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Don’t Overpay: Why You Should Protest Your Property

  • Writer: Shay Hargus Webb
    Shay Hargus Webb
  • Apr 2
  • 4 min read

Taxes in Texas

Every spring, Texas homeowners get their property appraisal notice… and for a lot of people, it’s a shock.

If your home value jumped this year, you’re probably wondering: Does this mean my taxes are going way up?

Maybe. But here’s the good news—you have the right to challenge it.

First, Let’s Clear Something Up

The appraisal district does NOT set your tax rate—they only estimate your home’s value.

Your property taxes are based on:

  • Your home’s appraised value

  • The tax rates set by local entities (schools, city, etc.)

You can’t control the tax rate…But you can challenge your home’s value.

Why You Should Review Your Appraisal

Mistakes happen more often than you’d think. Your home could be overvalued if:

  • It’s compared to homes that are nicer or more updated

  • The square footage is incorrect

  • Needed repairs weren’t considered

  • Your exemptions (like homestead) weren’t applied properly

Even small errors can mean hundreds—or thousands—more in taxes.

What the Numbers Mean (In Plain English)

Your notice will include a few key values:

  • Market Value: What they think your home would sell for

  • Appraised Value: Adjusted value (with homestead cap if applicable)

  • Taxable Value: What you’re actually taxed on after exemptions

👉 Your tax bill is based on the taxable value, so this is the number that really matters.

How to Protest Your Property Taxes

If something feels off, here’s what to do:

  1. Review your appraisal notice carefully

  2. Gather evidence

    • Recent comparable sales

    • Photos of needed repairs

    • Incorrect property details

  3. File your protest by May 15

    • Online, by mail, or in person

    • Scroll down for step by step instructions for filing in Travis County

What Happens After You File

  • You’ll first have an informal meeting with an appraiser (many cases these are settled here and by email)

  • If needed, you can go to a formal hearing

Is It Worth It?

Maybe. A lot of homeowners think that just protesting their property taxes automatically saves them money—but that’s not actually how it works. The only way to lower your tax bill is to lower your assessed (taxable) value. If your protest doesn’t reduce that number, your taxes won’t change.

  • For example, let’s say your home is appraised at $500,000 and your assessed taxable value is $450,000 after exemptions. If you protest and only get the market value lowered to $475,000—you won’t see any savings because you would have to get the market value down below the $450,000 assessed value in order to actually save any money on property taxes. But if your protest lowers your taxable value to $425,000, that’s when your tax bill goes down.

Your home is likely your biggest investment. Making sure it’s not overvalued (and overtaxed) is one of the easiest ways to protect it.

The May 15th deadline comes up fast, so don’t wait. Take a few minutes, review your notice, and if something doesn’t look right—protest it.

It could save you money this year… and for years to come.


Want to hire a company to protest your taxes on your behalf, here are some reputable local companies to consider:


Link to the Travis County Appraisal District: Travis Central Appraisal District

Link to the Williamson County Appraisal District: Williamson CAD


For Travis County homeowners wanting to protest your taxes, here are the steps I just took to protest the market value on my home for 2026.

  1. Go to Traviscad.org

  2. On the homepage in the middle there is an option on the menu titled "Protests". Click on this and then click on the button of page that says "File your Protests". At this point, you will need to login or create an account if this is first time logging in.

  3. This should bring up a list of properties you own. Click on the highlighted link on the property you want to protest and then click on the side bar menu option that says "protest".

  4. Once you bring up the next page there will be an "Action Menu" on the far right side of page. Click on "Protest Property". This will bring up the property you selected.

  5. Next select Reasons #1 or #2 or both as they are the most commonly protested items. If any of the others apply, for example the property has incorrect information listed on the record, you can select that but in most cases reasons #1 and #2 are the primary reasons for protesting taxes. If you have sold data to support your protest, select #1. If not, then you are just protesting that other homes are being valued lower than yours which is #2. Then you will need to put in the value that you think your home is actually worth. Obviously, this should be a lower number than the "market value" listed on notice.

  6. Then you will be able to fill in "comments" for justifying that value you filled in. Then you will need to answer other required "hearing information". If you don't want to actually speak in person to someone, select "no" on Informal Conference Request.

  7. Next you will attach any "evidence" you have already collected for this protest. For example, pictures of repairs needed or showing poor condition. Or you can attach sales data of comparable houses that have sold in previous year that have sold at a lower price than yours. It must support a lower price and be comparable or not worth attaching.

  8. Now "submit" your protest. You will get an email if you selected electronic delivery when your case has been reviewed.

 
 
 

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