What would happen if I refuse to let the tax assessors into my house?

Question

A representative from my town showed up unannounced at my house today and asked to come in to do a property tax assessment.  I [politely] declined.  The representative was reasonable and left a card advising us that it is important to schedule an appraisal appointment.
What would happen if I don't schedule an appointment?  Is this suggestion from Investopedia accurate?

Allow the Assessor Access to Your Home
You do not have to allow the tax assessor into your home. However,
what typically happens if you do not permit access to the interior is
that the assessor assumes you've made certain improvements such as
added fixtures or made exorbitant refurbishments. This could result in
a bigger tax bill.

Assuming that eventually I will have to let them in to look around, what are things that I would need to know about/be sure to say/be careful not to say?
It seems obvious that I'd want a low-ball appraisal, to keep our property taxes low, right?
I own a small house in need of updating in a neighborhood with many large, newer houses in Grafton County, New Hampshire, US.

nuggethead · Accepted Answer

I called the town today.  For anyone in a similar situation, I'd recommend calling and asking about the process as it varies from town to town.  Here's what I learned:

The town maintains a database of all properties, which includes the details of every past assessment.  These are free and readily available to view online.  I checked mine and found a few errors that may actually save me money (a porch listed as living space that is actually unheated, etc.).
The town prefers to visit frequently to make sure their assessments are accurate.
If I don't schedule an assessment, they will assess taxes based on their best guess of my home's value based on the most recent assessment.
The town is willing to set up Zoom assessments to keep people outside of your family out of your space during the pandemic.

ohwilleke · Answer

If the tax assessor gets really serious or suspicious, the tax assessor can get a search warrant or the moral equivalent of one, to do so.

What would happen if I refuse to let the tax assessors into my house?

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