4 Tips for Protesting Your Texas Property Taxes in 2023
If you’re like many Texans, it can be difficult to pay your increasing property tax bill each year. Fortunately, there are options to help reduce your tax burden. As a Texas property owner, you may save thousands of dollars over time by protesting your residential or commercial property tax. Keep reading to learn 4 tips for protesting your Texas property taxes in 2023.
1. Pay Attention to the Deadline
At the beginning of each year, the appraisal district determines the value of your property and will send you a notice of your residential property’s value by April 1st. Some counties might be late in sending these out, but most should have theirs post-dated in early April. If you disagree with the appraisal, you have the opportunity to protest your property taxes by the deadline of May 15th or 30 days after you receive your appraisal district notice. It’s important to note that it is 30 days after mailing the notice, not its receipt.
After filing your protest, you will receive written notice in the mail from your county’s Appraisal Review Board (ARB) detailing the time, place, and subject matter for a formal hearing with the ARB. You may request an informal conference with the appraisal district to try to resolve your protest before the ARB hearing. Visit the Texas Comptroller’s Appraisal Protest and Appeals webpage to learn more.
2. Prepare for your Protest Hearing
Most counties allow property owners the option to e-file their property tax protests online. With this option, you will submit your case online and the county will then review your case and either accept or make a counteroffer. Property owners can choose to accept the adjusted value, resolving the matter immediately and avoiding an unnecessary hearing.
If the appeal isn’t resolved in the informal hearing, a formal hearing with the ARB may be necessary. Depending on the county of your property, you may have the option to appear at the hearing in person, by telephone conference call, videoconference, or by filing a written affidavit. If you do need to attend a formal ARB hearing, here are a few tips to help you prepare.
- Check your appraisal district notice to make sure the property description and measurements of your property are correct.
- Gather documentation to provide evidence, for example, closing statements, property surveys, deed records, neighborhood market data, repair estimates, and photographs that show the condition of your home to back up your claim.
- Ask your appraisal district for all the information they used in determining the value of your home and all evidence they may use at the hearing. After reviewing the data carefully, you may request copies of items you believe you will need to prepare for the hearing. Under the law, the appraisal district must give you all the information used to appraise your property but it’s important to note that they can charge for these copies. For more details on how to prepare for your protest hearing, download the free Texas Comptroller’s Homeowners Protest Guide.
It’s important to note that every county may operate under slightly different rules so be sure to read the requirements of your county very carefully. To learn even more about this process, visit our blog, “How to Protest Your Property Tax in Texas”.
3. Stay on Topic During Your Protest Hearing
During your protest hearing, it’s important to stay on the topic and avoid talking about your property tax bill. Remember that the hearing is to protest your property appraisal value, not your tax bill. It can be helpful to plan with talking points that support your argument and stick to them.
4. Stay Up to Date with the Protest or Appraisal Processes
Since property tax in Texas is so high, there are many bills that are proposed each year to help improve the property tax system for homeowners. That’s why it’s always good practice to stay up to date with current state laws and proposed bills that affect property tax in Texas as these may mean changes in how you protest your property tax bill.
Get Help Paying Your Texas Property Tax Bill
While protesting your residential or commercial property tax can help reduce your tax burden, sometimes it’s not enough. If you are having difficulty paying past-due property tax bills, Johnson & Starr may be able to help.
Johnson & Starr property tax loans are customized to fit your unique situation and can be flexible to adapt to nearly any loan requirement. To find out how we can help save your home, call us today at 877-746-0940 or fill out a simple form and one of our loan officers will assist you. ¡Se Habla Español!