Refund of Property Taxes after Final Action

When a county has been ordered to make a refund of property taxes pursuant to the final action of a court or the State Board of Equalization or Assessment Appeals Commission, no specific appropriation is required to authorize the county trustee to make the refund. The trustee may make the ordered refund and any interest owing the taxpayer as otherwise provided from any taxes collected for the year or years to which the refund relates prior to the allocation to the various county funds. If the trustee does not have funds collected from the year to which the refund relates, the trustee may make the refund and pay any interest owing the taxpayer from current collections prior to the allocation of revenue to the various county funds. Where a refund plus accrued interest exceeds 1 percent of all property taxes levied for the year in which the refund is due, the trustee may defer the refund for a period of up to three years in equal annual installments, and the deferred amounts shall accrue interest in the manner set forth in T.C.A. § 67-5-1512(c).¹  Pursuant to T.C.A. § 67-5-1512(c), the interest rate on a deferred refund shall increase two  points from the date of the deferral 60 days after the board of equalization decision is rendered until the refund is finally paid.