Cut Your Higher Property Taxes 

719-377-6770

El Paso County Assessor (Steve Schleiker) - Send out revaluation notices on May 1, 2021. Values increased significantly across all property types. Most property groups increased a minimum of 15% and many were above 20%. This means increased taxes for your tax bill that comes in January 2022

The main reasons for the increase in Commercial Property Values and Taxes in 2021.

  1. Commercial Real Estate Assessments (and taxes) - continue to increase.  
    The 2021 increase compounds the value increase from 2017 and 2019. 2021 Shows a major increase across all major property types, with the exception of hotels and several unique property types.
      Property Type2021 IncreaseNotes 
      Multifamily Apartment  25-30%
      Warehouse20-25%
      Retail7-12% 
      Restaurant5-10% slight adjustment for COVID
      Office and Medical15-20% 
      Hotel/MotelNo Change 
      TavernNo Change 
      Land - Vacant Residential15-25% 
      Land - Vacant Commercial15-20% 
    • Commercial properties pay 4x the tax vs residential.
      Colorado laws shift the tax burden from residential to commercial properties. The amount commercial properties pay keeps going up in relation to a similarly valued home or apartment. 
    • Tax Rate Increases - School taxes make up the majority of property taxes paid.
      Colorado Springs School District 11 and Widefield School District 3 passed mill levy tax increases of 28% and 34% in 2017. Green Mtn Falls Fire and Tri Lakes Fire 74% and 57%.
      2018 - Falcon Fire (42%), Harrison School District 2 (31%),  Manitou District 14 (16%), District 11 (another 6%), Pikes Peak Library, El Paso County, Fountain Sanitation and other cities had tax rate increases. 2019 and 2020 were not exempt.

    What Can You Do

    • Check the Assessor's market value to make sure it is not higher than similar properties.(ie office building in the same general area, about the same size and age).
    • Make sure the property value is not above what similar buildings sold for between July 2018 and June 2020
    • Verify that the Assessor has your building size, age, type and other features correct. 
    If any of the information you check is not in your favor, contact the El Paso County Tax Assessor's office at 719-520-6600 to discuss the issues. 

    You can file a property tax appeal over the phone between May 1 and June 1, 2021. You should know how much your value should be before discussing or accepting any new values.

    We Can Help - Free Property Tax Review

    If you don’t have the time or resources available, a property tax consultant at Bearing Commercial will check your value and tell you if you are overpaying taxes (see the form below or contact info below). All Property Tax Reviews are completed by a Certified Appraiser specializing in Property Tax Valuations. 

    You can take this information on your own.

    We help taxpayers with full service Tax Appeal - Research, Analyze, Appeal, Attend Hearings. In many cases we can get a TAX REFUND (abatement) for prior years already paid. 

    We review commercial property tax and assessments in El Paso County and Teller County. On a case-by-case basis we will go outside of these areas in Colorado. 

    Property Tax Value Check

    You may be able to save money on property taxes by filing an appeal or protest with the El Paso County Assessor's Office (DEADLINE JUNE 1). Fill out the form below and we’ll determine if you are a good candidate to appeal. There is no obligation and we guarantee not to share your inquiry or email. We will review the information about your property and send you back a preliminary determination if an appeal appears warranted or your property is fairly assessed. You can decide at that point to appeal yourself, have Bearing Commercial help, or feel confident you are paying a fair and equal amount in property taxes.

    Tax Appeal Value Check