Forsyth County North Carolina Real Estate Evaluation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Basic Appeal Process
Please note: This summary on property tax and reappraisal is not intended to be comprehensive nor constitute legal advice and is being provided for convenience and courtesy only. For more information about your property or individual taxes please contact the Forsyth County Tax Office.
Background
Forsyth County, North Carolina, has readjusted real property values for the 2025 Tax Year. Pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. §105-283, real property must be valued at its true value in money, meaning fair market value. Fair market value is determined by recent qualified sales that occurred leading up to the reappraisal date in the subject property’s market, however, fair market value doesn’t mean an exact percentage change across the entire market area. Special considerations and adjustments are made for location, condition, size, bathroom count, quality of build, and other relevant factors when determining the value of a property. For example, homes in need of repairs, may necessitate a lower fair market valuation for tax purposes than those homes which have been updated. Those considerations, along with the annual rates set in the schedule of values determine the final value of each property individually
According to Forsyth County records, there are approximately 165,000 real estate properties in Forsyth County, NC. Since the county’s last reappraisal on January 1st, 2021, there have been approximately 30,600 qualified property sales. These qualified sales are the primary source of reappraisal information. Financial foreclosure transactions are not used in appraisal analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Property Tax and Reappraisal
(1) How does the reappraisal process impact my tax bill?
a. An increase or decrease in the value of property does not necessarily determine an increase or decrease in tax billing. Final tax billing is sent out until July of each year which takes into account the reappraised value in connection with the tax rate. The Board of County Commissioners sets new tax rates at their annual budget meetings for the fiscal year and those tax rates are used with the values set by the reappraisal to calculate the total amount due. An increase in reappraisal values may justify a decrease in tax rates as determined in the discretion of the Commission.
b. Forsyth County, NC, also must comply with a Revenue Neutral Tax Rate (‘RNTR”). The RNTR is the rate that would be needed to provide the jurisdiction with the same revenue as the prior year after the new tax base is known and after accounting for “average” annual tax base changes since the last reappraisal. The purpose of reappraisals is to equalize the tax burden of all properties, regardless of property type, inside of each tax jurisdiction in the year of the reappraisal. The purpose of a reappraisal is not to increase the revenues of a tax jurisdiction. The development of and reporting of the RNTR is to ensure the purpose of a reappraisal is maintained.
(2) Are there certain tax relief programs?
a. Specific groups of people may be eligible for tax relief, those broad groups include:
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- Elderly
- Disabled
- Disabled Veteran Relief
- Exempt Properties Programs
- Present-Use Programs
The Appeals Process:
Tax payers who disagree with the appraised value of their property may make an appeal of the appraised value in the following manner:
(1) First, complete an informal appeal. Each reappraisal notice mailed to property owners contains an informal appeal form. Property appeals will be received through the last business day of June 2025. Please note that a shorter period to submit the informal appeal notice may be listed on the reappraisal form!
a. Informal Appeals may be made by returning the enclosed form, or through Forsyth County’s enoticesonline.com portal. If the homeowner has not registered before, they will need to register using the authorization code shown on the last Reappraisal notice.
b. Information justifying the homeowner’s property evaluation must be submitted along with the informal appeal form. Appropriate value information the county may consider includes:
i. Recent home appraisals performed during the reappraisal time period;
ii. Pictures and construction costs related to improvements or damage to the home;
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- Normal wear and tear does not typically count, however major repairs to the roof or foundation may. Present photos and quotes showing the damage and the costs necessary to repair the damage.
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iii. If it is a recent purchase, a closing statement may be presented to justify a true market value;
iv. Evidence of comparable sales in the neighborhood. A real estate agent may perform an informal market analysis, however
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- Zillow, Realtor.com, and similar sites are not likely to be considered independently by the County. While there is limited data available, appeals cases from other jurisdictions suggest that information from third party sites such as Zillow and Realtor.com are not probative of value. As one court explained, “estimates posted on websites relying on unidentified data sources and employing unknown methodologies are simply not credible.”
- Zillow information may be submitted to the County as a basis for appeal in combination with other items if the Zillow estimate is supported by other factors, such as a formal appraisal or repair estimates necessitating a reduction in value.
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(2) Second, if the informal appeal process does not resolve a homeowner’s concerns, they may present a formal appeal of the valuation to the Forsyth County Board of Equalization and Review. Formal appeal forms are available on the county’s Detailed Property Information website or may be obtained by calling 336-703-2300.
a. Formal appeals must be filed by June 30th, 2025 or within 15 days of your last value notice, whichever is later. Appeals to this board must be submitted in writing and an appointment before the review board is required.
(3) Third, if the formal appeal to the Board of Equalization and Review is unsuccessful, then a homeowner may appeal to the North Carolina Property Tax Commission. The Commission will hear sworn testimony and similar evidence submitted for the informal appeals process. The North Carolina Court of Appeals and the North Carolina Supreme Court would hear further appeals.
