Home address: 404 Washington St

2021 Taxable Value: $139,970

Recent Sales Price: $75,000   – Over-taxed by 87%

Property tax assessments not carefully reviewed lead to paying more than your share of property taxes. Appraisal districts are flexible on market value appeals given the large number of houses they value and that are protested. Unequal appraisal is a powerful tool to reduce property taxes, but many homeowners are not aware of it and don’t use it. Winning a property tax protest is easy.  Getting property owners to appeal is hard.  Only 10% of Texan home owners appeal their property taxes.

Property owners are sometimes reluctant to protest their property taxes because the believe the appeal process is difficult.  It is not difficult and 60 to 80% of owners who appeal are successful. One reason it is difficult for appraisal districts to correctly value homes is they are not homogenous.  Some have been remodeled and some haven’t. Most tax protests are settled at the informal level so appraisers can return to measuring and valuing new construction. Property owners have a duty and responsibility to appraisal property taxes annually.  It is not prudent or reasonable to rely on the appraisal district’s estimate.