Anyone who owns property in Texas can protest the appraisal district’s value each year, and in big counties a large share of protests end with a lower value — in Dallas County, about two in three 2026 ARB panel decisions cut the value. It’s free to file, a protest can’t raise your value, and you don’t need a lawyer. Here’s how it works.
1. Read your notice of appraised value
Appraisal districts mail notices starting in April. Check three things:
- Market value — what the district thinks your home would sell for on January 1.
- Appraised (taxable) value — for a homestead, this can’t rise more than 10% a year.
- Exemptions — make sure your homestead exemption is listed. It now takes $140,000 off your value for school taxes ($200,000 if you’re 65+ or disabled).
Also check the facts: square footage, number of bathrooms, lot size, pool, year built. Errors are common and easy to fix.
2. Decide whether you have a case
There are two main arguments in Texas:
- Market value. Similar homes near you sold for less than your value. Use sales from around January 1 of the tax year, adjusted for differences in size, age and condition.
- Unequal appraisal. Similar homes near you are valued lower than yours by the district — even if none sold. Texas lets you win if your value is above the median of a reasonable number of comparable homes, appropriately adjusted. This argument works well even when sale prices are rising.
Condition matters too. The district usually hasn’t seen inside your home. Photos of an original kitchen, roof damage or foundation repairs, plus contractor estimates, can lower your value.
3. File your protest by the deadline
File by May 15, or 30 days after your notice is delivered — whichever is later. In 2027, May 15 is a Saturday, so the deadline is Monday, May 17, 2027. (See all 2027 dates.)
You can file:
- Online, through your appraisal district’s portal (most large counties have one — the PIN or ID is on your notice).
- On paper, using Form 50-132, Notice of Protest, or a letter that identifies you, the property and what you disagree with.
Check both “value is over market value” and “value is unequal compared with other properties” so you can use either argument.
4. Get the district’s evidence
Before your hearing you can ask the appraisal district for the evidence it plans to use. Review it: it often shows which comparable homes the district relied on, and you can point out why they aren’t really comparable.
5. Try the informal review
Most districts offer an informal meeting or an online settlement offer first. If the offer matches what your evidence supports, accepting it saves time. If not, decline — you keep your right to a formal hearing.
6. Present your case at the Appraisal Review Board
The ARB is a panel of local residents, not district employees. Hearings are usually short, so come organized. Bring:
- A one-page summary with the value you’re asking for
- Your comparable sales or comparable values, with a map
- Photos and repair estimates
Tip: if your value was lowered last year (other than by a signed agreement), the district has to prove any new value by clear and convincing evidence — a higher bar — as long as you submit your evidence at least 14 days before the hearing.
7. If you disagree with the result
You have 60 days from receiving the ARB’s order to request binding arbitration (deposit from $450 for most homesteads) or to appeal to district court.
Or let someone do it for you
You can do all of this yourself for free. If you’d rather not, a property tax consultant files and argues the protest for you, usually for a share of the savings. Recoup Capital handles Texas protests for 25% of first-year savings, and you pay nothing if your taxes don’t go down.
Sources: Texas Comptroller — property tax protests, Texas Tax Code ch. 41, Comptroller — exemptions, Tax Code §41.47.