Genesee Property Tax: Rates, Deadlines & Appeals (2026)

Direct answer: For a 2026 Genesee County homeowner valuation appeal, you had to protest to your city or township March Board of Review during its March 2026 session; the statutory first meeting date was March 9, 2026, and local written-appeal cutoffs varied by unit. Because that window has passed, the next regular valuation appeal window starts with the March 2027 Board of Review; use the conservative countdown date March 8, 2027 and confirm the exact final receipt deadline on your February 2027 assessment notice. (michigan.gov)

How assessments work in Genesee County

Michigan assessment appeals in Genesee County start locally, not at the county treasurer. Your property is assessed by the city or township where the parcel is located; Genesee County Equalization then equalizes values across the county and reports values to the State Tax Commission. Genesee County’s own Equalization Department says it works with township and city assessors on annual sales and appraisal studies for each property class in the county’s 28 local units, and that county equalization is meant to keep assessments at 50% of market value. (geneseecountymi.gov)

Your annual Michigan notice is Form 1019 / L-4400, Notice of Assessment, Taxable Valuation, and Property Classification. Read three lines closely: Assessed Value, State Equalized Value (SEV), and Taxable Value. The Assessed Value/SEV should generally reflect about half of true cash value; taxes are billed on Taxable Value. If you bought in 2025, your 2026 Taxable Value may have “uncapped” to the new assessed value; the City of Flint’s assessor page gives this exact warning and notes that in Michigan taxes are based on Taxable Value and that Taxable Value cannot exceed Assessed Value. (cityofflint.com)

The countywide piece of the bill is only one layer. Genesee County’s adopted FY 2025-2026 budget lists 10.4126 total county mills for county purposes, while your total bill also includes school, city/township, village, special assessments, and the 6-mill State Education Tax where applicable. (geneseecountymi.gov)

Whether you should appeal

Appeal if your notice suggests the assessor’s market value is too high, your property classification is wrong, your Taxable Value calculation is wrong, or an exemption is missing. A useful quick test: double your SEV and compare that implied market value with recent sales of similar homes in your same city/township, not just anywhere in Genesee County.

Do not appeal just because your taxes rose after purchase. If the increase is mainly the Proposal A uncapping after a transfer, the local Board of Review usually cannot undo that unless the transfer or calculation was wrong. Do appeal if the post-uncapping value is above what the house would realistically have sold for on tax day.

Check exemptions before arguing value. The big one for homeowners is the Principal Residence Exemption (PRE), which removes up to 18 mills of local school operating tax for an owner-occupied principal residence. Flint’s assessor materials also flag poverty/hardship exemptions and disabled veterans exemptions; its 2026 HOPE page says homeowners seeking that poverty exemption submit Michigan Treasury Form 5737 and supporting income/occupancy documents to the Board of Review and must reapply yearly. (cityofflint.com)

Genesee County does not publish a countywide residential appeal success rate or median reduction that I could verify from official sources. Treat any consultant win-rate claim as marketing unless it shows the specific local unit, year, and appeal level.

Step-by-step how to file

1. Find your assessing unit. The first one or two digits of a Genesee parcel number identify the township or city where the property is assessed; the county’s parcel cross-reference lists units such as Flint City, Grand Blanc Township, Flint Township, Fenton Township, Burton City, and others. File with that city/township Board of Review, not with the county treasurer. (geneseecountymi.gov)

2. Get the right form. Use Michigan Treasury Form 618 / L-4035, Petition to Board of Review for Revision of Property Assessment. Treasury’s Board of Review forms page also lists Form 1019 / L-4400 and the Taxable Value worksheet Form 3128 / L-4035a. (michigan.gov)

3. Confirm your local filing method. There is no single Genesee County appeal portal for all homeowners. Most local units accept an in-person appearance and a written petition/letter; some accept email. For example, Grand Blanc Township says you may appeal by letter if received by the last date shown, and its 2026 March Board met March 9, 10, and 11 at township offices. Flushing Township’s 2026 notice allowed written appeals by mail or email to the assessor before 9:00 p.m. on March 11, 2026. Flint’s 2026 notice allowed in-person hearings in City Council Chambers, Municipal Center, 1101 S. Saginaw St., Flint, MI 48502, and allowed a notarized letter with original signatures and supporting documentation instead of appearing personally. (grandblanctwpmi.gov)

4. Build evidence. Include the assessment notice, Form 618, a one-page requested value calculation, comparable sales, photos of condition issues, contractor estimates, appraisal pages if available, and corrections to square footage, basement finish, garage, baths, or class. Grand Blanc Township specifically tells owners to provide relevant information such as recent sales, an appraisal, comparable properties, and other valuation evidence. (grandblanctwpmi.gov)

5. Fees. I found no official Genesee city/township source charging a fee to file a March Board of Review petition. A later Michigan Tax Tribunal filing may have a fee depending on property and claim type, but Tribunal rules state there is no fee for a small-claims property tax appeal disputing SEV/taxable value or an ad valorem exemption when the property has at least a 50% PRE for all years at issue. (michigan.gov)

What happens after

The proper appeal authority is your local March Board of Review. It is a short, local hearing: you present why the assessment, taxable value, classification, or exemption decision is wrong; the assessor or staff may explain the record; the board decides whether to change the roll. Non-oral appeals are allowed only if your local unit permits them and receives them by its deadline.

For 2026, the State Tax Commission calendar said the Board of Review must meet on the second Monday in March, start between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., meet an additional day that week, hold at least three evening hours, and complete review of protests by April 6, 2026. Flint’s board rules say petitioners are notified in writing no later than the first Monday in May. (michigan.gov)

If you lose, a residential valuation appeal generally goes to the Michigan Tax Tribunal, Residential Property and Small Claims Division, and the 2026 deadline for residential, agricultural, or timber-cutover property was July 31, 2026. For residential valuation, you normally must first protest to the March Board of Review to preserve Tax Tribunal rights. (michigan.gov)

Local tips

Use the Genesee County BS&A property search and your local assessor’s sales studies where available before filing. The state’s property tax estimator is also useful because millage rates vary dramatically by school district and municipality inside Genesee County. (bsaonline.com)

Worked example using the county millage: suppose your 2026 Taxable Value is $100,000, and you prove the correct Taxable Value should be $90,000. That $10,000 reduction saves $104.13 per year on the county portion alone: $10,000 × 10.4126 mills ÷ 1,000. Your real total savings would be higher once city/township, school, library, ISD, and other voted millages are included, but the exact number depends on your parcel’s taxing district. (geneseecountymi.gov)

Finally, do not wait for the tax bill. By the time summer or winter taxes arrive, the March valuation appeal deadline has usually passed. Your best window is the February assessment notice and the few days before the March Board of Review.

Genesee County Property Tax Rate

2026 Genesee County ad valorem county levy: 10.4126 mills ($10.4126 per $1,000 of taxable value) for county purposes only; a homeowner’s total bill also depends on city/township, school, and other taxing-unit millages for the parcel.

Source: https://www.geneseecountymi.gov/FY%2026%20Adopted%20Budget.pdf?t=202509111140290

When Are Property Taxes Due in Genesee County?

For most Michigan taxpayers, summer property taxes are due by September 14 and winter property taxes are due February 14; taxes unpaid by the last day of February are turned over delinquent to the county treasurer on March 1. Local city charter dates can differ, so the bill/local treasurer controls. Summer-tax deferment: eligible taxpayers who file a deferment request with the local city/township treasurer by September 14 may defer summer property taxes until February 14 without deferment-period interest or penalty.

This is not the same as the assessment appeal deadline above. The appeal deadline is your window to contest your assessed value; the payment due date is when the resulting tax bill must be paid. Missing one does not affect the other, but missing either has real consequences — one forfeits your right to appeal for the year, the other can trigger penalties and interest.

Source: https://www.michigan.gov/taxes/property/state-ed-tax/frequently-asked-questions

Property Tax Exemptions in Genesee County

• Principal Residence Exemption (PRE) — An owner who owns and occupies the property as the owner’s true, fixed, and permanent principal residence.. Exemption from the local school operating millage, up to 18 mills. Yes, file Principal Residence Exemption Affidavit (Form 2368) with the city or township assessor; it remains as long as the owner continues to qualify. Apply by On or before June 1 for the summer tax levy; on or before November 1 for the winter tax levy.. (Source: https://www.michigan.gov/taxes/property/principal)
• Poverty Exemption — A principal-residence owner who, by reason of poverty, is unable to contribute toward public charges and meets local eligibility/household-income guidelines.. Whole or partial property tax exemption for the principal residence, as granted locally. Yes, renew annually with a completed application and required documentation filed with the supervisor, assessor, or Board of Review where the property is located. Apply by Annually on or after January 1 and before the day prior to the last day of the local Board of Review; March, July, and December Boards of Review may hear poverty exemptions.. (Source: https://www.michigan.gov/taxes/property/exemptions/homeowner/poverty-exemption)
• Disabled Veterans Exemption — An eligible disabled veteran, or eligible unremarried surviving spouse, for real property owned and used as the claimant’s homestead, with required supporting evidence.. Exempts the eligible homestead from property taxes under the General Property Tax Act; special assessments generally are not eliminated unless the special-assessment law says otherwise. Yes, initial Form 5107 and supporting evidence must be filed with the local city/township assessor; beginning January 1, 2025, once granted it remains in effect without annual reapplication until rescinded or revoked. Apply by Before December 31 during the year the exemption is requested.. (Source: https://www.michigan.gov/treasury/-/media/Project/Websites/treasury/STC/2023/Disabled-Veterans-Exemption-FAQ-w-samples---Revised-1424.pdf)
• Michigan Homestead Property Tax Credit — Qualified Michigan homeowners or renters whose homestead is in Michigan, who were Michigan residents for at least six months of the tax year, meet total household resources limits, and for homeowners have taxable value under the annual cap.. For tax year 2025, credit limit is $1,900; 2025 taxable value cap is $165,400 and total household resources limit is $71,500. Yes, claim on the applicable Michigan income tax/property tax credit form; can be filed up to four years from the year it could be claimed. Apply by For 2025 timely Michigan individual income tax returns, April 15, 2026; refund claim deadline generally April 15, 2030.. (Source: https://www.michigan.gov/taxes/iit/tax-guidance/credits-exemptions/hptc/tax-year-credit-information/2025)

How to Look Up Your Property Record in Genesee County

You can look up your property's official record at https://app.fetchgis.com/genesee. Genesee County’s GIS/Fetch Parcel and Data Viewer provides parcel mapping and GIS data such as parcel boundaries, aerial imagery, and related land information; the county GIS page is https://www.geneseecountymi.gov/departments/gis/.