Your Guide to Protesting Your Property Value

Every Spring in the Hill Country, residents anticipate the welcomed presence of perfect temperatures, rain showers, and blooming wildflowers. One thing you might also be anticipating (but not as welcoming to it) is the annually-mailed value notices from your county's appraisal district that arrive in April or May. As property values increase in the Austin MSA, so do the county-appraised values that our property taxes are based off of. While the county and government increase revenue, each year homeowners are experiencing more out-of-pocket costs due to property taxes. If your home is over-appraised, then your taxes aren't reflecting the true value of your home - but there's action to take to fix that! 

Did you know it could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars by protesting your value?

Travis County properties are subject to some of the highest tax rates in the country - don't miss the short opportunity to challenge your value with the county and save money on your property tax bill at the end of the year! We personally saved over $3,500 in property taxes on our home in Grand Mesa last year after protesting.

By putting in the effort to protest yearly, we can work together as a community to minimize the assessed value increases and save money on property taxes. We understand that fighting for a “lower” property value sounds like something you DON’T want to do, but trust us - any appropriately advised buyer in the future will understand that the county’s value doesn’t tend to hold weight when establishing your market value when selling.

Where can I find my appraised value notice?

Your 2024 assessed value notice from Travis County should be in your mailbox in April or May. In the event you have not received your notice by mail soon, here is where you can find the property search feature to check on your property's status: TravisCAD.org. Once received, you have a short window of opportunity to protest your value to decrease your tax bill at the end of the year and save money. 

Other counties in the Austin MSA: Williamson CAD, Hays CAD, Bastrop CAD

Appraised Value and Protesting Timeline

January :: Your Home Value Starts Here :: Appraisal

Your home's appraised value for the year is based on its condition, and what the property could sell for, on this date. Keep in mind, the appraisal district arrives at a figure by calculating the market value of your property. And your home's condition on Jan. 1 is key as you look at factors that may affect the value. Any damage or improvements after this date (say, a tree that falls on your roof in March, or the new bathroom you added in May) won't affect the taxable value of your home this year.

April/May :: You've Got Mail :: Notices Sent

A piece of mail arrives from the appraisal district, telling you the value of your home for tax purposes. Look over the numbers carefully. If your property is not described correctly or if the value looks out of whack, you can protest it.

Next 30 Days :: Challenge Your Value :: Complete the Protest Form

May 15th is the typical deadline for filing a "Notice of Protest" of your appraised value; if the date falls on a weekend, it can be filed on the next business day.

By June 1 :: Informal Meeting :: Meet with the Appraiser

The appraisal review board (or ARB), is already meeting on the first appeals through the gate. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Once you've filed your
"Notice of Protest," the Travis Central Appraisal District will send you a letter with two dates: an informal meeting with an appraisal staffer and your formal hearing date with the ARB, a group of independent residents appointed to hear these challenges. During the informal meeting, the staffer will review the numbers with you. Bring all of your documentation: Information on comparable homes (records are available on the appraisal district's website), perhaps an independent appraisal if you recently refinanced your house, or photos, repair estimates and other records showing damage that may devalue your home.

Once you and a 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 can keep your date with the ARB, or technically, with a three-member panel of ARB members. Before that hearing, you have a right to see all of the information the district appraisers plan to present, so be sure to contact the appraisal district to request those documents. In Travis County, typically two weeks pass between the informal meeting with staff and the ARB hearing. In Williamson and Hays counties, that meeting with a staffer usually happens the same day as the ARB hearing. Either way, the same process applies: If you're satisfied with the outcome after meeting with the staffer, you can forego the ARB hearing.

Hearing :: The Big Day

If you take your case to the ARB, come prepared and expect a rapid-fire proceeding. The entire hearing will likely take 15 to 30 minutes. In that time you will be placed under oath and given a chance to present any evidence or witnesses supporting your case. You must conclude by stating the figure you believe your property is worth. Someone from the appraisal district will likely question you and provide additional evidence. Then you can question the appraiser or any witnesses presented by the appraisal district. Members of the ARB can ask clarifying questions, too. Finally, each side gets to make a closing statement, so once again you'll want to reiterate what you believe your property is worth and why. The three-member panel will discuss the case and reach a recommended value. You'll get a certified letter in the mail with the decision.

Still not Satisfied? :: Arbitration

Protest hearings typically wrap up by now. But you still have recourse if you're not satisfied with the ARB decision. If your property is valued at less than $5 million, or if it's your homestead, regardless of value, you can take your case to binding arbitration. There's a form for that, too. You'll need to file that within 45 days of receiving the ARB decision, and it'll cost you $500. All but $50 of that will be refunded if you prevail. There are two alternatives to arbitration. You can take your appeal to state district court (that challenge must be filed within 60 days of receiving the ARB decision, and you'll likely need an attorney's help). Or for properties valued over $1 million, you can file an appeal with the State Office of Administrative Hearings (that challenge must be filed within 30 days of receiving the ARB decision).

What are the next steps to take if I want to protest?

First - Decide if you want to do this yourself, or if you prefer to hire a professional to handle it for you. You can save time and potentially even more money by hiring a company that is well-versed in this space. The fees collected (which vary, confirm with each company) more than outweigh the time spent preparing the evidence and managing the communication.

If you want to protest yourself,

1. Examine the comparable homes used to determine your property's value.
   
   Click here to sign up to receive relevant property value information that would help in your tax protesting submission.
   
   
   
2. Compile your supporting evidence to justify your protest.
   
   See whether differences in property size, home upgrades or proximity to a busy road, for instance, might make those properties a poor comparison for your home. Here's some simple Do's and Don'ts to consider while protesting:
   
   DON'T Complain about how you can't afford your taxes. The appraisal district doesn't set the tax rate; they only decide what your home is worth for tax purposes.
   DO Come armed with a specific value you believe your home is worth, and the documentation to support that figure.
   
   DON'T Give a long, rambling presentation filled with generalizations.
   DO Request in advance the documentation the appraisal district compiled to calculate its appraisal of your property.
   
   

   Helpful Info to Provide:

   • Significant damage to your home, requiring repairs of $10,000 or more, which have not been repaired as of January 1 of the current year
     • Repairs made prior to January 1 will not be helpful to the protest
   • Square footage of property is wrong on the appraisal district's website by more than 5% or 150 sq. ft.
     
     

   Not Helpful:

   • Damage to trees, landscaping, driveways, or fences.
   • Old roof, HVAC, or windows. These are considered deferred maintenance and are not helpful. 
   • Wrong bedroom or bathroom count. The appraisal district does not assign value to the bedrooms or bathrooms, only to the overall square footage. 
   • Comparable sales data. We have tens of thousands of sales to leverage on your behalf. 

   
   Pro Tip: Encourage your neighbors to protest too! The more properties evaluated the stronger the case becomes, resulting in greater savings.

3. File online or by mail.

   1. You can use the form on the back of the "Notice of Appraised Value" that you received from the appraisal district, since it already has your account information printed on it.

   2. Or you may be able to file your protest online...
      In Travis County, go to traviscad.org and click on E-File. Williamson County residents can go to wcad.org and click on Online Protests, while Hays County residents can do the same at hayscad.com. The benefit of online protesting is that appraisal district staffers can review your information and decide whether to offer you a settlement, potentially without you having to attend a hearing at all.
      
      As you're filling out the form, pay particular attention to the step in which you check off the box or boxes stating the reason for your protest. Your choices here will affect what kind of evidence you can present later on. If the district listed the wrong square footage for your home, for instance, be sure to check "property description is incorrect." If you think your value is out of step with similar homes, make sure to mark "value is unequal compared with other properties". For typical homeowners challenging their appraisal, the Texas Comptroller's office suggests checking "value is over market value" and "value is unequal compared with other properties". That will allow you to present the widest types of evidence and preserve your full appeal rights.

       

If you want to hire a professional, below are our recommendations for companies who handle the submission for you:

Five Stone Tax Advisers, (512) 339-6671
Texas Protax, (512) 833-5829

Still unsure which direction to go or need further clarification?

We invite you to book a 15-minute virtual meeting with us if you are unfamiliar with the protesting process or have any questions about your county assessed value. Fill out this form to get us started!

Wishing you good luck with your protest!

Feel free to contact us with any questions:

David Ramirez, Ramirez Hospitality Group
Broker Associate, RA | Compass
512.240.2810
[email protected]