Property tax protests

Everything you need to know about fighting your appraisal

Most Texas property owners don't protest. Not because they can't, but because they don't know how. Here's how the process works, and why TruRate gives you a real edge. Prefer to do it yourself? Read our step-by-step protest guide.

Your appraisal directly determines how much you pay

Every year, your county appraisal district assesses your property's value, and that number drives your tax bill. Districts value hundreds of thousands of properties at once and frequently get it wrong. A successful protest corrects the record and puts real money back in your pocket.

You get a notice of appraised value

Every spring, the appraisal district mails or posts your new value. That's the starting point for your protest.

You have the right to protest

Texas law gives every property owner the right to challenge their appraised value before an Appraisal Review Board.

A lower value means lower taxes

Every dollar we take off your appraised value lowers your tax bill for the year, and resets next year's starting point.

How protest season unfolds

Anytime

Sign up with TruRate

The earlier the better. Sign up before your deadline and we handle everything from there.

April

Notices arrive

Appraisal districts send out their annual valuations. This kicks off protest season.

May 15

Protest deadline

May 15, or 30 days after your notice, whichever is later. We file before it.

June to July

Informal review and ARB

We present your case to the district, then to the Appraisal Review Board if needed. You don't attend.

Late summer

Results and savings

Values are certified. If we saved you money, we invoice our 25%. If not, you owe nothing.

What we look for when building your case

Market value

Comparable sales

Recent sales of similar properties that show where the district's number doesn't match what the market actually says.

Market value

Condition and defects

Districts value properties from the outside. We document deferred maintenance, needed repairs, and condition issues they missed.

Equity

Unequal appraisal

If similar properties are appraised lower than yours, Texas law entitles you to a reduction, even if your value is otherwise "fair."

Commercial

Income approach

For income-producing property, we rebuild NOI, benchmark rents and expenses, and test the district's cap rate against the market.

The method

How a TruRate case gets built

Here is exactly how we build a case. Our process follows the actual sequence of a Texas protest, and at every stage the district's own data is our primary weapon.

Stage 01 — File

Both grounds, every time

We file on market value and unequal appraisal at the outset, preserving every argument. The decision of which to lead with is made at the hearing — when we've seen the evidence — not before.

Tex. Tax Code §41.41(a)(1) · §41.43(b)

Stage 02 — Discover

Force the district to show its hand

We formally request the appraisal district's evidence in advance, then audit it: comp selection, condition codes, adjustment factors. The strongest exhibits in our packets are usually the district's own records.

Tex. Tax Code §41.461 evidence request

Stage 03 — Build

One comp that can't be dismissed

Fifteen weak comparables lose to one that survives cross-examination. We control for differences at selection — size, age, condition, location — so the panel sees a clean comparison, not a model's guesswork.

Selection-controlled comparables · no black-box adjustments

Stage 04 — Argue

Informal to ARB, argued to the floor

We present our affirmative case first, then dismantle theirs — by comp number, address, and dollar amount. If the informal review doesn't reach the right number, we take it to the Appraisal Review Board. You never attend a thing.

Burden of proof shifts to the district under §41.43

Beyond the ARB

The review board isn't always the last word.

Most cases resolve at the informal review or the ARB. When the board gets it wrong and the numbers justify going further, we'll tell you plainly and help you take the next step.

Level 01

Informal review

We present evidence directly to a district appraiser. Many cases resolve here at the right number — and if they don't, nothing is lost.

Level 02

ARB hearing

A formal case before the Appraisal Review Board, argued from the district's own data. We attend so you never have to.

Level 03

Binding arbitration

For eligible properties, arbitration is faster and cheaper than court. It's handled under a separate engagement, so you decide after you've seen the math.

Level 04

Judicial appeal

For higher-value commercial assets, a district court appeal can be worth it. Also a separate engagement, and we'll tell you honestly whether the savings justify it.

Questions

Asked, answered

Do I have to attend any hearings?

No. Once you sign, TruRate is your designated agent of record with the appraisal district. We handle the filing, the evidence, the informal review, and the ARB hearing if it comes to that. Most clients hear from us twice: when we start, and when we've won.

What if my value doesn't go down?

Then you pay nothing. Our fee is 25% of actual tax savings, invoiced only after final values are certified. No reduction means no invoice — full stop.

Can protesting raise my value?

No, not as a result of your protest. Texas Tax Code §41.47(c-2) bars the Appraisal Review Board from setting your appraised value higher than the value the chief appraiser submitted in the appraisal records, unless you ask for it and agree to it. The exception is a protest over a denied or cancelled exemption or special appraisal, where different rules apply. The district can still raise your value in a future year through its normal reappraisal.

What makes a commercial protest different?

Commercial value lives in the income statement, not just the comps. We reconstruct NOI, benchmark market rents and expenses, and test the district's implied cap rate against the market. Texas's unequal-appraisal statute also lets us compare your assessment against a properly built peer set — often the most powerful argument for commercial owners.

My school taxes are frozen at 65. Is a protest still worth it?

Often, yes. A generic protest can waste effort in the wrong place, so we target the taxing units where a reduction actually moves your bill. A well-timed win can also lower the frozen ceiling itself.

Do I need to protest every year?

It's worth it. This year's certified value becomes next year's starting point, so one inflated year can quietly become your baseline. Your agreement with us carries forward each year, and we review and protest annually unless you tell us to stop.

I missed the May 15 deadline. Is it over?

Not necessarily. Texas law provides limited late-protest and correction remedies in specific circumstances, and signing now also locks in representation for next season — the most valuable filings are often the ones prepared months in advance. Sign up and we'll review your situation.

Ready to let TruRate fight for you?

Start my protest