TEXAS PROPERTY TAX · THE PROTEST
Think your appraisal is too high?
Here is how a protest works.
Every Texas property owner can protest the appraisal district’s value. The process has a firm deadline, an informal step and a formal hearing. This guide keeps each step tied to the statute or agency page it comes from.
Sources checked October 2, 2026 · General information, not tax or legal advice · Deadlines and portal steps change each year; your notice of appraised value governs
The deadline: May 15, or 30 days after your notice
A written notice of protest is due by May 15 or the 30th day after the notice of appraised value was delivered to you, whichever is later (Texas Tax Code §41.44). The Comptroller puts it the same way: in most cases you have until May 15 or 30 days from the notice’s delivery date (Texas Comptroller: property tax protests and appeals). Use the date printed on your own notice. The Comptroller’s Notice of Protest form is Form 50-132, and each appraisal district also takes protests online (see the county pages below).
Informal review, then the appraisal review board
You may ask for an informal conference with the appraisal district to try to resolve the protest before the appraisal review board (ARB) hearing (Texas Comptroller: property tax protests and appeals). If the informal step does not settle it, the protest goes to an ARB hearing.
At least 14 days before the hearing, the chief appraiser must send you the Comptroller’s taxpayer pamphlet and the ARB’s hearing procedures, and tell you that you may request the data, schedules, formulas and other information the district will present (Texas Tax Code §41.461). Ask for it: it shows the comparables the district is relying on.
Evidence that helps
The Comptroller lists the kinds of evidence owners bring (Texas Comptroller: property tax protests and appeals):
- Photographs of your property and of the comparables you rely on.
- Receipts or estimates for repairs.
- Sales price documentation, such as listings and closing statements.
There are two common grounds. A market value protest argues the district’s value is more than the home would sell for. An unequal appraisal protest compares your home with similar properties: the district can answer it by showing your appraised value is equal to or less than the median appraised value of a reasonable number of comparable properties, appropriately adjusted (Texas Tax Code §41.43(b)(3)).
Our appraisal record check lines up your appraised value per recorded square foot against matching county records, so you can see whether an unequal-appraisal argument is worth building. It makes no adjustments, so treat it as a starting point, not as evidence the ARB will accept on its own.
If you disagree with the ARB’s order
According to the Comptroller, you can file a petition for review in district court within 60 days of receiving the ARB’s written order; request regular binding arbitration through the Comptroller within 60 days if the property qualifies; or, for qualifying properties valued over $1 million, file an appeal with the State Office of Administrative Hearings within 30 days (Texas Comptroller: property tax protests and appeals).
Common questions
When is the Texas property tax protest deadline?
Texas Tax Code §41.44 sets the deadline as May 15 or the 30th day after the notice of appraised value was delivered, whichever is later. Check the deadline printed on your own notice.
Can I settle a protest without a hearing?
Yes. The Texas Comptroller notes that you may request an informal conference with the appraisal district to try to resolve your protest before the appraisal review board (ARB) hearing. If it does not settle, the protest goes to the ARB.
What evidence helps a property tax protest?
The Texas Comptroller lists photographs of your property and comparables, receipts or estimates for repairs, and sales price documentation such as listings and closing statements. Under Tax Code §41.461 you may also request the data, schedules and formulas the appraisal district will use at your hearing.
What is an unequal appraisal protest?
Tax Code §41.43(b)(3) lets the appraisal district defend an unequal appraisal protest by showing that the property’s appraised value is equal to or less than the median appraised value of a reasonable number of comparable properties, appropriately adjusted.
What happens if I disagree with the ARB decision?
According to the Texas Comptroller, you can file a petition for review in district court within 60 days of receiving the ARB’s written order; request regular binding arbitration through the Comptroller within 60 days if your property qualifies; or, for qualifying properties valued over $1 million, appeal to the State Office of Administrative Hearings within 30 days.
A SECOND PAIR OF EYES ON THE EVIDENCE
Bring the notice. We’ll look at the records with you.
A local agent can compare your appraisal with recent sales and the district’s own records, and point out what is worth raising at an informal meeting or a hearing. You still file the protest with the appraisal district, and the outcome is the district’s or the review board’s decision.
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