Nassau County ranks as one of the top areas in the nation when it comes to property taxes, rivaled by fellow Long Island destination Suffolk County. Due to limited space and construction, property in the county is already at a premium, which is then pumped to the moon by aggressive assessment and taxation. The tax rates in Nassau County are currently even higher than in New York City, meaning every homeowner or business is facing an uphill battle when tax time comes around.
These property owners got a rare chance at relief, as the deadline for grievances was extended from March 1 to March 31, 2026. Extending the grievance period is basically unheard of in New York, which indicates an increased demand for protesting taxes. If you own property in Nassau County and you are paying too much on your taxes, then you cannot miss this unicorn of an opportunity to land a reduction.
Why are Taxes so High in Nassau County?
New York is No. 10 in the nation when it comes to property taxes, with Long Island’s counties bearing some of the largest tax burdens. Being located between New York City and Suffolk County makes Nassau one of the most desirable locations to live , driving strong demand for property. Long Island in general sees little construction or development, with Nassau seeing the least of all counties. This makes existing construction, be it homes or commercial, precious beyond measure. Strict zoning laws also prevent the construction of multifamily or affordable housing in many cases, leaving much of the county dedicated to single-family homes. A ballooning pension problem and a huge budget for top-of-the-line schools also cause higher tax rates.
How Grievances Help Lower Your Tax Bill
Also called appeals in some jurisdictions, property tax grievances let you challenge your assessed value, which determines how much you pay in property taxes. Once the assessed value is established, tax rates are applied to the figure, creating your tax bill. Grievances work to find the true value of your property, which is often significantly lower than what the assessor ruled. Grievances can also be used to correct simple errors in assessments that could cost you big in the long run. This includes your property erroneously being classified as something else, more rooms than you have, improvements that do not exist, and more.
The first step is to look at your tentative assessment roll to see if your property’s basic information is correct, along with making sure you have all the exemptions you need. Next, see what your property’s market and assessment values are. If these are too high, then you may wish to file a grievance. To prove that your property has been overvalued requires time and effort. You need to take pictures of your property, collect documents, and compare your value to the recent sales of similar homes in your area. Or, you could compare your assessment with similar properties in the area. With the median home in Nassau County being worth an estimated $810,000, even a small reduction could yield massive benefits.
Grieving Nassau County Commercial Properties
Grieving business real estate in New York requires a different approach than grieving homes. If you believe that your business is being assessed too high, your grievance must use different proof. Known as the income method, you must show what your business is worth by presenting detailed information on your income and expenses, essentially trying to show what your property would be worth to an investor. Be sure to exclude intangible property like contracts, software, and warranties, as these are not taxable. Your accounting needs to be accurate to the letter, which typically makes it a team effort from multiple members of your staff. Coordinating with a property tax professional is often beneficial. If you own a business, it is best to grieve every year , as it acts as an excellent form of cost reduction.
O’Connor is Ready to Assist You in All Facets
Whether you are grieving a home or business, there is a lot of money on the line when you protest your taxes. Growing assessments and levies are why the deadline was extended in the first place, as more property owners explore their rights. Winning a successful grievance takes time, evidence, and often experience with the system. Many taxpayers do not have any of this on their own, which leaves them at a disadvantage. That is where we at O’Connor come in, armed with over 50 years of experience in taking on property taxes and unfair valuations.
High-end properties call for high-end solutions, and we at O’Connor are ready to support you every step of the way. When you join with us, we will analyze your assessment for any errors that could be costing you, put together evidence on your property for a grievance, and represent you in hearings with the Assessment Review Commission (ARC) and any other organization needed to get you a reduction. We can even coordinate a judicial appeal through litigation, if needed. With our proprietary databases, we can track down comparable properties and study sales records to allow you to skip the hardest part of putting together a grievance.
To better serve you, we use both local and national resources to help with your grievance. Local expertise is needed to navigate the complexity of New York tax situations and to understand how things are in Nassau County and Long Island. As one of the largest property tax firms in the nation, we can use our bevy of personnel and data to support you at every stage of your grievance. Our customer success team will ensure that you always have a point of contact with whom you can discuss any issue involving your case. Best of all, there is no cost to you upfront, and you will only have to pay a contingency fee if we can lower your taxes. That means that you face no risk in bringing us aboard but gain a powerful ally that can maximize your savings. We also provide full service to Suffolk and Westchester counties, while supporting commercial appeals in New York City.
