Tips for a Successful Property Tax Protest
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Mail your protest form by the deadline, typically May 31.
Read the instructions on the form to verify. -
Fill out your Protest Form:
- Make a copy of the back of your appraisal notice, you can use this form to protest your value.
- On your protest form under step 3, check boxes for "property is over value" and "property value is unequal compared to other properties".
- Do not fill in anything under step 4. Leave it completely blank.
- Do not fill in anything for question "what do you think your property value is?"
- On step 5, check "yes" for you want ARB to send in copy of its hearing procedures and write in "Request evidence packet & sales comp grid" (see "Sales Comp Grid" below).
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Ask your Realtor for a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) for your property.
I am happy to provide a Free custom CMA for your property. -
January 1st is the official property valuation date.
Homes that sold closest to this date are most significant to the appraisal district; the further you go from this date, the less valid. -
Request and review the "Sales Comp Grid" the appraisal district used to determine
your home's value.
It is important to get the data the appraisal district used to determine your home's value known as the sales comp grid. At least 14 days before your hearing, you should receive any information the chief appraiser plans to introduce at the hearing. (When you mail in your protest form, write "Request evidence packet & sales comp grid" prominently on the form, see "Fill Out Your Protest Form" above). -
Use Photos as evidence.
Help the person who helps you by providing evidence showing the condition of your property. If you are trying to prove your home is in worse condition than the other sold homes and value should be lowered, it will really help to have photos to back up your claims. -
Remain calm and friendly at your hearing.
You will get much further by being polite and pleasant vs. taking our your frustration on the tax employee. -
Purchased a home last year?
Use your HUD settlement statement as evidence to lower your appraised value if the purchase price was lower than the current year's appraised value. -
Don't give up and continue to protest every year.
Every time you protest, you have a chance to get your value lowered and pay less taxes. Even if you are not successful, don't give up and give it a try next year. Ask a lot of questions at your hearing and try to learn as much as possible about how to succeed at the process. -
Homestead Exemption
Be sure that you have applied for a Homestead Exemption on your primary residence to lower your tax bill. You may also qualify for other exemptions such as over 65 exemption.
Additional Resources
Travis County Appraisal District FAQ:http://www.traviscad.org/faq_arb_protest.html
Property Tax Resources:
http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/proptax/index.html
Property Taxpayers Bill of Rights:
http://window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/proptax/bill_of_rights.html
