State Guide
How to Appeal Your Property Taxes in Missouri (2026 Guide)
If you own a home in Missouri, your county assessor sets its true value in money — what it would sell for — and that number, not the smaller assessed figure on your bill, is the one you challenge. Every odd-numbered year is a reassessment year, and you have a window to contest the new value.
The Missouri deadline: before the second Monday in July
Missouri's appeal goes to your County Board of Equalization, and the statewide deadline is before the second Monday in July (Mo. Rev. Stat. §137.385); the board may extend it at its discretion. In practice some boards — especially in the large charter counties like St. Louis County and Jackson — convene and close earlier (often around the third Monday in June), so the safest move is to confirm your county's date and file early.
Many assessors offer an informal review first. If the Board of Equalization doesn't lower your value, you can appeal to the Missouri State Tax Commission — generally by September 30 or 30 days after the board's decision, whichever is later (§138.430) — and from there to circuit court.
How Missouri assesses your home
Missouri does not tax your home at full value. Residential property is assessed at 19% of its true value in money (Mo. Rev. Stat. §137.115), so a home the county values at $300,000 carries a $57,000 assessed value, and your levy is applied to that $57,000. That fraction changes how you read your notice, but not how you win: your appeal contests the true (market) value — the 100% figure — and if you get it lowered, your 19% assessed value falls right along with it.
| Category | Missouri |
|---|---|
| Assessment basis | Assessed value = 19% of true value in money (residential) (§137.115) |
| Appeal deadline | County Board of Equalization — before the second Monday in July, statewide (§137.385; board may extend) |
| Where you file | County Board of Equalization → State Tax Commission → circuit court |
| Assessment cap | None — no permanent assessment-growth cap |
| Can the board raise your value? | Yes — the board adjusts up or down (owner-favorable rules apply) |
One practical note for Missouri: it's largely a non-disclosure state — sale prices generally aren't part of the public record (a few charter jurisdictions require a certificate of value, but most of the state doesn't). That makes it harder to find recent comparable sales on your own — and it's exactly why access to licensed sales data matters when you build a case here.
Building your case
Because the question is your home's true (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."
The Missouri rules actually tilt in your favor here: under §138.060 there's no presumption that the assessor's value is correct, and in the first-class charter counties (St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jackson County, and the City of St. Louis) the assessor can't advocate for a value higher than the one they set. The board can still adjust your value up or down, so bring your strongest set and file only when your comps clearly support a lower value.
Filing at the county level
Every Missouri county runs its own Board of Equalization, and the mechanics — the informal-review process, where to file, and the board's exact date — vary across all 114 counties and the City of St. Louis. We're building out county-specific guides with the filing office and local calendar for each. In the meantime, use PROppeal to pull licensed comparable sales for your address and confirm your county's board date.
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 — applies Missouri's 19%-of-true-value rule, and gives you a straight answer on whether your assessment is out of line before your county's board deadline.
Sources
- Mo. Rev. Stat. §137.115 — residential real property assessed at 19% of true value in money
- Mo. Rev. Stat. §137.385 — appeal to the county Board of Equalization; deadline
- Mo. Rev. Stat. §138.060 — no presumption the assessor's valuation is correct; metro assessors can't advocate a higher value
- Mo. Rev. Stat. §138.430 — appeal to the State Tax Commission
Property tax rules and deadlines vary by jurisdiction and can change — verify with your county before relying on this.
See if your Missouri 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.
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