It's that time of year when counties begin releasing their proposed 2024 Assessed Tax Values to property owners. In Texas we have the right to protest these tax values. It's the one time where we want to prove the value of your property to be lower, especially lower than true market value. 

You should be receiving a letter from your county showing your new appraised value soon, if you haven't already. Once you receive that letter, you can follow these steps to protest your property tax value with the county. The deadline to file your protest is May 15th. There's no guarantee that the county will lower your assessed value, but it's worth the time and could save you money! 

Step One: Notice of Protest

Once you receive your new assessed tax value from the county you can file a Notice of Protest, Form 50-132. This form can be found on your county's appraisal district website. 

Step Two: Gather Evidence 

In addition to the Notice of Protest you will need to gather supporting documents and evidence to support a lower assessed value for your home. This can include:

  • A copy of the final closing statement from when you purchased the property, showing a lower purchase price than your new assessed tax value. 

  • Comparable properties that sold for less than your property tax appraised value. (Our team can help find these!) 

  • Documentation of property condition that would adversely affect the value (things like needed repairs, recent damage, deferred maintenance, etc.). 

  • Data on inconsistencies in appraised values of similar homes in your area. (Talk to your neighbors!) 

  • Financials and net income (for income producing properties only). 

Step Three: Submit 

Once you've completed your Notice of Protest form and gathered your supporting evidence, you will need to submit everything to your county by May 15th. Your county may have an e-file option on their website, otherwise you can file by mail by mailing all of your documents to your county's appraisal district office. We've included some options for local county's below.

Travis County (TCAD)

File Online: https://traviscad.org/efile

File by Mail: P.O. Box 149012 Austin, TX 78714

Williamson County (WCAD)

File Online: Not all homeowners are eligible for e-file. You can find out if you here.

File by Mail: 625 FM 1460 Georgetown, TX 78626

Hays County (HAYS CAD)

File Online: https://hayscad.com/protest-info/

File by Mail: 21001 IH 35 North Kyle, TX 78640 

Our team can assist with the protesting process and provide comparable properties to submit for evidence. We've had success helping clients protest their property taxes in the past and have protested our own as well, so we are familiar with the process. Contact us if you have questions or would like assistance in filing your property tax protest!

We also recommend hiring a tax advisor who specializes in this type of tax appeal. There is typically no upfront cost for this and you are only charged a fee if your appeal is successful. The fee is typically a percentage of the amount you saved on your property tax bill. Below you will find contact information for a few specialists we recommend. 

Five Stone Tax Advisers 

fivestonetax.com

(512) 833-5829 

Texas Protax

texasprotax.com

(512) 339-6671