Jackson County Property Tax: Appeals, Deadlines & Exemptions (2026)

If you disagree with your Jackson County property assessment, you generally must appeal to the county Board of Equalization (BOE) by the statutory deadline — the third Monday in June in most years, though Jackson County has extended this deadline in recent years (for example, to July 13 in 2026). Appeals go to the BOE office at 1300 Washington St., Suite 180, Kansas City, MO 64105, either online, by mail, or in person; because the exact date shifts, confirm it on the county's Board of Equalization page or by calling 816-881-3309 before you plan around it. Missing the window generally means waiting until the next tax year to appeal.

How Property Assessments Work in Jackson County

The Jackson County Assessment Department is responsible for valuing all real and personal property in the county. Missouri law requires counties to reassess real estate every odd-numbered year (2023, 2025, 2027, and so on), with the assessor required to set each property's value as of January 1 of the reassessment year. In even years, your assessed value generally carries over unless something changed — new construction, a remodel, a change in use, or a correction.

If your assessment increases and the county performed a physical inspection tied to that increase, you're supposed to receive written notice. If you never received a notice but your value went up, that alone can be worth raising with the Assessment Department.

Should You Appeal, and What Actually Persuades the Board

An appeal is worth filing when you believe the county's estimate of your property's market value is higher than what it would actually sell for, or higher than comparable properties nearby. The Board of Equalization is not interested in "my taxes are too high" as an argument — property tax bills are a function of both assessed value and the tax rate set by local taxing jurisdictions, and the BOE can only address the value side.

Evidence that carries weight with the BOE and, on further appeal, the State Tax Commission includes:

• A recent independent appraisal of your property
• Your closing/settlement statement if you bought the home recently (particularly persuasive if the purchase was close to the January 1 valuation date)
• Comparable sales of similar homes in your neighborhood, with adjustments for condition and size
• Photographs and repair estimates documenting damage, deferred maintenance, or defects the county's valuation doesn't reflect
• The county assessor's own recommendation of value, if the informal review process produced one

Generic complaints about rising bills, without evidence tied to the value of your specific property, are unlikely to move the needle.

How to File: Step by Step

Missouri, and Jackson County specifically, generally give you two stages before you leave the county entirely:

1. Informal review with the Assessment Department. Before or instead of a formal appeal, you can ask the Assessment Department to informally review your value. Gather your evidence first — an appraisal, sale contract, photos, repair estimates, or comparable sales — then submit it through the county's online Informal Review application or by email after speaking with an Assessment Department representative (residential: AsmtCustomerService@jacksongov.org, 816-881-3530; commercial: 816-881-3074). Many disputes are resolved here through a stipulated value, without ever reaching the Board.

2. Formal appeal to the Board of Equalization. If informal review doesn't resolve things, or you'd rather go straight to a hearing, file a formal appeal with the BOE. Appeal forms become available each year starting May 1 and can be obtained by phone, in person, or online at the BOE's office (1300 Washington St., Suite 180, Kansas City, MO 64105; boardofequalization@jacksongov.org; 816-881-3309). If you're appealing based on a recent purchase, the BOE specifically wants your deed, settlement/closing statement, and a certified appraisal. There is no filing fee mentioned by the county for a BOE appeal. Hearings typically run into the summer, and you can track your case online through the county's appeal-lookup system at jcgis.jacksongov.org/appeals/.

3. State Tax Commission (STC) appeal. If you disagree with the BOE's decision, the next and final administrative step is the Missouri State Tax Commission. You must file a "Complaint for Review of Assessment" on or before September 30 of the assessment year, or within 30 days of the BOE's decision, whichever is later (property acquired late in the year gets until December 31). File online through the STC's portal, or email Legal@stc.mo.gov, attaching your BOE decision letter. There's no filing fee, and if you're a homeowner appealing your own residential property, you don't need an attorney — legal entities (LLCs, trusts, corporations) do. A hearing officer will be assigned and will notify you when your case is scheduled.

Property Tax Rates (Levies)

Your tax bill is your property's assessed value multiplied by the combined levy of every taxing jurisdiction covering your parcel — county, school district, city, and often library, mental health, and community college districts. Rates vary block by block depending on which jurisdictions overlap your property. Jackson County publishes an annual levy comparison showing each jurisdiction's rate per $100 of assessed valuation. We are not reproducing those figures here because we could not retrieve the county's levy PDF directly to verify them — look up your own parcel's combined rate on your tax bill or through the county's online property search, since it is the only rate that applies to you. These are components, not your full bill — your actual combined rate depends on every taxing district attached to your specific address. You can find your parcel's full breakdown on your tax bill or through the county's taxing jurisdictions and levy rates page. Most jurisdictions are constitutionally required to roll their rates back when reassessment pushes values up faster than inflation, which is part of why the exact levy shifts from year to year.

When Are Property Taxes Actually Due?

Jackson County property taxes are due by December 31 each year — online payments must post before the payment site closes at 11:40 p.m. on December 31, and mailed payments must be postmarked by that date. This is a separate deadline from your appeal deadline. Winning or losing an appeal doesn't change when the bill is due; it changes how much you owe. Missouri law generally allows you to pay under protest while an appeal is pending, so you aren't forced to choose between avoiding penalties and preserving your appeal — see the State Tax Commission's guidance on paying under protest for the mechanics. Payments postmarked or submitted after December 31 accrue interest, penalties, and fees.

Exemptions and Tax Credits

Missouri Property Tax Credit ("circuit breaker"). This state-level credit, not a county program, is worth checking regardless of which county you live in. It's available to seniors and 100%-disabled Missourians, with separate income tests for owners and renters:

• Owners who owned and occupied their home the full year: household income of $30,000 or less (single) or $34,000 or less (married filing combined) — maximum credit $1,100.
• Renters or part-year owners: household income of $27,200 or less (single) or $29,200 or less (married filing combined) — maximum credit $750.
• You qualify by being 65+ as of December 31 of the tax year and a Missouri resident all year, being 100% disabled as a result of military service, being 100% disabled generally, or being 60+ and receiving surviving-spouse Social Security benefits.
• Veterans: if you're a 100% service-connected disabled veteran, VA disability payments are excluded when calculating your household income for this credit, and 100% military-service disability qualifies you regardless of age.

File through MyTax Missouri or by mail with Form MO-PTC (or MO-PTS if you also file a full income tax return); questions go to PropertyTaxCredit@dor.mo.gov.

Jackson County Senior Property Tax Credit (local tax freeze). Separate from the state circuit breaker, Jackson County adopted a local senior tax freeze under Missouri's authorizing statute (RSMo 137.1050). As of this writing it is active and accepting applications. It freezes the ad valorem (value-based) portion of your county tax bill at the amount from your year of eligibility — special assessments and other non-ad-valorem charges still apply and can still rise. To qualify you must be a Jackson County resident, age 62 or older, own or hold a legal/equitable interest in the property, be liable for the tax, and occupy the home as your sole primary residence. Applications are accepted year-round through December 31, with no renewal required (though the county periodically audits eligibility); a new application is required after a property sale. Apply online, by mail, email (SeniorApplication@jacksongov.org), or in person at either Collection Department office; 816-881-3232.

Look Up Your Property Record

You can search your parcel's current and prior-year assessed value directly through the county's public portals:

• Real property search: https://www.jacksongov.org/Services/search/commonsearch.aspx?mode=realprop
• Personal property search: https://www.jacksongov.org/Services/search/commonsearch.aspx?mode=persprop

Search by street address or Parcel ID. Note that the county itself cautions that displayed residential valuations may not reflect current market value, since assessed values are set as of the January 1 valuation date and are subject to the State Tax Commission's oversight.

The 2023 Reassessment Controversy

Homeowners researching Jackson County appeals will run into this history, so it's worth knowing. The county's 2023 reassessment produced an average increase of roughly 30% in assessed value across hundreds of thousands of parcels, with some properties seeing increases over 100%, according to reporting on the dispute. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sued the county, alleging it failed to follow required notice and inspection procedures — including not sending required written notices to most owners facing increases of 15% or more tied to a physical inspection, and not actually inspecting many properties as state law requires.

In August 2024, the State Tax Commission ordered Jackson County to roll back 2023 assessments to either their prior level or a 15% increase over the last assessment, whichever was lower — effectively capping most of the 2023 increases. Jackson County challenged the order in court; in April 2025, a judge ruled the State Tax Commission acted within its authority, though the county has signaled it may appeal further. County officials have separately warned the rollback could create significant budget shortfalls for schools, libraries, and other taxing jurisdictions that rely on the disputed revenue. If your property was affected by the 2023 reassessment, your specific parcel's history is the most reliable way to know whether a rollback applies to you — check your record through the county's property search tools above or ask the Assessment Department directly.