not require a full engagement.
- The current assessment notice
- Property particulars: area, age, zoning and use
- Rent roll and operating statements, where the property is income-producing
- Recent appraisals or sale history, if any
On Deadlines
Appeal deadlines are set by statute and differ by jurisdiction. They are strict, and a missed deadline usually means waiting a full assessment cycle. The earlier we are involved, the less the deadline matters.
Have your assessments reviewed
Send us the properties and their assessed values. We will tell you which ones are defensible and which are worth acting on.
Review My Assessments