However, sometimes, the Vacant Home Tax Notice of Assessment, which notifies individuals of their Vacant Home Tax liability, can be issued erroneously, perhaps due to system inaccuracies or extenuating circumstances on the homeowner’s side. If you have received a Vacant Home Tax Notice of Assessment and believe that it is unfair or inaccurate, it is within your rights to file a notice of complaint, often within 30 days of receipt of the Notice of Assessment, to dispute the assessment.

This notice of complaint can be filed by completing the relevant forms in your region. However, in the case of extenuating circumstances, you may wish to write a letter to afford yourself more leeway to explain said circumstances. This can be a confusing, complex, and time-consuming process. In such an instance, our experts and editors at Panoply Statements Writing Help can help you create or improve your Notice of Complaint for Vacant Home Tax, potentially helping you reduce your tax liability.

How we structure the Notice of Complaint Letter

1. Introductory paragraph of the notice of complaint letter: In this section, we highlight the purpose of filing the notice of complaint, clearly outlining the property address on which the Vacant Home Tax was levied, its identifying folio number, and its access code.

Note: The folio number and access code are indicated on the Notice of Assessment and must be included in subsequent communication.

2. The extenuating circumstances/reasons why the indicated property was not vacant during the tax period: In the body of the of the notice of complaint letter, we clearly outline the extenuating reasons why the indicated property was not vacant during the tax period indicated in your Notice of Assessment. We also outline the reasons that proof or change of residency was not filed for any individuals living on the property (if necessary) and refer to evidence pointing to the occupation of the premises.

Note 1: Evidence of occupation of the premises could include, but is not limited to, mail or deliveries addressed to the principal resident(s) of the property, government or social security benefits addressed to the principal resident(s), building or city permits that indicated that the property was inhabitable during the tax period, signed affidavits attesting to occupancy by the principal resident(s).

Note 2: The evidence of occupation should show that the residence was occupied for at least six months during the tax period.

3. Conclusion: In the concluding paragraph(s) of the notice of complaint letter, we assert that in light of the shared extenuating circumstances and presented evidence, the Empty Homes Tax assessment was incorrect. We also request a re-evaluation of the tax assessment and reversal of the Vacant Home Tax that was levied on the property for the reference period. Finally, we sign off and thank the evaluator for their attention to this matter.