Your Georgia property tax assessment cannot increase from an appeal — but the safety net that protected even losing appeals changed in 2025.
Can Your Property Tax Assessment Go Up If You Appeal in Georgia? Every year, thousands of Georgia homeowners stare at an overinflated assessment notice and think the same thing: what if my property tax goes up if I appeal? It is the single most common question — and the single biggest reason people pay more than they should without a fight. The fear is understandable. Nobody wants to poke the bear and end up worse off. Here is the direct answer: no, your property tax assessment cannot be raised as a direct result of filing an appeal in the same tax year. The Board of Equalization either lowers your value or leaves it unchanged. That is it. But the full picture has gotten more complicated since 2025, when HB 581 changed the safety net that used to protect even unsuccessful appellants. This article breaks down exactly what can and cannot happen — and why the math still overwhelmingly favors appealing. Can the Board of Equalization Raise Your Property Value? No. The Board of Equalization (BOE) is limited to two outcomes: reduce your assessed value or keep it the same. Under O.C.G.A. § 48-5-311, the burden of proof at a BOE hearing is on the county Board of Tax Assessors. They have to justify the value they assigned. If you appeal and the panel is not persuaded by your evidence, the worst that happens is you walk out with the same number you walked in with. There is no mechanism for the BOE to increase your value above what the county already assessed. Your tax bill does not go up. Your assessed value does not go up. You simply stay where you were. This is worth repeating because online forums and neighborhood chatter regularly get it wrong: filing a property tax…