Texas homeowners can protest their property tax appraisal every year for free. Here’s how to file in Dallas, Collin, Tarrant, and Denton counties before May 15th.
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If you live in North Texas, you’ve probably opened your tax appraisal notice and thought, “There is no way that my home is worth that.” And as someone who owns multiple properties, including rental properties in Texas, I can tell you I had to do that multiple times this year.
Now, if you’re one of the lucky few who had your taxes stay the same or even drop a little, congratulations. Forward this to a neighbor or a friend because chances are they’re not experiencing the same thing.
We did a poll on our team, and only two members had their property taxes stay the same or go down. Everyone else went up. So chances are you know someone who needs to see this.
The real question: Is it actually worth your time to protest your property taxes?
How to know if it’s worth protesting. First, understand that Texas values your home at 100% of market value. If that number is too high, you have the right to challenge it every single year. There’s no blacklist for protesting year after year, and no rule saying you can only protest once every three years. You can do it every year.
Here’s how you know it’s worth your time.
- If your value jumped significantly year over year.
- If your home can’t realistically sell for what they say it’s worth.
- If your neighbors’ homes are valued lower than yours.
- If there are errors in your property data, such as incorrect square footage, upgrades you don’t have, or condition issues that aren’t reflected. Any of those is a green light to protest.
And here’s the kicker: your deadline is May 15th with your county appraisal district, or 30 days after you received your notice, whichever is later. It’s free to file, and in most counties, a majority of protests actually result in a reduction.
What you need to know before you protest. When you protest, they can’t raise your value. That’s the highest it’s going to be for the year. Your protest can only keep it the same or bring it down. And your protest isn’t about your tax bill. It’s about your property’s value.
Your goal is simple: prove your home would sell for less than what the county says it’s worth. Here’s how you win:
- Comparable home sales. You can contact your local Realtor or reach out to our team for help with this. Look for similar homes that sold between January 1st and December 31st of last year. Not current year sales. They’re basing this year’s valuation on last year’s sales data.
- Check the data. Appraisal districts use mass data, and I would argue they’re using AI a lot more than they did last year. Mistakes happen all the time. Double-check that they have the right information about your home: square footage, upgrades, lot size, everything.
- Upload photos strategically. Foundation issues, deferred repairs, and outdated finishes. Take pictures and save them to your file. If you have bids for repairs, like an HVAC replacement, water heater, or a kitchen that needs updating compared to your neighbors’, submit those bids as well.
- Argue unequal value. This is one of your strongest arguments under Texas tax law. If similar homes around you are assessed lower than yours, that’s powerful. In master-planned communities here in North Texas, you might have six or ten houses around you built at the same time with the same square footage and the same updates. Pull their values off the tax assessor’s website and submit them. “My five neighbors are valued at $60,000 less than I am. I should be valued the same.”
Keep it simple. Don’t overcomplicate it. Put your photos, your write-up, and your comps together and submit.
“They can’t raise your value when you protest. It can only stay the same or go down.”
How to file by county. Most North Texas counties let you file your initial protest by mail or online before you have to go in person. We’ve included direct links to each county’s appraisal district website below so you can go straight to filing.
• Dallas County lets you file online through dallascad.org.
• Collin County requires a hearing, file through collincad.org.
• Tarrant County is transitioning to online, but isn’t fully there yet. Check tad.org for the latest.
• Denton County is mail-in, forms, and details at dentoncad.com.
Why does this matter beyond this year? A successful protest doesn’t just save you money this year. It impacts your taxes for years to come because they raise them each year. If you get it lowered this year, you’re starting from a lower number next year.
And in North Texas, because we don’t have a state income tax, property taxes add up fast. On a couple of our properties, our taxes have gone up by 60% and 83% over the last five years. That’s real money.
Your quick strategy recap: Your deadline is May 15th or 30 days after you received your notice. Focus on market value, not the taxes you’re paying. Use comparable sales, correct errors in property data, and argue for unequal appraisal versus your neighbors. File your protest form, go through the informal negotiation, and, if needed, appear before the Appraisal Review Board, which is usually a Zoom or phone meeting.
Be clear, organized, and stick to the numbers. If there’s a gap between your value and your reality, it’s absolutely worth your time.
If you need help pulling comps or putting your protest together, reach out to us. We’d love to help, just give us enough time to get your numbers so you have time to file. Call us at (214) 267-9222 or email SeychelleSells@vanpoole.com, or visit dallasarealiving.com.