How do I protest my property tax assessment in Douglas County?

File a written protest with the Douglas County Board of Equalization between June 1 and June 30. You can file online at boe.douglascounty-ne.gov, by mail, or in person. Big Red Value automates this entire process — from evidence gathering to generating your complete protest packet ready to submit.

What evidence do I need for a property tax protest?

You need comparable sales data showing similar homes sold for less than your assessed value, documentation of property condition issues (roof, HVAC, foundation), and proof of any assessment data errors such as incorrect square footage or bedroom count. Big Red Value's AI identifies which evidence matters most for your specific property and ranks questions by predicted impact.

How much can I save by protesting my property taxes?

In 2025, 47% of Douglas County protests resulted in a reduction, with a median assessed value reduction of roughly $30,600 for residential properties. Your savings depend on how much your property is over-assessed relative to comparable sales. Our AI prediction engine estimates your specific expected savings before you file.

Is it worth protesting property taxes?

Yes. In 2025, nearly half of all Douglas County protests resulted in some reduction. With Big Red Value, the process takes about 15 minutes instead of hours of manual research.

When is the deadline to protest property taxes in Nebraska?

The protest filing deadline for Douglas County is June 30 annually. Protests must be received by the Board of Equalization by this date. If you need to appeal further, appeals to the Nebraska Tax Equalization and Review Commission (TERC) must be postmarked by September 10.

What is unequal appraisal?

Under Nebraska Revised Statute 77-1502, if your property is assessed higher per square foot than comparable properties in your neighborhood, you have grounds for a protest based on unequal appraisal. Big Red Value automatically identifies lower-assessed neighbors and builds a percentile analysis showing exactly where your assessment ranks.

Do I need a lawyer to protest my property taxes?

No. Most homeowners successfully protest without legal representation. Big Red Value provides AI-generated hearing scripts with opening statements, evidence presentation guides, counter-argument rebuttals, and a three-tier settlement strategy — giving you professional-grade preparation without the cost of an attorney.

How does Big Red Value's AI work?

Our machine learning model (LightGBM) analyzes your property using 20+ features and scores comparable properties on 8 dimensions of similarity: square footage, lot size, age, quality grade, condition, style, sale recency, and distance. The system predicts your protest outcome, then generates personalized evidence collection questions ranked by impact and builds your complete protest packet.

Can I protest my property taxes online in Douglas County?

Yes. Douglas County allows online protest filing through the Board of Equalization website at boe.douglascounty-ne.gov. You can also file by mail or in person. Big Red Value generates your complete protest packet digitally so you can submit it through whichever channel you prefer.

What happens after I file my property tax protest?

After filing, you will receive a hearing date from the Board of Equalization, typically scheduled between mid-June and mid-August. At the hearing, you present your evidence to a BOE panel. The board will issue a decision, usually within a few weeks. If you disagree with the outcome, you can appeal to the Nebraska Tax Equalization and Review Commission (TERC) by September 10.

How is my property's assessed value determined in Nebraska?

The Douglas County Assessor uses a mass appraisal model that estimates market value based on property characteristics like square footage, year built, lot size, condition, and recent comparable sales. Nebraska law requires residential property to be assessed at 100% of actual market value. The assessor updates values annually based on market trends and sales data.

What is the difference between assessed value and market value?

Assessed value is the value assigned by the county assessor for tax purposes. Market value is what your home would sell for in an open market transaction. In Nebraska, these should be equal for residential property. If your assessed value exceeds what comparable homes are actually selling for, you have grounds for a protest.

Can I protest if my property taxes went up but my home value didn't change?

Property taxes can increase even without an assessment change if local tax levies (school district, city, etc.) increase. However, you can only protest the assessed value, not the tax rate. If your assessment did increase and you believe it exceeds market value, you should file a protest during the June 1-30 window.

What are comparable sales and why do they matter?

Comparable sales (comps) are recent sales of properties similar to yours in location, size, age, and condition. They are the strongest evidence in a property tax protest because they directly demonstrate market value. The Board of Equalization gives the most weight to comps that are recent (within 12 months), nearby (same neighborhood), and similar in characteristics.

How much does it cost to protest property taxes in Douglas County?

Filing a protest with the Douglas County Board of Equalization is free. There is no filing fee. If you hire a tax attorney or agent, they typically charge a contingency fee of 25-40% of first-year tax savings. Big Red Value provides free AI-powered analysis and protest packet generation.

What is Nebraska Form 422?

Nebraska Form 422 is the official protest form required to challenge your property tax assessment with the county Board of Equalization. It asks for your property information, the basis of your protest (overvaluation or unequal appraisal), your opinion of value, and a summary of supporting evidence. Big Red Value auto-fills this form for you based on your property data.

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Terms of Service

Last updated: March 31, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the Big Red Value platform (“the Service”), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

Big Red Value is an AI-powered software tool that assists Douglas County, Nebraska homeowners with property tax protest preparation. The Service analyzes property assessments, identifies comparable properties, generates protest narratives, and produces filing documents including the Nebraska Form 422.

3. Not Legal, Tax, or Appraisal Advice

Big Red Value is a software tool. It is not a law firm, tax advisory service, or licensed appraisal practice. The information and documents generated by Big Red Value do not constitute legal advice, tax advice, or professional appraisal services.

You are solely responsible for reviewing all AI-generated content before filing it with any government body. We recommend consulting with a qualified attorney or tax professional if you have questions about your specific situation.

4. User Accounts

To access certain features, you may need to create an account through our authentication provider, Clerk. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account.

5. Acceptable Use

When using the Service, you agree to:

Provide accurate and truthful information about your property.
Use the Service only for lawful property tax protest purposes.
Not attempt to access other users' data, reverse-engineer the platform, or use automated tools to scrape or overload the Service.
Not submit false evidence or misrepresent property conditions in generated documents.

6. Intellectual Property

The Big Red Value platform, including its software, design, and content, is owned by Big Red Value. You retain ownership of the personal data you provide and the protest documents generated for your use. You may use, copy, and file these documents as needed for your property tax protest.

7. AI-Generated Content

The Service uses artificial intelligence to generate property analyses, comparable scoring, protest narratives, and hearing preparation materials. AI-generated content may contain inaccuracies, incomplete information, or errors.

You are responsible for reviewing all AI-generated content for accuracy before using it in any official filing or hearing. Big Red Value does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of any AI-generated output.

8. User Responsibility and Good Faith Filing

You are responsible for ensuring that any protest you file using the Service is submitted in good faith and based on a genuine belief that your property is over-assessed. Big Red Value provides tools and data to assist your analysis, but the decision to file a protest is yours alone.

The Douglas County Board of Equalization has the authority to adjust your property's assessed value in either direction as a result of a protest hearing. This means your assessment could be increased if the Board determines your property was under-assessed. Big Red Value is not responsible for any change to your assessed value, whether an increase or decrease, resulting from a protest you choose to file.

You should carefully review your assessment and the analysis provided by the Service before deciding to file. If you are unsure whether your property is over-assessed, consult a qualified professional.

9. No Guarantee of Outcomes

Property tax protest outcomes are determined by the Douglas County Board of Equalization and other government bodies. Big Red Value does not guarantee any specific result, reduction, or savings from using the Service. Predictive scores and estimates are based on historical data and statistical models, and actual results may differ.

10. Pricing

The Service is currently offered free of charge. We reserve the right to introduce pricing in the future. If we do, we will provide advance notice and update these terms accordingly. You will not be charged without your explicit consent.

11. Privacy

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and protect your personal information.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Big Red Value and its owners, employees, and contributors shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Service, including but not limited to:

Unfavorable protest outcomes or decisions by the Board of Equalization.
Inaccuracies in AI-generated analyses, documents, or predictions.
Missed filing deadlines or procedural errors in the protest process.
Loss of data due to device failure or connectivity issues.

The Service is provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied.

13. Termination

You may stop using the Service at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access if you violate these terms or engage in prohibited conduct. Upon termination, you may request deletion of your personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

14. Governing Law

These Terms of Service are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Nebraska, without regard to its conflict of law principles.

15. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms of Service from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by updating the date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated terms.

16. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, contact us at: legal@bigredvalue.com