How to appeal your property tax assessment in Connecticut
In Connecticut, if the value on your notice is too high, you can ask to have it lowered. You don't need a lawyer.
Checked against official sources: Oct 21, 2026
Can I still appeal?
Not open yet — next deadline Feb 20, 2027
Closed for 2026. The next window opens with the October 1, 2026 grand list; appeals are due February 20, 2027.
Connecticut homeowners pay a median of $6,643 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 1.81%, the 3rd highest of the 51 states we cover.
A written appeal application must reach the town's Board of Assessment Appeals (usually filed at the assessor's office) by February 20 for the grand list of the previous October 1. If the assessor got an extension to sign the grand list (common in revaluation years), the deadline moves to March 20 and hearings are held in April. Example: Woodstock - February 20, 2026; Norwich (extension) - March 20 for the October 1, 2024 grand list.
After a revaluation, or when your assessment changes, the assessor mails a notice showing the old and new values and your right to appeal. It goes out after October 1 and no later than 10 days after the assessor signs the grand list (usually by early February). In years without a change you may not get a notice.
How much could you save?
Enter the market value on your assessment notice and what you think the home would really sell for. We estimate the yearly saving if the board agrees with you.
Some states cap how fast the taxable value of a home can rise (California, Florida, Michigan and Texas homesteads, for example). If your taxable value is already held below market value by a cap, a lower market value may not lower this year's bill.
How to appeal in Connecticut, step by step
Understand your assessment
Each town or city has its own assessor who values all property as of October 1 every year (the 'grand list'). There are no county assessors in Connecticut. Homes are assessed at 70% of market value as of the date of the town's last revaluation. Example: a home worth $300,000 at revaluation is assessed at $210,000. Between revaluations the value normally stays the same unless the property changes. Every town must revalue all property at least once every five years (with a full physical inspection at least every ten years). Each town has its own revaluation year.
Check the record and talk to the assessor
You can talk to the assessor at any time to correct factual errors on your property card (size, rooms, condition) - the state forms call these the easiest basis for appeal. In revaluation years the town or its revaluation company usually offers informal hearings after the change notices are mailed, before the BAA deadline. An informal review does not extend the February 20 deadline.
Gather your evidence
What works in Connecticut:
- Sales of similar nearby homes that sold close to the town's last revaluation date
- An independent appraisal dated as of the revaluation date
- Your property record card with errors marked
- Photos and repair estimates showing defects
- Your own purchase price if you bought near the revaluation date
More detail
- Sales of similar nearby homes that sold close to the town's last revaluation date (not today's market)
- An independent appraisal dated as of the revaluation date - an appraisal for today's date or for a mortgage may be given little weight
- Your property record card with errors marked (wrong square footage, bathrooms, finished basement, condition)
- Photos and repair estimates showing defects
- Your own purchase price if you bought near the revaluation date
File your appeal M-35H
First level: Board of Assessment Appeals (town). Fill out the town's Board of Assessment Appeals application (in writing or by email), state the value you believe is correct and why, and attach evidence. File a separate application for each property. Hearings are held in March (April for extended towns) and usually last 10-15 minutes; you get at least 7 days' notice. You or your authorized agent must attend and answer questions under oath, or the board cannot lower the value. The decision is mailed afterward. Cost: No filing fee at the town Board of Assessment Appeals.
Prove your case at the hearing
Bring copies of your evidence for each board member. Keep to the value of your home, not the size of the bill.
More detail
The assessor's value is presumed correct. You must show, with evidence, that your home's market value on the date of the town's last revaluation was lower than the assessment implies (assessment divided by 0.70), or that the assessor made a factual error.
If you lose: Connecticut Superior Court (Tax Session)
Within two months from the date the Board of Assessment Appeals mailed its decision notice (C.G.S. 12-117a). File a tax appeal in the Superior Court for the judicial district where the property is located (many go to the Tax and Administrative Appeals Session in New Britain). Court filing fees apply. For property assessed over $1,000,000 an appraisal must be filed with the court within 120 days. While the case is pending the town can still collect at least 75% of the tax (90% for property assessed at $500,000 or more).
After you win
The town corrects the grand list and adjusts your tax bill; if you already paid, you get a refund or credit. A Board of Assessment Appeals reduction normally carries forward until the next revaluation unless the property changes. After a court win the town must refund overpaid taxes with interest.
Official forms
Board of Assessment Appeals Application - Real and Personal Property (town form; example: Woodstock, rev. 12/17/2025)
M-35H Homeowners Elderly/Disabled Circuit Breaker Taxpayer Application (filed with assessor)
Rules that are different in Connecticut
- Your value is tied to the last revaluation date, not the current market - showing that prices fell since then is not enough
- The board can raise as well as lower an assessment (with at least one week's notice to you)
- You or an authorized agent must attend the hearing and answer questions under oath for the board to lower the value
- If you skip a year you can generally still appeal in later years before the next revaluation, as long as you meet each year's February 20 deadline
- A separate claim for a 'manifestly excessive' or illegal assessment can go straight to Superior Court (C.G.S. 12-119), usually within one year of the grand list date
- Assessed value is 70% of market value - compare your evidence to assessment / 0.70
Is your home assessed higher than similar homes?
The Board of Assessment Appeals decides on market value, so bring sales of comparable homes; a pure discrimination claim against other assessments generally has to be made in Superior Court as a 'manifestly excessive' case under CGS 12-119. This works only in limited cases. Run the numbers with our unequal assessment calculator.
Most wins start with a mistake in the assessor's record of your home. Check it line by line.
Record card checklistExemptions that lower your bill without an appeal
An exemption is separate from an appeal: you apply once and it cuts your taxable value every year. Check you have every one you qualify for.
Homeowners Elderly/Disabled Circuit Breaker
Owners 65+ or totally disabled with 2025 income up to $56,500 (married) or $46,300 (single) get a tax credit of up to $1,250 (married) or $1,000 (single). Apply with the assessor February 1 - May 15.
Veterans exemptions
Wartime veterans get at least a $1,000 assessment exemption plus an income-based amount; disabled veterans get more. Since the 2024 grand list, veterans rated 100% permanently and totally disabled get a full exemption on their home (towns may cap it from 2025).
Disability and blind exemptions
$1,000 assessment exemption for permanently and totally disabled owners; $3,000 for blind owners; towns may add more.
State property tax credit
Up to $300 off your Connecticut income tax for property taxes paid on your primary home or car (income limits apply).
Do you need a lawyer or a tax consultant?
You can appeal on your own. An agent (for example a relative or consultant) can sign and appear for you if you attach a written authorization. Attorneys are common at Superior Court; some work on contingency.
Free property tax appeal letter
Fill in your details and download a written appeal statement as a PDF. Most boards also require their own appeal form: file the form and attach this letter and your evidence to it.
RobinClaim is a free information site, not a law firm or appraiser. The letter is a template, not legal advice.
Connecticut property tax appeal FAQ
What is the deadline to appeal property taxes in Connecticut?
A written appeal application must reach the town's Board of Assessment Appeals (usually filed at the assessor's office) by February 20 for the grand list of the previous October 1. If the assessor got an extension to sign the grand list (common in revaluation years), the deadline moves to March 20 and hearings are held in April. Example: Woodstock - February 20, 2026; Norwich (extension) - March 20 for the October 1, 2024 grand list.
Where do I file a property tax appeal in Connecticut?
First level of appeal in Connecticut: Board of Assessment Appeals (town). Fill out the town's Board of Assessment Appeals application (in writing or by email), state the value you believe is correct and why, and attach evidence. File a separate application for each property. Hearings are held in March (April for extended towns) and usually last 10-15 minutes; you get at least 7 days' notice. You or your authorized agent must attend and answer questions under oath, or the board cannot lower the value. The decision is mailed afterward.
How much does it cost to appeal in Connecticut?
No filing fee at the town Board of Assessment Appeals.
Can I talk to the assessor before filing?
Yes. You can talk to the assessor at any time to correct factual errors on your property card (size, rooms, condition) - the state forms call these the easiest basis for appeal. In revaluation years the town or its revaluation company usually offers informal hearings after the change notices are mailed, before the BAA deadline. An informal review does not extend the February 20 deadline.
What if the board turns me down?
Next level: Connecticut Superior Court (Tax Session). Within two months from the date the Board of Assessment Appeals mailed its decision notice (C.G.S. 12-117a). File a tax appeal in the Superior Court for the judicial district where the property is located (many go to the Tax and Administrative Appeals Session in New Britain). Court filing fees apply. For property assessed over $1,000,000 an appraisal must be filed with the court within 120 days. While the case is pending the town can still collect at least 75% of the tax (90% for property assessed at $500,000 or more).
What happens if I win?
The town corrects the grand list and adjusts your tax bill; if you already paid, you get a refund or credit. A Board of Assessment Appeals reduction normally carries forward until the next revaluation unless the property changes. After a court win the town must refund overpaid taxes with interest.
Sources
Checked Oct 21, 2026 against official Connecticut sources. Local deadlines and fees can differ; confirm with your assessor or board.
- C.G.S. Sec. 12-111 (Board of Assessment Appeals) - FindLaw copy, current as of Jan 1, 2025
- CT Office of Legislative Research - Property Tax Assessment Appeals (2008-R-0358)
- CT Office of Legislative Research - Mandated Property Tax Relief (2026-R-0027)
- CT OPM - Homeowners Elderly/Disabled Circuit Breaker Tax Relief Program
- Town of Woodstock - BAA Application (rev. 12/17/2025)
- Town of Bridgewater - Board of Assessment Appeals General Information
- City of Norwich - Assessment Appeals (March 20 extended deadline)
- Tax rate and median tax: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year estimates, tables B25103 (median real estate taxes paid, owner-occupied homes) and B25077 (median value, owner-occupied homes). The rate is the median tax divided by the median home value.