Durham, NC — Durham County Tax Administration wins one of the three Joseph E. Hunt Distinguished Jurisdiction Awards presented by the North Carolina Association of Assessing Officers. The program recognizes three North Carolina taxing jurisdictions in recognition of achievement in areas of property tax assessment and/or collection, the implementation of a project, or endeavors to enhance the overall effectiveness of a county tax department. 

The Durham County Tax Department submitted an application for the implementation of an online real property appeal module. The program allows citizens to appeal their property value online, review comparable sales that are relative to the last revaluation, communicate with staff, and track the status of the appeal. Durham County is the first in North Carolina to implement the ability to appeal online, attach comparables and track the status of an appeal. 

According to Durham County Tax Administrator Kimberly Simpson the appeal process is a quasi-judicial process in North Carolina and often citizens are not sure how to appeal and what information is relevant to the appeal. “Our online program is user friendly, allows the citizen to review data our office has on the property, including comparable sales that assisted in the valuation of the last general reappraisal. Citizens also have the ability to attach their own documents and submit to our office if they wish to do so. It is important to our office that citizens have access to information and we are transparent.” 

For more information this online property tax process, contact the Durham County Tax Administration Office at (919) 560-0300, email tax_assessor@dconc.gov or visit http://www.dconc.gov/tax/