Lower your Erie County property taxes
In Erie County each town and city assesses its own homes, and town grievances are due on the fourth Tuesday in May. Levels of assessment differ from town to town, so the market value behind your assessment can be off without the number on your notice looking wrong. 30% of first-year savings, only if you save.
What a too-high value costs you
If your home is assessed at $300,000 but similar homes point to about $278,000, you're taxed on $22,000 too much. At a 2.00% rate that's about $440 a year. Our fee would be $132; you'd keep $308.
What gets missed in Erie County
- The equalization rate. Divide your assessment by your town's equalization rate to see the market value it implies — the number our example uses.
- Buffalo runs its own calendar. The city's 2025 reassessment used its own informal review and a December grievance period. Check the city's dates each year.
- Condition. Older homes with original systems, roof wear or foundation work aren't fully captured in the records.
- Wrong comparisons. Sales from another town or school district, where the level of assessment and tax rates differ.
Insider tip: Small claims and Article 7 cases are due 30 days after the July 1 final roll, so we file the RP-524 on time to keep that option open.
Reviewed by the founder
Julien reviews every Erie County case personally and tells you the value we’ll ask for before anything is filed.
Get my free reviewErie County calendar
| July 1, 2026 | Valuation date for towns |
| March 1, 2027 | Taxable status date; exemption applications (including STAR) due |
| May 1 | Tentative roll filed |
| May 25, 2027 | Grievance Day — RP-524 due to the Board of Assessment Review |
| July 1 | Final roll filed |
| 30 days after the final roll | Deadline for SCAR ($30) or Article 7 |
Sources: Erie County Real Property Tax Services — assessment calendar · City of Buffalo — assessment appeals · NYS Tax Department — grievance procedures · NY Open Data — full value tax rates by municipality (ORPTS). Dates are checked each year; confirm with the county for your property.
Exemptions to check
New owners get the STAR credit from the state if household income is $500,000 or less; owners 65 and older with income up to $113,550 can get Enhanced STAR for 2027. Veterans and lower-income seniors may qualify for partial exemptions where their town and school district offer them. Exemption applications are due to the assessor by March 1. We check your exemptions free at sign-up.
Erie County questions
How do I grieve in Erie County?
File Form RP-524 with your town's assessor or Board of Assessment Review by May 25, 2027. To have us file, you sign Part Four naming us as your representative. City owners should check their city's date.
What if the board doesn't lower it?
Owner-occupied 1–3 family homes can file Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR) for $30 within 30 days after the final roll. Other property goes to court under Article 7.
I missed Grievance Day. Now what?
You'll have to wait for next year's roll. Sign up now and we'll file before the fourth Tuesday in May.