Lehigh County, PA Property Tax Appeals: Aug 1 Deadline

Lehigh County, Pennsylvania homeowners appeal their assessment to the Lehigh County Board of Assessment Appeals. The original appeal must be received on or before August 1, or by the date on a Change of Assessment Notice. The county says postmarks and faxed appeals are not accepted as proof of timely filing. The residential fee is $50 per parcel, and the Assessment Office is in the Government Center in Allentown. The 2026 August 1 date has passed, so the next one is August 1, 2027.

Rules for the rest of Pennsylvania are in our Pennsylvania property tax appeal guide.

2026 deadline and where to file

Status as of October 10, 2026.

• Annual appeal: original appeal received on or before August 1. The 2026 date has passed. August 1, 2027 falls on a Sunday, so file before the weekend.
• Change of Assessment Notice: file by the date shown on the notice. The county's interim appeals carry no filing fee.
• Proof of timely filing: the appeal must be received. Postmarks and facsimile appeals are not accepted.
• Fee: residential $50.00 per parcel, non-refundable, due at filing. Check or money order payable to County of Lehigh. Commercial is $200, and rescheduling costs $25.
• Where to file: Lehigh County Assessment Office, Lehigh County Government Center, 17 S. 7th Street, Room 517, Allentown, PA 18101.
• Hearings: the Board posts an agenda for each hearing date on the Assessment page.

How assessments work in Lehigh County

Lehigh County's Assessment Office keeps the property records, and the Board of Assessment Appeals hears challenges. The county states plainly what does not count: tax or millage increases by a municipality or school district, and personal or financial hardship, are not a basis for reducing an assessment.

What does count is evidence of your property's value. The county accepts appraisal reports from a Pennsylvania state-certified appraiser or broker-appraiser completed within the last 12 months. If you recently bought the home, submit the agreement of sale and the settlement sheet. File a separate form and fee for each parcel.

Exemptions and their deadlines

Pennsylvania's main homeowner relief is the school property tax homestead or farmstead exclusion. It lowers the assessed value used to compute your school tax, and only a primary residence qualifies. To receive relief for a tax year that begins July 1 or January 1, the application must be filed by the preceding March 1, so the next deadline is March 1, 2027. The State says the Governor has no authority to extend that date. School districts must notify homeowners by December 31 if a property is not approved or an approval is about to expire. Contact the Lehigh County Assessment Office for the county homestead application. The Taxpayer Relief Act page is linked from the Assessment home page.

The exclusion changes your tax bill, not your assessment, so it is separate from an assessment appeal.

How to appeal, step by step

1. Pull your assessment and compare. Use the Lehigh County record search to save your assessed value and property record. Check square footage, bedrooms, baths and condition against what you know.
2. Gather your evidence of value. An appraisal by a state-certified appraiser within the last 12 months, or the agreement of sale and settlement sheet if you recently bought. Bring five copies of an appraisal report at least ten days before the hearing date.
3. Pick the right appeal. Use the annual appeal if you want the assessment reviewed. Use the interim appeal if you received a Change of Assessment Notice. Interim appeals have no filing fee.
4. File the appeal form with the filing fee. Print, type and sign the appeal form (the original signature of the owner is required) and deliver it with the $50 residential fee so it is received by August 1. Mail or deliver to Lehigh County Assessment Office, 17 S. 7th Street, Room 517, Allentown, PA 18101.
5. Go to your hearing. Hearings are scheduled by the Board. If you need a new date, use the county's reschedule form, which carries a $25 fee.
6. Read the decision. If you disagree with the Board's decision, a petition for appeal to the Court of Common Pleas must be filed within 30 days after the mailing date on the Notice of Formal Assessment. The Lehigh County Court's Self Help Center lists the forms and says the Clerk of Judicial Records, 455 West Hamilton Street, Room 122, Allentown, handles filing.

What property taxes cost in Lehigh County

The U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2020-2024 five-year estimates) puts the median real estate tax paid by Lehigh County homeowners at $4,651 a year, against a median home value of $300,400. That is an effective rate of about 1.55% of home value (median tax divided by median value). It is a countywide figure: your own rate depends on your city, school district and special districts, so read the rate on your actual bill. About 94,675 homes in the county are owner-occupied. Source: Census Reporter, tables B25103 and B25077.

Check your value before you file

Start with the free Grove Hopper over-assessment check: enter your address and we compare your assessment to the data and tell you whether an appeal looks worth your time. If it does, we prepare your appeal documents. You review, sign and file them yourself with the Lehigh County Board of Assessment Appeals. We do not file for you or represent you, and we are not attorneys, accountants or a tax firm.

Contacts

• Lehigh County Assessment Office: Lehigh County Government Center, 17 S. 7th Street, Room 517, Allentown, PA 18101
• Lehigh County Clerk of Judicial Records, Civil Division (court appeals): 455 West Hamilton Street, Room 122, Allentown, PA 18101 · Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.