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Counties say refunds often take weeks; Santa Clara reports five-week average
Summary
A Board of Equalization work group heard that some counties issue property-tax refunds in weeks while others can take months. Santa Clara County officials told the panel their department averages about five weeks to issue refunds after assessment appeals, and stakeholders proposed procedural and statutory fixes to shorten delays.
Santa Clara County and tax practitioners told a Board of Equalization work group that property-tax refunds after assessment appeals commonly take several weeks — not days — and that the time varies based on the steps required to verify payees and compute interest.
The difference matters, panelists said, because delay can create cash-flow problems for taxpayers and administrative congestion for counties.
Deputy County Counsel Bhavit Madvani, who advises the Assessment Appeals Board in Santa Clara County, said County Tax and Collections data show most refunds tied to reduced secured assessments are issued on average within five weeks. "On average, we're talking about 5 weeks," Madvani said, adding that straightforward cases often take three to four weeks while more complex matters can rise to six or seven weeks.
Why it can take that long, panelists said, is that counties must confirm the correct recipient for the refund (it is sometimes an escrow…
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