Stop Overpaying
Property Taxes in Texas
Every year Texas homeowners leave money on the table. We'll show you exactly how to fight back, on your own for free, or done for you by experts with zero upfront cost.
Choose your path
How do you want to handle this?
Both paths work. The right one depends on your time, comfort level, and property value.
- Step-by-step protest instructions
- Unequal appraisal evidence strategy
- Form 50-132 walkthrough
- HB201 evidence request letter
- County-specific deadlines & contacts
- They file and manage your protest
- Professional evidence & comps research
- ARB hearing representation if needed
- $1,148 average annual savings
- No win, no fee — 25% of reduction only
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Key dates
2026 Texas Property Tax Timeline
- JAN 1
Valuation Date
§23.01Your property is valued as of January 1. Comparable sales and condition as of this date drive the appraisal.
- APR 30
Homestead Exemption Deadline
§11.43Last day to file Form 50-114 for the homestead exemption ($140,000 off school value) with your appraisal district.
- APR ~1
Notices of Appraised Value Mailed
§25.19CADs mail your Notice of Appraised Value. Your 30-day protest window opens on the mail date — don't wait for May 15.
- MAY 15
Protest Filing Deadline
Your Deadline §41.44The hard statewide deadline. File Form 50-132 online, by mail, or in person. Missing this date means losing your protest rights for the year.
- BEFORE 14d
Request Your Evidence Packet
§41.461File a written HB201 request for all CAD evidence. If they don't deliver 14 days before your hearing, that evidence is excluded.
- JUL 20
ARB Approves Records
§41.12The Appraisal Review Board approves appraisal records. Most protests have settled or been heard by now.
- AFTER 60d
Appeal Deadline
§42.21Disagree with the ARB ruling? You have 60 days to appeal to district court or binding arbitration.
Winning strategies
3 Arguments That Win Protests
Plead both grounds
Always check both "value over market" AND "unequal appraisal" on Form 50-132. Unequal appraisal (§41.43) is often stronger — CADs must prove your value is at or below the median of your comparables.
Request the evidence packet
File a written HB201 request for all CAD evidence. If they fail to deliver it 14 days before your hearing, that evidence is excluded at the hearing (§41.67(d)).
Show up to the informal
60–80% of Texas protests settle at the informal stage before reaching the ARB. Bring printed comps and a one-page summary. Appraisers settle when the data is clear.
Texas Property Tax FAQ
- Texas has no state property tax. Instead, local taxing units (school districts, cities, counties, special districts) set rates applied to appraised values determined by 253 Central Appraisal Districts (CADs) across 254 counties. You receive a Notice of Appraised Value each spring and have until May 15 (or 30 days after notice) to protest.
- The standard statewide deadline is May 15, 2026, or 30 days after your Notice of Appraised Value is mailed — whichever is later (Tax Code §41.44). Some CADs mail notices earlier, so your 30-day window may open before May 15. Check your notice date.
- The school district homestead exemption is $140,000 (Prop 13, Nov 2025, retroactive to 2025 tax year). Seniors and disabled homeowners get an extra $60,000 — a combined $200,000 school exemption. File Form 50-114 with your appraisal district.
- Yes. Reductions from prior protests do not carry forward automatically. You must file a new protest each year. However, if the CAD lowered your value in a prior year, they bear the higher "clear and convincing" burden of proof in the next hearing (§41.43(a-3)).
- Unequal appraisal (§41.43(b)(3)) is typically the winning argument. Pull 5–10 comparable properties and show your per-sq-ft appraised value exceeds the median of comparables — the CAD must then prove its value is at or below that median. Always check both grounds on Form 50-132.
- Many Texas CADs offer online protest portals. Check your county page on this site for a direct link to your appraisal district's online filing system. Harris County (HCAD) uses iFile; Travis County uses TCAD's portal. Filing deadlines are the same whether you protest online or in person.
- Under §23.23, the appraised value of a homesteaded property cannot increase by more than 10% per year regardless of market value, as long as the homestead exemption is active. The cap resets when a property is sold or the homestead exemption lapses.
- For non-homestead properties valued at $5 million or less, §23.231 limits annual appraisal increases to 20%. Important: this provision sunsets December 31, 2026 unless extended by the Legislature.
- Texas has 254 counties but only 253 Central Appraisal Districts — Potter and Randall counties share the Potter-Randall Appraisal District (PRAD) at 5701 Hollywood Rd., Amarillo.
- DIY protests win frequently, especially with unequal appraisal data. Services like Ownwell work on contingency (no win, no fee) and are worth considering if your property value is high, if you're time-constrained, or if you've been unsuccessful protesting on your own.