Appeal Your Property Taxes – And Win! Every year, most Texas property owners skip protesting their taxes – yet about 65% of those whoappealaresuccessful.Don’tleavesavingsonthetable.Youcanfileaprotestyourselforchooseaconsultanttohandleitforyou.
If time is tight, we’ll manage the entire process – no upfront fees, no flat charges, free enrollment, and results-driven appeals. Take actiontodaytogiveyourselfthebestchanceatrealtaxsavings.
StepstoProtestingandReducingYourPropertyValueAnnually
Step1.FileaProtest
Texas property tax appeals can be filed using the form provided by the appraisal district, or click here to download the form to file a Texas Property Tax Appeal in the property tax resources section. Otherwise, send a short letter to the chief appraiser at the central appraisaldistrictstatingthatyouareprotestingyourpropertytaxes.Youshouldindicatethebasisisbothassessedvalueovermarket value and equal appraisal. The deadline to file a protest is May 15, or 30 days after notice of your assessed value is mailed to you, whicheverislater.Protestannuallytominimizeyourpropertytaxes.
Step2.ResearchtheCentralAppraisalDistrict’sRecordCard
The appraisal district in your county has a record card for each property it assesses. This card contains information such as lot size, buildingsize,amenities,andmuchmore.Youwillneedtogotothedistrictofficetoobtainthecompleterecordcardandtheremaybea nominal charge. However, you can probably review much of the basic information on the appraisal district’s website. Ask the staff if youhavequestionsabouttheinformation.Errorsintherecordcardareasoundbasisforaprotest.Itisimpossibletomaintaincorrect dataforeverypropertyinthecounty
Step3.EstablishPropertyValue
Texas appraisal districts typically recognize one of three different approaches to determine market value when granting reductions in property tax assessments. Those approaches are Sales Comparison Approach, Income Approach, and Cost Approach. In addition, recent court rulings have paved the way to encourage more districts to also recognize the Uniform and Equal Approach (unequal appraisal) tovaluing thepropertyasprovided intheTexas PropertyTaxCode.Forafulldescription ofthese approaches, click onThe Approaches to Establishing Property Value Analyze both market value and unequal appraisal when preparing for your Texas property taxappeal.
Step4.JourneythroughtheLegalAvenues
InformalHearingAfterfilingaprotestyouwillbenotifiedofadateandtimetoattendahearing.Thismeetingisconductedwithastaff appraiser at the appraisal district office. It typically lasts 15 minutes. At its conclusion, the appraiser will either indicate he cannot make an adjustment, or he will offer to settle by establishing lower assessment. In Texas, most residential property tax appeals are resolvedattheinformalhearing.
AppraisalReviewBoardHearingThisissometimescalledaformalorARBhearing.Participantsincludethreemembersoftheappraisal reviewboard,astaffappraiserfromtheappraisaldistrict,ahearingclerk(insomecounties)andthepropertyownerortheiragent.The property owner or his agent and the district’s appraiser will separately present the evidence to support their opinions of the market valueandunequalappraisalforthesubjectproperty Afterward,theboardmemberswillannounceitsconclusion,whichisnotsubject tonegotiation.However,theirdecisioncanbeappealedinaTexasdistrictcourtifalawsuitisfiledagainstthecountyappraisaldistrict tofurtherappealthepropertytaxes.
Litigation While the results of informal hearings are final for the tax year and cannot be appealed through a lawsuit, the results determined at the appraisal review board hearing can be appealed to district court. Before making a decision to do so, the owner should consider the amounts of any potential tax savings, legal costs, and expert witness costs. In Texas, most judicial appeals of propertytaxassessmentsaresuccessful.
Many initial property assessments are based on mass appraisal models using outdated or incomplete data, meaning your property eitstruemarketvalue.
opertyRecord
Mistakes in property data (house size, features, condition, lot size, etc.) are common. Protesting allows you to fix these errors by presentingthetrueinformation.
ConsiderMarketValueChanges
Home values go up and down, but appraisals often lag behind market trends. Recent sales in your area may show lower values than yourassessment.Ifso,youhavestronggroundstoprotest.
EnsureEqualandUniformTaxation
TheTexasConstitutionrequiresequalanduniformpropertytaxation.Ifsimilarhomesarevaluedlowerthanyours,protestingcanhelp correctunfairdisparities.
ClaimMissedExemptions
During your protest, you can make sure all applicable exemptions, like the homestead or over-65, have been properly applied. Missing exemptionscanmeanyou’repayingmorethannecessary
StopPayingMoreThanYourFairShare
A successful protest can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars, and those savings can continue each year if the reduced value remains.
FreetoProtestandNoRiskofHigherValue
There’s no cost to file a protest, and Texas law prohibits the Appraisal Review Board from increasing your assessed value due to a protest.
LimitationsofMassAppraisalModels
Withmillionsofparcelsbutonlyafewthousandappraisersstatewide,assessmentsrelyoncomputermodelsthatareoftenimprecise. Yourpropertydeservesindividualattention.
ProtestAnnuallyforBestResults
Becauseyoucan’tpredictwhenmistakesorovervaluationswillhappen,protesteveryyeartoprotectyourself.Someyearswillbemore favorablethanothersforreductions.
MostProtestsSucceed
Statisticsshowthat50%ormoreofappealsresultinlowervalues,especiallywhenownerspresentstrong,well-documentedevidence.
YouCanAppealUnequalAppraisalorMarketValue
Youmayprotestboththemarketvalueandunequalappraisalifyoubelieveyourassessmentisnotconsistentwithsimilarproperties.
TransparencyandLearning
Byfilingaprotest,yougainaccesstotheappraisaldistrict’sevidence,whichcanrevealiftheirvaluationsarewell-supported,ornot.
AppealatEachStageUntilYouareSatisfied
You can stop once you’re satisfied, but if you disagree with the outcome, you can escalate the appeal up to a lawsuit against the appraisaldistrict.
WhatifYouMissaDeadline?
If you miss the standard protest deadline (usually May 15 or 30 days after your notice), you may still have options like filing a substantialerrorcorrection.
ProfessionalHelpisOptional,butYouCanAlsoDIY
You don’t need an attorney or consultant to file a protest, though they can help for complex cases. The process is designed to be accessibleforallpropertyowners.
AnnualProtestsBenefitYourCommunity
Widespread participation helps keep entire neighborhoods from being unfairly assessed and can help push for better accuracy from appraisaldistricts.
ProtectYourselffromUnexpectedTaxIncreases
Regularprotestscancreatealowertaxbaseinfutureyears,protectingyoufromsteepincreasesifpropertyvaluesspikesuddenly tyTaxes
Protesting gives you a direct voice in the taxation process and ensures your interests are represented, not just those of mass-model algorithmsorthelocalgovernment.
These annual protests are especially worthwhile because of Texas’s unique property tax system, frequent valuation errors, and the stronglegalrightsgrantedtopropertyowners.Protestingtakeslittletime,costsnothing,andcandeliversignificantyearlysavings.
TexasPropertyTaxProtest&AppealGuide–FAQ
WhatarethemainstepstoappealpropertytaxesinTexas?
Fileaprotest:SubmitaNoticeofProtest(Form50-132)toyourlocal appraisaldistrictbeforethedeadline
Informalmeeting:Reviewyourproperty’svaluewithanappraiserto seekareduction
ARBhearing:Ifunresolved,attendahearingwiththeAppraisalReview Board(ARB)foradecision
WhyshouldIprotestmypropertytaxeseveryyear—evenif thevaluedoesn’tincrease?
Annual protests keep your taxes fair and help prevent increasesovertime,becausevaluesareoftenoverstated.
Whatarecommonreasonsorbenefitsforprotestingeach year?
Overvaluation, property detail errors, market changes, and controllinglong-termtaxgrowth.
WhatifI’mover65—shouldIstillprotest?
Yes, even with exemptions, protesting can lower taxes on improvementsorotherproperties.
WhathappensattheinformalandARBhearings?
Informalhearing:Youmeetwithanappraisertodiscussevidenceand possiblyagreeonareducedvalue
ARBhearing:Apanelofcitizensreviewsbothsides’evidence(yours andthedistrict’s)andmakesabindingdecision
HoustonOffice (Corporate)
2200NorthLoopWest, Suite200Houston,TX 77018.
713-686-9955
WhenisthedeadlinetofileapropertytaxprotestinTexas?
TheprotestdeadlineisMay15thor30daysaftertheNotice ofAppraisedValueismailed–whicheverislater
DoIgettoseetheappraisaldistrict’sevidence?
Yes, you can request and review their evidence before the hearing.
Doesfilingapropertytaxprotestcostanythingupfront?
No, filing is free, and many services only charge if they successfullyloweryourtaxes.