Frequently Asked Questions

Correct. Texas law gives every homeowner the right to protest directly with their county appraisal district — no attorney or paid consultant required. The process is public, free, and designed for homeowners to use themselves.

May 15, or 30 days after your Notice of Appraised Value was mailed — whichever is later. Check the mailing date on your notice each year and count forward. If May 15 falls on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day.

Yes, and this is one of the most common mistakes homeowners make. Even if your capped value is already below market value, your uncontested market value becomes the baseline for next year's appraisal. Protesting every year compresses that baseline, protects your future senior tax freeze, and helps at resale.

Statewide, roughly 80% of protests result in some reduction, with a median annual savings around $606 for homeowners who win. Most protests settle informally — very few need to go to a formal ARB hearing.

Market Value is what your home would sell for. Appraised Value is the CAD's number before caps or exemptions. Assessed Value is your appraised value after the homestead cap is applied. Taxable Value is your assessed value minus all exemptions — that's what your tax bill is actually based on.

No — file first to lock in your legal right to protest, then gather evidence afterward. These are two separate steps. Don't let incomplete evidence stop you from filing on time.

Form 50-132 for counties over 120,000 population, or Form 50-132-A for smaller counties. Both are free at comptroller.texas.gov or through your county CAD's online portal.

Check both "Incorrect market value" and "Value is unequal compared with other properties." These are two separate legal arguments, and you can't add one after the deadline — but you can drop one later if you don't need it.

Texas is a non-disclosure state, meaning actual home sale prices aren't part of the public record. The Equity Grid method sidesteps that by comparing your home's appraised value to similar nearby homes using the county's own public data — no private sales info needed. Texas Tax Code Section 42.26(a)(3) entitles you to a reduction if your value sits above the median of comparable properties.

Be cautious. Automated online settlement offers are typically small and designed to minimize payouts. It's usually smarter to request a conversation with a human appraiser, who can weigh your actual photos, estimates, and comps.

Yes. Under Section 41.461, you can request a copy of everything the district plans to use against you. They must deliver it at least 14 days before your hearing — if they miss that deadline, that evidence can be excluded.

It's a conversation, not a courtroom — typically with a CAD staff appraiser, in person, by phone, or online. You state your target value, walk through your evidence, and often negotiate to a settlement on the spot. Most protests resolve at this stage.

You can proceed to a formal ARB (Appraisal Review Board) hearing — a three-person panel. Bring four printed copies of your evidence packet. This is your legal right and shouldn't be talked out of.

Possibly. Section 25.25 allows corrections going back up to five prior tax years for specific issues like clerical errors, duplicate appraisals, or being billed as the wrong owner. This doesn't replace your annual protest — it's a separate, narrower remedy.

It's completely free, no catch. When you download it, you'll also start getting the Homeowner Advantage newsletter — one email every Saturday morning with tips, deadline reminders, and updates for Texas homeowners. You can unsubscribe anytime.

No. Your email is only used to send you the guide and the Homeowner Advantage newsletter, a single email every Saturday morning. We never sell or share your information, and you can unsubscribe with one click at any time.

Greg, a Texas homeowner (not a lawyer or real estate professional) who taught himself the property tax protest process after feeling overcharged, then built this site to help other homeowners do the same.

No — Texas Homeowner Advantage is an independent, homeowner-run resource. We link directly to official sources (Texas Comptroller, county CAD sites, Texas Tax Code) throughout the guide so you can verify everything yourself.

More are on the way, including a homestead exemption guide, an FSBO guide, an HOA rights guide, and a first-time homebuyer guide. Check the Free Guides page for what's live and what's coming.

CAD stands for Central Appraisal District — the county office that determines your home's appraised value and processes protests. Every Texas county has one, and you'll need your specific county's portal to file your protest, check your property record, and pull comparable values.

Use our CAD Directory — it has direct links to 20 major Texas county appraisal districts, so you don't have to search for the right portal yourself. If your county isn't listed, search "[your county] appraisal district" or check the Texas Comptroller's statewide directory.

The directory links you straight to your county's official CAD portal, where you'll file — we don't process protests ourselves. Once there, look for "File a Protest" or "eFile" and have your Property ID and PIN from your notice ready.

No, they're different. Your county CAD handles your specific property, your protest filing, and your local hearing. The Texas Comptroller's office is the statewide agency that publishes forms, rules, and the Texas Property Tax Code — useful as a backup reference, not for filing.