We hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday season, and we wish you the best for 2025.
January is here, which means it’s the start of the tax grievance filing period in Nassau County. The deadline to file is March 3, 2025, so you only have a few weeks left to get your tax challenge in order (of course, if you have Maidenbaum handle this challenge, you can rest easy and let us do the “heavy lifting.”)
Let’s review why filing a property tax challenge is so important this year.
The Total Cost of Home Ownership Continues to Increase
Your home is still a wonderful investment, but the costs of owning it continue to rise. According to a recent Bankrate.com study, the “hidden costs” of owning and maintaining a home, which include mortgage costs, insurance, property taxes, and general inflation costs, have risen 25 percent in New York State since 2020. These costs now add up to an average of $22,807. Thirty-year mortgage rates – at the time of this writing – are headed towards 7 percent. Homeowner’s insurance premiums – another important component of overall costs – have risen by more than $1,000 a month since 2020, according to the New York Times, and are practically guaranteed to rise in the future given the realities of climate change. Property taxes – a huge contributor to the total costs of home ownership – are estimated to now exceed $10,000 in Nassau County. All of this means you need to take every possible step to shave your home ownership costs.
School Taxes Will Continue to Rise
Local school taxes, which make up the largest portion of your Nassau County property tax bill, are likely to continue to increase. Although annual school tax levies in New York State are capped at 2 percent, they have consistently risen year after year, and there’s no reason to think that 2025 will be an exception to this rule. Unless Nassau County implements measures to streamline its extensive education system—maintaining quality while reducing costly redundancies—rising school tax bills will remain an unavoidable reality for residents.
Assessment Errors Will Continue to Exist
Nassau County’s Department of Assessment determines your property tax assessment, but this process is far from perfect. In recent years, numerous reports have highlighted significant discrepancies in assessed values, often leading to taxpayers being owed substantial refunds. Errors in assessments occur more frequently than they should, arising from various factors. Further, market trends adjust annually, also resulting in errors in assessed value, as the Department of Assessment doesn’t necessarily apply those trends. It’s up to you—or your representative, such as Maidenbaum—to identify and address these inaccuracies to ensure your property isn’t over-assessed.
By challenging your assessment annually, you have the opportunity to correct these errors and align your taxes with your property’s true value. Persistence is key, as it may take several grievances to achieve an accurate assessment. Even if you don’t secure a reduction in one year, your efforts could pay off in subsequent years.
Maidenbaum Makes Grieving Easy
Filing a grievance in Nassau County is a smart move for any homeowner, and Maidenbaum has a proven track record of success in helping taxpayers like you. For 35 years, we’ve assisted Nassau County homeowners in reducing their property tax burdens to the fullest extent allowed by law, saving them millions of dollars.
We would be honored to represent you for the 2026/27 tax year. With Maidenbaum, there’s no risk—if your property is accurately assessed and no reduction is warranted, you will owe no fee. Should your case proceed to Small Claims Assessment Review, the only out-of-pocket cost is a $30 court-imposed filing fee. To sign up or learn more about the process, visit our website or call us at 516-336-8622 today.