Step-by-step guide to appealing your Arkansas property taxes in 2026. Learn the Board of Equalization process, the August 17 statewide deadline, and how the 20% assessment ratio affects your case.
Arkansas taxes real property based on 20% of the county assessor's estimated fair market value. This 20% figure is called the assessed value. Your actual tax bill is calculated by multiplying your assessed value by your total millage rate. For example: a home with a market value of $200,000 has an assessed value of $40,000. At a 50-mill total rate, the annual tax bill would be approximately $2,000. If you successfully appeal and reduce the market value to $175,000, the assessed value drops to $35,000 and the tax bill drops to $1,750 — a $250 annual savings on a $89 investment.
Arkansas county assessors mail assessment notices to property owners whose values have changed. Check your notice for the assessed market value, assessed value (20% of market), and any exemptions applied. Compare the market value shown on your notice to recent sales of comparable homes in your neighborhood. If similar homes have been selling for materially less than your assessed market value, you likely have grounds for an appeal. Even if you did not receive a notice, you can still appeal — contact your county assessor's office to confirm your current assessed value.
The Board of Equalization bases its decisions on evidence. The most effective evidence is comparable sales — recent sales of homes similar to yours that sold for less than your assessed market value.
Your appeal must be filed with the Board of Equalization secretary in your county by the third Monday in August — August 17, 2026. In most Arkansas counties, you file a written letter or petition stating that you believe your property's assessed market value is incorrect and providing your evidence. Per Arkansas Code §26-27-317, a USPS postmark of August 17 or earlier is legally sufficient — you do not need the letter physically received by that date.
After your appeal is filed, the Board of Equalization will schedule a hearing. You or your authorized representative may attend. Hearings are typically informal — you present your evidence, the assessor may offer a rebuttal, and the Board asks questions before issuing a decision. Many Arkansas counties resolve cases informally with the assessor before the formal hearing. If the assessor agrees your value is overstated, they can correct it without a Board hearing.
If the Board of Equalization's decision is still higher than you believe is accurate, Arkansas provides additional appeal levels. You can appeal to the County Court within 10 days of the Board's decision. County Court appeals must be filed by the second Monday in October. Further appeals can go to Circuit Court and ultimately the Arkansas Supreme Court. Most homeowners resolve disputes at the Board of Equalization level — the evidence standards are lower and the process is more accessible than court proceedings.
$89 flat fee. You sign it, we file it. You keep 100% of your savings.
TaxAppeal USA is a self-service document-preparation and mail filing service. In every state we serve, including Florida, we are not property tax consultants, agents, or representatives, we do not provide tax or legal advice, and we do not represent customers before any appraisal district, board of equalization, value adjustment board, or review board. Every protest and petition is prepared for the property owner, signed by the owner, and filed in the owner’s name. In Florida we also pay your county’s Value Adjustment Board filing fee on your behalf and mail your petition to the Clerk of the Value Adjustment Board. Your petition is signed by you as the property owner under section 194.011(3), Florida Statutes. TaxAppeal USA does not sign as your representative, does not appear before the Board, and does not present evidence or argument at a hearing.