Property Tax Appeals in Franklin County, Ohio
Franklin County's next ordinary opportunity is the Board of Revision period for tax-year 2026 values. County sources agree that it opens in November 2026 and closes March 31, 2027, but currently disagree whether the opening day is November 20 or November 30. The Auditor's tax-year 2026 instructions should control when posted. FairPath's owner-guided evidence packet remains available year-round to organize official parcel facts, owner-selected comparisons, condition documentation, and filing questions. It does not submit DTE Form 1, choose the requested value, mediate a case, or attend a hearing.
Assessment context: Franklin County is implementing a 2026 value update, so owners should preserve both the prior value and the new official figure and verify the effective tax year. Review parcel number, owner, taxing district, land and improvement values, class, living area, age, construction, basement, garage, lot, condition, and transfer history. Ohio property values are revisited through reappraisal and triennial-update cycles, but a valuation increase does not translate mechanically into the same percentage tax increase. Franklin includes central Columbus neighborhoods, older inner-ring communities, rapidly growing suburbs, condominium developments, rural townships, and commercial corridors. School district, neighborhood, building type, new construction, renovation, lot, and condition should guide comparisons.
Filing process: When the window opens, download the current DTE Form 1 and Board instructions. Identify the tax year and parcel, complete the owner and value fields, state the requested value and supporting basis, sign the form, and submit by an authorized channel. Franklin's official FAQ and filing page describe email, fax, mail, and delivery options. Keep the sent email, fax confirmation, postal proof, or stamped copy. Attach supporting evidence when possible because the Board's rules prefer evidence with the original complaint. The Board schedules a hearing after filing and may offer mediation in appropriate cases. Review the current notice for hearing format and submission deadlines; opening a draft or discussing the value with the Auditor does not create a Board case.
Evidence to review: Franklin's Board evaluates the evidence supporting the value requested. Build a sales table with parcel, deed date, price, city or township, neighborhood, school district, property type, living area, age, lot, basement, garage, renovation, condition, and transaction circumstances. Use official property records and explain why each sale is comparable around the relevant valuation date. An appraisal, closing record, dated photographs, inspection report, permits, contractor scope, or repair documentation may support the file when its connection to value is explained. The Board's rules restrict opinion evidence from people with a financial interest in the outcome, so distinguish owner facts and properly qualified appraisal evidence from compensated advocacy. Index the exhibits and preserve the exact submission.
Current deadline guidance: Tax-year 2026 complaints open in November 2026 and close March 31, 2027; confirm the opening date. Franklin County's current official sources agree that the tax-year 2026 Board of Revision period will open in November 2026 and close March 31, 2027, but they conflict on the opening date: the Treasurer says November 20 while the Auditor's general FAQ says November 30 and the Board-specific FAQ gives no day. Use the Auditor's tax-year 2026 filing instructions and current DTE Form 1 when the Board opens the period rather than relying on either provisional date.
Franklin's Treasurer lists November 20 while the Auditor's general FAQ lists November 30 and its Board-specific FAQ says only that filing reopens in November. Treat the opening day as unresolved until the Auditor publishes the tax-year 2026 filing instructions.
The county is processing a 2026 triennial value update, making preservation of old and new parcel values especially useful for the next complaint period.
Franklin accepts complaints by email, fax, mail, or delivery under current instructions, but owners should retain channel-specific proof of receipt.
Board rules prefer evidence with the original complaint and restrict opinion testimony from people whose compensation depends on the case outcome.
Official filing authority: Franklin County Board of Revision. https://auditor.franklincountyohio.gov/Real-Estate/Board-of-Revision/Filing-Instructions
Source: Franklin County Auditor, Franklin County Board of Revision, https://auditor.franklincountyohio.gov/Real-Estate/Board-of-Revision. Reviewed 2026-07-29.
Source: Franklin County Auditor, Franklin County Auditor Frequently Asked Questions, https://auditor.franklincountyohio.gov/Auditor/Frequently-Asked-Questions. Reviewed 2026-07-29.
Source: Franklin County Auditor, Board of Revision FAQ, https://auditor.franklincountyohio.gov/Real-Estate/Board-of-Revision/Board-of-Revision-FAQ. Reviewed 2026-07-29.
Source: Franklin County Auditor, Board of Revision Filing Instructions, https://auditor.franklincountyohio.gov/Real-Estate/Board-of-Revision/Filing-Instructions. Reviewed 2026-07-29.
Source: Franklin County Treasurer, Franklin County Treasurer FAQ, https://treasurer.franklincountyohio.gov/About/FAQs. Reviewed 2026-07-29.
Source: Franklin County Auditor, Franklin Board Rules of Practice and Procedure, https://auditor.franklincountyohio.gov/files/assets/auditor/v/1/documents/real-estate/bor-rules-of-practice-and-procedure.pdf. Reviewed 2026-07-29.
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