Home address: 1901 S 05Th St

2021 Tax Assessment: $369,700

Recent Sales Price: $290,000 – Over-taxed by 27%

Appraisal district errors in setting assessed values cause McLennan County owners to pay extra taxes. Either comparable sales or condition issues at your home are useful for a market value appeal of property taxes. An unequal appraisal appeal is easy to prepare. Just find neighborhood homes with a lower level of assessment (per square foot). Summarize the data in a table. The Texas Comptroller reports 80% of 2019 property tax appeals by homeowners were successful.

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. Incorrect property data such as grade, effective year built, condition, etc lead to substantial errors in appraisal district values for houses. Tax protests are resolved at the informal hearing since the result is within a “reasonable range of value”. An appraisal is not an exact science and valuations are only an educated opinion of value, not a fact. 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.