Lower your Santa Clara County property taxes
The Santa Clara County Assessor sets your value each January 1. The county's appeal window closes September 15, and since June 2026 the Clerk charges a nonrefundable $290 fee for each residential appeal. 30% of first-year savings, only if you save.
What a too-high value costs you
If your home is assessed at $1,600,000 but similar homes point to about $1,480,000, you're taxed on $120,000 too much. At a 1.21% rate that's about $1,446 a year. Our fee would be $434; you'd keep $1,012.
What gets missed in Santa Clara County
- The short informal window. The Assessor's free informal review ran June 30 – August 8 in 2026. Miss it and the only option is a paid formal appeal.
- The early deadline. Formal appeals close September 15 here, not November 30 like Los Angeles or San Diego.
- Size mismatches. ADUs, additions and garage conversions are recorded wrong or compared with the wrong homes.
- Wrong comparisons. Sales from a different school district or a newer tract nearby.
Insider tip: Ask for the Assessor's free informal review before filing a formal appeal. The Clerk's $290 fee is nonrefundable, and the informal results arrive shortly after August 15, before the September 15 deadline.
Reviewed by the founder
Julien reviews every Santa Clara County case personally and tells you the value we’ll ask for before anything is filed.
Get my free reviewSanta Clara County calendar
| January 1 | Valuation date for the 2027–28 roll |
| March 31 | Last day for sales that can support a January 1 value (90 days) |
| Late June – early August | Free informal (Prop 8) review with the Assessor (2026: June 30 – August 8) |
| Shortly after August 15 | Informal review results mailed |
| July 2 – September 15, 2027 | Formal appeal window with the Clerk of the Board ($290 per residential parcel) |
| Within 2 years of filing | Assessment Appeals Board must decide unless you agree to extend |
| December 10, 2027 / April 10, 2028 | First / second tax installment delinquent if unpaid |
Sources: Santa Clara County Clerk of the Board — Appeal your property taxes · Santa Clara County Assessor — Important points on Prop 8 · Santa Clara County Assessor — Disputing your assessed value · BOE LTA 2026/023 — filing periods. Dates are checked each year; confirm with the county for your property.
Exemptions to check
The homeowners' exemption takes $7,000 off the taxable value of your main home; file Form BOE-266 by February 15 for the full amount. Disabled veterans may qualify for a much larger exemption, and Prop 19 lets owners 55 and over move their tax base. We check your exemptions free at sign-up.
Santa Clara County questions
Is there a fee to appeal in Santa Clara County?
Yes, since June 1, 2026. The Clerk of the Board charges a nonrefundable $290 per parcel for homes, vacant land and agricultural property. Applicants on public assistance can ask for a waiver.
Where do I file?
With the Clerk of the Board through its online appeal portal, between July 2 and September 15. The informal review goes to the Assessor's Office.
I missed September 15. Now what?
Sign up anyway. We'll request the free informal review when it opens next summer and file in the window that opens July 2, 2027.