Multnomah County commercial property
Will an appeal actually lower your tax? We find out first.
Most property tax appeals in Oregon save nothing, even when they win. We check your account before anything is filed, and we only take the cases where a lower value means a lower bill.
- Deadline December 31, 2026
- Fee 40% of first-year savings
- No savings no fee
Why most appeals save nothing
Oregon taxes most commercial property on its assessed value, which Measure 50 limits to 3% growth a year. For most Portland buildings that assessed value sits well below the county's real market value. Win a lower real market value and the bill does not move.
The county says it plainly on its appeal page: a reduction in real market value may not result in tax savings.
When an appeal does pay
Measure 5 caps operating taxes at $5 per $1,000 of real market value for schools and $10 per $1,000 for general government. When a property hits those caps it is in compression, and its tax follows real market value.
Then every $1,000 of reduction can save up to about $15 a year. Many downtown and close-in buildings are in compression today because values have fallen while assessed values kept rising.
How we work
- 1
Free check
Send your account number or 2026-27 statement. We test compression and estimate what a reduction would be worth.
- 2
Evidence
An income approach from market rents (and your own figures if you have them), sales close to January 1, and current leasing and listing data for your building and submarket.
- 3
Filing
We prepare and file the petition and the Authorization to Represent before December 31, 2026.
- 4
Hearing
We present your case to the Board between February and April 15.
Who this is for
- Office, retail, mixed-use, industrial and multifamily owners in Multnomah County
- Buildings with vacancy, falling rents or long listing times
- Properties that sold or were listed below the county's value
- Owners who want a straight answer before paying anyone
What you pay
40% of the first-year tax savings
Only if the Board's order lowers your 2026-27 tax. If it does not, you owe us nothing. The county's $30 filing fee per account is separate.
Questions owners ask
How do I appeal my Multnomah County property tax?
File a petition with the Property Value Appeals Board after your 2026-27 tax statement arrives and no later than December 31, 2026. Each account needs its own petition and a $30 filing fee payable to Multnomah County. Petitions are accepted by mail or in person only. The county does not accept email or fax.
Will a lower real market value lower my tax?
Only in some cases. Most Oregon commercial property is taxed on assessed value, which Measure 50 limits to 3% growth a year, and for most buildings that number sits well below real market value. A lower real market value then changes nothing. The county says so itself: a reduction in real market value may not result in tax savings. It does save money when the property is in Measure 5 compression, or when the new value falls below the assessed value. We check that first.
What is Measure 5 compression?
Measure 5 caps operating property taxes at $5 per $1,000 of real market value for schools and $10 per $1,000 for general government. When a property's taxes would exceed those caps, they are reduced to the cap, and the tax then follows real market value. In that case every $1,000 of value reduction can save up to about $15 a year in those taxes. Bond levies are outside the caps.
What evidence does the Board look at?
Evidence of market value as of January 1 of the assessment year: an arm's length sale of the property, a recent appraisal, comparable sales, a listing below the roll value, written repair estimates, and for commercial property, income and expense information. We also bring current leasing and listing data for the building and its submarket.
Find out in one call whether an appeal is worth it
Petitions for 2026-27 must be postmarked or delivered by December 31, 2026. Preparing a strong package takes time, so earlier is better.
Get a free check