Property Tax Research
Michael researches Texas property tax law, appraisal district procedure, and protest strategy for Andy's editorial team. He writes the plain-English breakdowns of deadlines, exemptions, and the Tax Code sections homeowners actually run into.
Texas appraisal districts mail notices of appraised value each spring. Before deciding whether to protest, these are the four figures on the notice that warrant a closer review.
Texas Tax Code §41.44 sets a default protest deadline, but the date that governs your account is the one printed on your notice. Here is how to confirm it, and what a missed deadline costs.
Section 25.25 allows specific factual errors on prior-year appraisal rolls to be corrected, and in some cases refunded. Here is what qualifies, and how far back a correction can reach.
Appraisal districts value homes through mass appraisal models built on recent nearby sales. Understanding how those comparables are selected is the foundation of an effective protest.
A single form, filed once, lowers your taxable value every year and caps how fast it can rise. Here is who qualifies, when to file, and what to prepare beforehand.
Most protests are settled before a formal hearing ever takes place. A step-by-step look at informal review, the Appraisal Review Board, and the evidence that carries weight.
Property tax is billed to the owner, but the cost rarely stops there. An examination of how rising assessed values factor into rent across the Texas market.
