How Property Tax Protests Actually Work in Texas
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Every spring, Texas homeowners receive a notice of appraised value from their county appraisal district — and every spring, a lot of them are surprised by the number. Here's what actually happens if you decide to protest it.
1. The notice of appraised value arrives
[Placeholder] Counties typically mail these in April or May. It shows your property's new assessed value for the year, along with the prior year's value for comparison.
2. You file a protest before the deadline
[Placeholder] In most Texas counties, the deadline is May 15th or 30 days after the notice was mailed, whichever is later. Filing is usually free and can often be done online through the county's appraisal district portal.
3. Evidence gets built
[Placeholder] This is where the real work happens. A well-built protest packet typically includes equity comparables (similar properties and how the county has assessed them), recent market sales, and — when available — any market trend data the county itself has published.
The strongest evidence is usually the county's own data used against its own assessment — comparable properties the county itself has already valued lower.
4. Informal review or ARB hearing
[Placeholder] Many counties offer an informal review with an appraiser first, where a chunk of protests get resolved without a formal hearing. If that doesn't result in an agreeable number, the case goes to the Appraisal Review Board (ARB) — a panel of local citizens who hear the evidence from both sides and make a binding decision.
5. The outcome
[Placeholder] If the protest succeeds, the reduced value applies for that tax year and flows through to a lower bill. If it doesn't, you can appeal further through binding arbitration or the courts in some cases, though most protests are resolved at the ARB level.
Thinking about protesting this year? Start a free property review and we'll tell you honestly whether it's worth pursuing.