Frequently Asked Questions

1. Many property owners receive value adjustments through the protest process.
2. High valuations increase your tax burden; protests help ensure taxes are based on fair and accurate values.
3. Appraisal values may exceed current market value
4. Annual protests help reduce the risk of cumulative overvaluation over time and support appraisal equity.  It also benefits your neighbors as well.
5. Filing a protest provides access to the appraisal district’s evidence and helps build a documented record for future appeals.
6. Sometimes the CAD makes errors and we get to fix that by reviewing the data or field errors (e.g., incorrect square footage) and confirm exemptions.
7. Appraisal districts rely on mass appraisal methods and may not be aware of individual property defects or condition issues.
8. Ensures compliance with uniform and equal appraisal.
9. Market fluctuations aren’t always reflected accurately.
10. You are the most knowledgeable source regarding your property’s condition and use.  

A property tax protest is your formal written objection to an appraisal district’s appraisal or other action affecting your property taxes and it starts with the Notice of Protest being filed with your central appraisal district by the deadline (typically May 15 of each year).

Protesting every year you disagree with the appraisal because:

• An appeal can reduce your appraised value and lower your tax bill. 
• Appraisals are frequently overstated and properties are mass appraised in January of each year.
• Each year you protest, you build a record of evidence for stronger future appeals. 
• You have many valid reasons (valuation errors, unequal appraisal, incorrect property characteristics, etc.).
• Its rare for it to go down, but property tax will go up if you do nothing.  

To protest:

• Prepare a written Notice of Protest identifying your property and your objections.
• File this notice with your appraisal district before the deadline on the CAD’s protest portal, by mail, or in person.
• You may use Comptroller Form 50-132 or a similar written document.
• Or let Texas True Tax do this for you.  

Residential:  May 15.  BPP:  April 15.  In most cases, the deadline is on or before May 15, or within 30 days after the appraisal district delivers the Notice of Appraised Value — whichever is later. Missing this deadline generally means you lose the right to protest for that tax year.

Yes. Texas law allows property owners to protest both commercial real property and business personal property, provided the protest is filed by the applicable deadline. Business owners may protest issues such as market value, unequal appraisal, incorrect property data, or errors related to business personal property renditions. Each business property is reviewed and protested separately based on its classification and location.

Yes. Texas law allows property owners to protest both commercial real property and business personal property, provided the protest is filed by the applicable deadline. Business owners may protest issues such as market value, unequal appraisal, incorrect property data, or errors related to business personal property renditions. Each business property is reviewed and protested separately based on its classification and location.

File a Protest. Properties located in other Texas counties can be reviewed and protested as well. Texas property taxes are administered by individual county appraisal districts, so each property must be protested in the county where it is located. Texas True Tax coordinates annual protests for out-of-county properties, tracking deadlines and filing the appropriate notices each year in accordance with the Texas Property Tax Code. Each property is reviewed separately using county-specific data and appraisal standards.

Your protest is heard by the Appraisal Review Board (ARB)— a group of local citizens appointed to resolve disputes between property owners and appraisal districts.

Under Texas Tax Code §41.41(a) and ARB process:

• Incorrect appraisal value (market value too high).
• Unequal appraisal compared with similar properties. 
• Errors in property characteristics (size, quality, grade, condition). 
• Denial or misapplication of an exemption or special appraisal. 
• Failure to provide required notices.
• The reason you check on your protest affects the evidence you may present at hearing.

·  Yes. You must present or submit documentation supporting your claims, such as:

·  Comparable sales data

·  Independent appraisal reports

·  Photographs of defects

·  Property condition evidence

·  MLS and CAD data analyses (if applicable)

·  The ARB cannot adjust a value without a factual basis presented at hearing.

At an ARB hearing:

·  We present your evidence to the board in a formal setting.

·  A representative from the appraisal district presents theirs.

·  The ARB makes a binding valuation decision for that tax year only. 

If dissatisfied, you may appeal to:

·  District Court, or

·  State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH), or

·  Regular Binding Arbitration (RBA) (we get to file within 60 days of certified mailed board orders date).

Each route has specific deadlines and requirements.  Texas True Tax can support this next step.  

This depends on what stage the appeal progresses to. Most appeals are filed and resolved within two–four months, but timelines vary by county.

Yes, in fact we recommend that all of our clients do so. We automatically review and appeal your taxes each year you remain enrolled.

Is it too late to claim a homestead exemption if I forgot to file when I bought my home?

No. In Texas, a homeowner may file for a homestead exemption late and still receive a refund for up to two prior tax years, provided the property qualified as the homeowner’s principal residence during those years.

If the appraisal district has the wrong square footage or property details, can I get a refund for prior years?

Possibly. If the error qualifies as a clerical error or a substantial error, the appraisal district may correct the appraisal and issue refunds for up to five prior tax years, depending on the type of error and supporting evidence.

What should I do if my property is still valued as vacant land even though I have a homestead exemption?

You should immediately request a correction. A property with a valid homestead exemption should generally be appraised as improved residential property, not vacant land. Failure to correct this can result in improper valuation and tax assessment.

I inherited a home with a very low taxable value — should I correct the appraisal now?

It depends. When ownership changes, certain exemptions or caps may be removed by law. Correcting errors unnecessarily can result in higher future taxes. We get to do the right thing.

I missed the May 15 protest deadline — is there anything I can still do?

Yes, in limited circumstances. Texas law allows late appeals if the property owner did not receive required notices or if the appraisal contains a substantial or clerical error. These remedies are separate from the standard protest process.

What is a “substantial error” correction?

A substantial error occurs when a property is appraised at more than one-third above its correct market value. If proven, the appraisal district may correct the value and issue refunds for prior years.

I missed the May 15 protest deadline — is there anything I can still do?

Yes, in limited circumstances. Texas law allows late appeals if the property owner did not receive required notices or if the appraisal contains a substantial or clerical error. These remedies are separate from the standard protest process.

What is a “substantial error” correction?

A substantial error occurs when a property is appraised at more than one-third above its correct market value. If proven, the appraisal district may correct the value and issue refunds for prior years.

What if I never received my Notice of Appraised Value?

If you did not receive a required notice, Texas law allows you to file a protest after the normal deadline, provided it is done within a reasonable time once the error is discovered.

What if I didn’t receive notice of my ARB hearing?

Failure to receive proper hearing notice may entitle you to a new hearing or appeal rights. This is a due-process issue and should be addressed promptly.

I protested last year and didn’t get a reduction. Can I protest again this year?

Yes. Texas property taxes are assessed annually, and each tax year stands on its own. A denial in a prior year does not prevent a successful protest in a later year.

What if my business personal property is over-valued — is it too late to fix it?

Business personal property may be corrected if the value is based on incorrect cost, depreciation, or inventory assumptions, especially if a rendition error occurred. Certain corrections and refunds may still be available after deadlines.

Why do appraisal districts seem more aggressive about increasing property values?

Appraisal districts are required by law to appraise property at market value each year, regardless of tax rates or taxpayer ability to pay. Rising sales prices, modeling assumptions, and mass-appraisal techniques often result in increases - even when individual properties have not changed.

Texas True Tax reviews property appraisals to determine whether valuation increases are legally supported, uniform, and accurately applied under the Texas Property Tax Code. When appropriate, we prepare and file the Notice of Protest, complete any required or supplemental forms, assemble and organize supporting evidence, and represent clients at informal and formal appraisal review board hearings. We also advise when a correction, rather than a protest, may be the more appropriate course of action.