PROTEST PROPERTY TAXES
How To Protest Your Property Taxes
In Texas, the taxable value of a residential property is 100% of its ‘Appraised Value.’ Each property is taxed on their county, city, schools, and college (if applicable). The tax rates vary between counties.
However, one of your rights as a property owner is to protest the local review boards ‘Appraised Value’ of your home. You can protest yourself or you can hire a company that will do it for you.
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Deadlines and Important Dates for Property Taxes
January 31 – Deadline to pay property taxes for the previous year. Penalty and interest applies to delinquent payments.
April 15 (approximate) – County appraisal district mails notice of appraised value.
May 1 – informal county appraisal district protest meetings begin.
May 15 - Deadline to file a protest (or 30 days after notice of appraised value is mailed, whichever is later). The County appraisal district is only required to send a notice of appraised value if the appraised value increased by more than $1,000.
July 20 (approximate) – The County Appraisal Review Board is scheduled to approve appraisal records on or before July 20.
July 25 – Deadline for the appraisal district to certify the tax roll. Typically, counties are required to resolve the property value for 95% of the tax base by value no later than July 25.
August to September – County taxing districts are scheduled to set their tax rates for the following year.
October – Tax bills are mailed by the county tax assessor to be paid no later than January 31 of the following year.
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PROPERTY TAX = ASSESSED VALUATION X TAX RATE
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Home values have risen substantially in the past five years. The very first elements of documentation that is needed to protest a high assessed market value is a Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) that should be performed by a Realtor.
January 1 begins the new tax year and your property assessed valuation for tax season will be mailed on or about April 30. You have just 30 days from the postmarked date to protest the assessed valuation of your property, or May 15th whichever is later. Check with your county for the deadline.
So even if the tax rate did not go up, but your assessed valuation increased, then your tax bill will increase. However, you can protest your property assessment! The following paragraphs discuss the steps to take to accomplish the protest.
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When Should You Consider a Property Tax Protest?
Let’s start with what a property tax protest is. A protest is a formal protest of your property’s appraisal district value. Some circumstances that may call for a protest include:
- An appraisal value of your property that seems excessive
- An appraisal that seems much higher in comparison to properties around yours
- Having your exemption application denied by the chief appraiser
- Receiving a property assessed valuation that increases more than 10% from the previous year if a general homestead exemption was in place or not receiving a notice of assessed value increase of more than $1,000
If any of the above scenarios apply to you, consider filing a property tax protest.
Property owners are entitled to notice from either the appraisal district or the appraisal review board for many actions that affect the property owner. These include increasing the assessed value of property (by more than $1,000), a notice of an appraisal review board hearing, notice if the property has been reappraised and revocation of an exemption. The appraised home value for a homeowner who qualifies a general homestead exemption in the preceding and current year may not increase more than 10 percent per year under Texas Property Tax Code.
Appraisal districts are required to give the property owner notice of assessed value when the value increases by more than $1,000. Property owners are not required to notify the appraisal district when they sell the property or when they acquire a property. Owners of recently acquired property frequently do not receive a notice of assessed value from the appraisal district. However, a recently purchased home will be reviewed by the county appraisal district and the property assessed value will typically be increased to the sale price of the property which is the established current market value.
How to Protest Your Property Tax Bill
1. File Form 50-132, Notice of Protest.
2. Prepare information for hearing.
3. Attend an informal hearing at the Appraisal District office.
4. Attend an Appraisal Review Board hearing.
5. Appeal through district court or arbitration.
The appraised home value for a homeowner who qualifies for a general homestead exemption in the preceding and current year may not increase more than 10 percent per year under Texas Property Tax Code.
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