Learn how to fight back against Jackson County taxes

2025
Tax Assessment Guide

If you’re a Jackson County homeowner or taxpayer and feel your property taxes are too high, you’re in the right place. This site will help you understand how to appeal your property value, gather the right data, and get prepared for your hearing with the Jackson County Board of Equalization.

We break everything down in plain language, step-by-step. Whether you’re new to the appeals process or just need some extra tools for 2025, we’ve got you covered with easy guides, important forms, real examples, and helpful links.

Resources

How to Fight Back

View All

How to Make a Sunshine Request

Requesting the data that the County has about your property is the first step to find out how they determined the value. Click here to download the PDF.

Video of Game Plan for 2025

Here’s a 23-minute presentation that gives tips on what you need to be doing in March and April 2025 to get ready for the new assessment. Click here for the video.

Game Plan for 2025

Here’s the Powerpoint that goes with the video to give you tips on what you need to be doing in March and April 2025 to get ready for the new assessment. Click here to download the PDF.

How to Gather Sales Comps

Want to prove your home is overvalued? This PDF walks you through how to find similar homes in your area that sold for less than your assessed value. We’ll show you free websites to use and what to look for when picking good comps. COMING SOON.

2025 Appeals Checklist

Not sure what forms you need to file an appeal? Download this checklist. It includes every form required by the Jackson County Board of Equalization, plus when and where to send them. COMING SOON.

Know Your Rights: Missouri Property Assessment Laws

This easy-to-read summary explains the laws that protect you as a taxpayer in Missouri. Understand your rights, deadlines, and what the state says about fair property values. Click here to download the PDF.

2024 Missouri AG Court Case Documents

Here are the trial transcripts from the July 2024 trial of the Missouri Attorney General v. Jackson County Assessment. The AG requested that this case be dismissed and it was on Aug. 6, 2024. Click here to download Day 1.
Click here to download Day 2.
Click here to download Day 3.

Presentation to the State Tax Commission

On July 23, 2024, Preston Smith made a 45-minute presentation to the STC on his findings in the Jackson County data in the 2023 assessment. More than 38M records were reviewed. He found that since 2019, Jackson County’s assessment had targeted lower-class taxpayers, who were less likely to appeal than higher-income taxpayers. Click here to download the PDF.

State Tax Commission Order Against Jackson County

On Aug 2, the State Tax Commission ordered Jackson County to increase assessments no more than 15 percent from the 2022 value. Click here to download the PDF.

Preliminary State Audit Results of Jackson County Assessment

In December 2023, the State Auditor issued preliminary results from their audit. When the final audit is released, I’ll replace this item. Click here to download the PDF.

State Auditor Analysis of 2019 and 2023 Property Tax Assessments

In 2019, the Consumer Price Index in Missouri was 1.9% but the percentage increase in assessed valuations in Jackson County was 19.75%. In 2023, the CPI was 6.5%, but the assessed valuation increase in Jackson County was 24.35%. In just these two years, Jackson County property tax assessments increased by 44.1%–far higher than any other county in the state. Click here to download the 2019 PDF. Click here to download the 2023 PDF.

County Tax Refund Request Form

Under the state law, 139.031(5), ALL county collectors of taxes SHALL, upon written application of taxpayer, REFUND or CREDIT against the taxpayer’s tax liability in the following taxable year until the taxpayer has received credit in full for any real or personal property tax MISTAKENLY or ERRONEOUSLY LEVIED against the taxpayer and collected in whole or in part by the collector. Such application shall be filed within three years after the tax is mistakenly or erroneously paid. The Jackson County Collector says that they don’t have an “official” form to use, but people have posted that this form is what the County has sent to them to use.
Click here to download the form.

Click here to download the PDF form.

Recall Frank White Petition

If you would like to circulate the Recall Frank White petition in your neighborhood. Just click to download a PDF. When you have it filled up, send it to “Fight Jackson County MO Taxes, P.O. Box 42, Oak Grove, MO 64075.”
Click here to download the form.

Click here to download the PDF form.

Preston Smith

Citizen/Taxpayer Advocate

Sean Smith

Jackson County Legislator

About Us

Here to Help–for Free

If you have a question on tax assessments, drop Preston Smith an email

The form has been submitted successfully!

There has been some error while submitting the form. Please verify all form fields again.

Learn More From

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you know about the Jackson County tax assessment process?

Preston Smith served on the County’s Board of Equalization for 14 years and voted on more than 10,000 appeals.

Can you ensure that my BOE appeal will be successful?

We will show you how a proper appeal should be made, and give you the tools that you will need. We can’t determine the outcome.

Why do you do all this for free?

We want Jackson County taxpayers to get a fair and complete hearing on their tax assessments, which are often inaccurate. The appeal process in the County is stacked against taxpayers and we want to do what we can to even the playing field.

We were approved for the Senior Tax Credit program in 2024. Should we appeal our assessment in 2025 when we get it? If we don’t, and we try to sell our house and it is on the tax rolls at an outrageous valuation, will that hinder our ability to sell it?

If you’ve been approved for the Senior Tax Freeze, there is nothing more that you need to do. It will take effect on this year’s tax bill, which should be frozen at the 2024 rate. You might get a notice in June saying your taxes are going up, but ignore that and you don’t have to appeal. You’ve done all that you need to do. Just wait and confirm that the County gets it right in the tax bill in December.

Anybody who buys any property in Missouri has 30 days from when they close the deal to appeal the taxes. The tax assessment value is not going to set the market price, because we have seen since 2019, it is going to be wrong 80% of the time. Anybody who would buy your house would be a willing buyer who would know what the market is and what they are willing to pay.