State Guide
How to Appeal Your Property Taxes in Kansas (2026 Guide)
If you own a home in Kansas, your county appraiser sets its market value — what it would sell for — and that number, not the smaller assessed figure, is the one you challenge. Every year you have a window to contest it, and in Kansas that window opens with your value notice.
The Kansas deadline: 30 days from your value notice
Kansas gives you 30 days from the date your county mails your value notice to file an appeal with the county appraiser (K.S.A. §79-1448). Notices generally go out around March 1, so watch for yours and count 30 days from the mailing date. This "equalization appeal" starts with an informal meeting with the appraiser.
If you miss the 30-day window, Kansas offers a second route: you can pay your taxes "under protest" when the bill arrives and challenge the value then (§79-2005) — though the 30-day appeal is the simpler path. If the informal meeting doesn't resolve it, you can escalate to the small claims division or the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals (BOTA), and from there to court.
How Kansas assesses your home
Kansas does not tax your home at 100% of its value. Residential property is assessed at 11.5% of its market value (Kan. Const. Art. 11 §1), so a home worth $300,000 carries a $34,500 assessed value, and your mill levy is applied to that $34,500. That fraction changes how you read your notice, but not how you win: your appeal contests the underlying market value — the 100% figure — and if you get it lowered, your 11.5% assessment falls right along with it.
| Category | Kansas |
|---|---|
| Assessment basis | Residential assessed at 11.5% of market value (Kan. Const. Art. 11 §1) |
| Appeal deadline | 30 days from your value notice (~March 1); or pay under protest (§79-1448; §79-2005) |
| Where you file | County appraiser (informal) → small claims / Board of Tax Appeals |
| Assessment cap | None — value tracks the market each year |
| Can the board raise your value? | Not at the informal meeting; BOTA decides fresh but can't exceed the county's original value (§79-1448; 74-2433f) |
One practical note: Kansas is a non-disclosure state, so sale prices aren't part of the public record. That makes recent comparable sales harder to find on your own — which is exactly why access to licensed sales data matters when you build a case here.
Building your case
Because the question is your home's market value, the winning evidence is recent, nearby comparable sales — homes like yours in size, age, and condition — not listing prices or online estimates. Three or four solid comps with clear adjustments carry far more weight than a complaint that the number "feels high."
One reassuring Kansas-specific point: your downside is capped throughout. Your first-level informal meeting with the county appraiser can't raise your value (§79-1448), and even at the Board of Tax Appeals — where the value is decided fresh (de novo) — it can't be raised above the county appraiser's original value (K.S.A. 74-2433f). And after you win a reduction, the county generally can't raise your value again the next year without substantial, compelling reasons (§79-1460 and Kansas case law). Still, file when your comps clearly support a lower value.
Filing at the county level
Every Kansas county runs its own appraiser's office, and the mechanics — how to request the informal meeting, where to file, and hearing schedules — vary across all 105 counties. We're building out county-specific guides with the filing office and local notes for each. In the meantime, use PROppeal to pull licensed comparable sales for your address and confirm your appeal deadline on your value notice.
Get your case built
You don't need to wait on a county-specific guide to start. PROppeal pulls licensed comparable sales for your address — especially valuable in a non-disclosure state — works from your home's market value (then applies the 11.5% ratio), and gives you a straight answer on whether your assessment is out of line within your 30-day window.
Sources
- Kan. Const. Art. 11 §1 — residential real property assessed at 11.5% of market value
- K.S.A. §79-1448 — equalization appeal; 30 days from the value notice; informal meeting (which can't raise your value)
- K.S.A. §74-2433f — Board of Tax Appeals may not raise a value above the county appraiser's original determination
- K.S.A. §79-1460 — notices by March 1; limits on re-raising a value after a taxpayer wins a reduction
- K.S.A. §79-2005 — payment of taxes under protest (alternative appeal route)
Property tax rules and deadlines vary by jurisdiction and can change — verify with your county before relying on this.
See if your Kansas assessment is too high
PROppeal checks your case against real, recent comparable sales and gives you an honest verdict — then builds the board-ready letter to file, all in one price.
Check your case