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Property Tax Help: How to Protest Your Property Tax Bill

Do you fear your mailbox this time of year? It’s okay to be honest. You’re not alone.


With Texas property taxes constantly on the rise, those annual “Notice of Appraised Value” letters from the appraisal district can easily make or break your financial year. If you’re feeling sticker shock because of this year’s property appraisal notice, don’t worry, you have options.


By following the steps below you can protest your home’s appraised value. By lowering the appraised value, you will reduce the overall property taxes owed for the coming tax year.


1. File your protest by May 15. 


Go to your county’s appraisal district website and look for the option to file a protest. If you don’t know where to find it,


You have two options to file this important form with the county. You can either fill out the form on the back of the “Notice of Appraised Value” form, or, depending on your county, you can file your protest online. To see if the digital submission is available to you, perform a web search for “[your county] appraisal district” and look for it on their website. You may want to call and ask if you can’t find it on their website. 


For most homeowners protesting their appraisal, the Texas Comptroller’s office suggests checking “Value over market value” and “Value is unequal compared with other properties” in its handout on“Property Taxpayer Remedies.” These will give you the best evidence to appeal your appraisal.


2. Meet with your county appraiser. 


After filing your “Notice of Protest” form, you will receive a date to meet with an appraisal staffer. Be sure to bring all of your documentation!. This includes repair estimates, photos, and any other materials that may reveal damage to the home. Once you and the staffer have hashed it out, the district may offer to reduce your value by a certain amount.


If you’re satisfied, you can accept it. If not, you’ll need to appear at a specified date in the future in front of the Appraisal Review Board, a group of independent residents appointed to hear these challenges.


3. The final day. 


If your case is taken to the ARB, expect a very quick proceeding (15-30 minutes). During this time, you will be placed under oath and given a chance to present your evidence to witnesses supporting your case. The appraiser or any witnesses presented to the appraiser will then get a chance to respond. Finally, after a brief back and forth both sides will present closing statements.


The full ARB will review the recommendation of the three-person panel and approve your final assessed value. You’ll get a certified letter in the mail with the decision. Protest hearings typically wrap up by August


How Propel Can Help


At Propel Tax, we understand that life can be unpredictable, and unforeseen events can prevent you from being able to pay your property taxes.


Whether it is a loss of your job, unexpected medical bills, or a general economic downturn, we want you to know you’re not alone. This is why we are dedicated to delivering outstanding professional assistance for your residential property tax loans. 


Propel will clear your debt with the county while offering extremely competitive interest rates that will be fixed for the life of your plan. We understand money is tight and want to come up with a plan that works for your budget.


Before it’s too late, give us a call at 877.324.8445 or fill out this form and we’d be happy to provide you with the resources that you need to in order to have peace of mind.




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