What Is a Property Tax Protest?
A property tax protest is the formal process of challenging the appraised value your county appraisal district assigns to your property. Since your property taxes are calculated by multiplying this appraised value by local tax rates, a lower appraisal means a lower tax bill.
Every Texas property owner has the legal right to protest every year — regardless of whether their value went up, down, or stayed the same.
Why Protesting Matters
Most homeowners don't realize that appraisal districts rely on mass appraisal systems — automated models that estimate values using broad formulas and public data. These systems often overstate individual property values because they can't account for property-specific conditions, errors in records, or neighborhood-level differences.
The Texas Comptroller's office reports that a significant percentage of protests result in reductions. The process is designed to give property owners a fair chance to correct overvaluations.
How Much Can You Save?
The savings depend on your property's value and local tax rates, but here's a concrete example:
- Appraised value: $450,000
- Protest reduction: $40,000 (to $410,000)
- Combined local tax rate: 2.5%
- Annual savings: $1,000
That $1,000 savings repeats every year until the next reappraisal catches up — and you can protest again the following year to maintain or increase the reduction.
Over 5 years, a single successful protest can save $5,000 or more. Compounded with annual protests, the cumulative savings are significant.
The Hidden Cost of Doing Nothing
Even a small increase in appraised value adds up over time — especially with rising tax rates. Failing to protest year after year compounds your overpayment. And once your appraised value is established at a higher level, future increases build on that inflated baseline. For a deeper look at the advantages, see benefits of filing a Texas property tax protest.
Appraisal districts count on the fact that most homeowners won't protest. Don't leave money on the table.
Common Reasons to Protest
- Your home is valued higher than recent comparable sales
- Your property records contain errors (square footage, bedroom count, lot size)
- Your home has condition issues not reflected in the appraisal
- Your property is assessed higher than similar nearby homes (unequal appraisal)
Want to know if you're eligible? See Can I file a Texas property tax protest? for a full breakdown of who qualifies and valid protest reasons.
How the Process Works
The protest process involves filing a Notice of Protest, gathering evidence, and presenting your case — either through an informal review with appraisal staff or a formal hearing before the Appraisal Review Board. For the complete step-by-step walkthrough, see our Texas property tax protest guide.
Why Hire a Professional?
While you can file your own protest, working with a property tax consultant gives you:
- Access to comparable sales data most homeowners can't easily obtain
- Unequal appraisal analysis — one of the strongest legal arguments available
- Hearing experience — consultants know how ARB panels evaluate evidence
- Time savings — no researching, filing, or attending hearings yourself
Get Started With Ballard Property Tax Protest
A property tax protest is one of the most underused tools available to Texas homeowners. It's your legal right, it's free to file, and your value cannot be increased as a result of protesting.
Ballard Property Tax Protest handles everything from filing to hearings — and you only pay if we reduce your value. Sign up today.