Tax relief and valuation review

Protect your exemption and appeal rights.

A homestead exemption, senior-relief program, or valuation protest can change the amount a homeowner owes—but only if the filing reaches the right local office in the correct window. Use the verified county guidance below as your working checklist, then confirm the current form and deadline with Pontotoc County Assessor Renae Furimsky / Pontotoc County Treasurer Paula Hall.

Relief programs

What the local record says

Homestead filing

The filing guidance for this county is: For tax year 2026, current Oklahoma Tax Commission Form 921 must be filed with the county assessor by March 15, 2026, or within 30 days after receipt of a notice of valuation increase, whichever is later; a continuing qualified owner generally need not reapply after the exemption is granted. Use the official form or application channel, provide the residence and ownership documentation requested, and keep a copy of the submission.

Open homestead application

Senior citizen tax relief

2026 Oklahoma Tax Commission Form 994: a head of household age 65 or older as of January 1 who owns and occupies the homestead on January 1 and whose gross household income does not exceed the 2026 HUD county limit of $84,100 may receive the property-valuation limitation. The additional homestead exemption requires age 65 or older as of March 15 and gross household income of $30,000 or less. File with the county assessor by March 15, or within 30 days after a valuation-increase notice; Form 994 is the official application.

Valuation cap or growth limit

Oklahoma Constitution Article X §8B limits annual increases in fair cash value of locally assessed real property to 5%; property qualifying for homestead exemption or classified as agricultural is limited to 3%. The limits generally do not apply in a year of title transfer/change/conveyance or to value added by improvements; personal property and state-assessed property are excluded. The separate senior valuation limitation is under Article X §8C and OTC Form 994.

Appealing an assessment

Build the objection around evidence and the notice date.

Calendar the window

Use the valuation notice and the county’s published protest guidance to determine the last day to file. Do not assume the payment deadline controls the appeal.

Assemble support

Gather comparable sales, photographs, repair records, appraisal evidence, property characteristics, and any documentation that explains why the assessed value is incorrect.

File and preserve proof

Submit through the official channel, save the confirmation, and attend the board or review hearing if one is scheduled. An appraiser or attorney can help evaluate evidence when the value or stakes are substantial.

The verified protest guidance for this county is: For 2026, Oklahoma Tax Commission Form 974 requires a written protest to the county assessor within 30 calendar days after the valuation notice was mailed; if the value was unchanged from the prior year, a protest may be filed on or before the first Monday in April. The assessor must issue a written decision within seven calendar days after the informal hearing; an appeal uses OTC Form 976 within 15 calendar days after the decision is mailed, and protest proceedings must be completed by May 31 or the county Board of Equalization adjournment date. If the language is not a specific calendar date, contact the office promptly for the current notice and board-review schedule.