A.A tax protest is the process of formal review of your proposed market value to determine what your current year taxes should be. A Texas tax protest is your right as a residential homeowner to ensure you are paying a fair amount of property taxes.
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FAQS & USEFUL INFO
Everything you need to know about the Texas property tax protest process
Common Questions
Q.
What is a Texas property tax protest?
Q.
Why should I protest my Texas property taxes?
A.Protesting your current tax appraisal can save you money on your property tax bill. Consistently protesting your proposed value can save you thousands in taxes over the long run by minimizing your assessed value.
Q.
Why should I hire Ballard Property Tax Protest?
A.Hiring a tax consultant is essential for effectively contesting your property taxes, much like you'd hire an attorney for legal matters or a CPA for tax advice. Our expert team, with specialized knowledge in property valuation, local tax laws, and appraisal procedures, works on a performance-based compensation model. This ensures our commitment to achieving the best possible results in reducing your property taxes, year after year.
Q.
How much does it cost to file a Texas Tax Protest?
A.Nothing! You save on your property taxes or our services are free. We share in the tax savings based on your protest results; if there's no reduction, there's no fee. No upfront costs or hidden fees and we don't ask for your credit card information. do not charge until your protest is successful. We charge 1% of your assessed value reduction after a successful protest. If your value is not reduced, our services are free.
Q.
How much can I save on my property tax bill?
A.Potentially thousands however accurately estimating potential savings on your property taxes requires thorough examination, starting with obtaining the evidence file from the appraisal district and conducting diligent research on your property. Although we cannot guarantee specific reduction outcomes, we invite you to explore the significant average savings statistics derived from our extensive experience in residential property tax protests.
Q.
Where do I start to file a Texas tax protest? What information do I need to provide to protest?
A.Everything we need from you is on our sign up page. Just answer a few simple questions and provide your property information, and we take it from there.
Q.
How can I cancel protest services?
A.We make it incredibly easy to cancel protest services. All we need is an email stating you no longer wish to continue protests in future years and we will remove you from our protest list.
Property Value Questions
Q.
How does the appraisal district determine my property’s value?
A.The appraisal district relies on a mass appraisal system to establish the value of your property. This system utilizes a vast database, which can sometimes include incorrect or outdated details about your property, to set its value. Typically, there's no direct review of your individual property by someone from the appraisal district. That’s what we specialize in. This broad approach to appraising properties often opens up significant opportunities for us to help reduce your property taxes.
Q.
Should I protest my Property Taxes if my property is valued lower than I could sell?
A.Even if your property is valued significantly below its potential market value, there's still a strong case for filing a property tax protest. Our expertise lies in identifying property tax reduction opportunities through various strategies, such as highlighting disparities in taxation compared to similar properties in your area. Our success rate speaks volumes: in 2023, we successfully reduced proposed values for the majority of our clients, showcasing our effectiveness in uncovering savings opportunities. Don't miss out on the chance to potentially lower your property taxes further—let us help you explore all available options.
Q.
Why Is My Property Valued Higher Than My Neighbor's?
A.Discovering your property's valuation is higher than similar properties in your neighborhood often points to specific data within the appraisal district's database affecting your property's higher valuation. Once we initiate your property tax protest, we gain access to a comprehensive report detailing their valuation calculations. Frequently, this report contains inaccuracies or outdated information. Our team meticulously reviews the appraisal district's report, identifying and rectifying any discrepancies, which can lead to a reduction in your property tax bill. Moreover, even in cases where your property's valuation is lower than your neighbors', we consistently find opportunities to achieve additional savings for you.
Q.
What is the difference between market and assessed values on my home?
A.Your market value, often synonymous with appraised value, is what your property could sell for in a fair and open market as of January 1. The market value is determined by the appraisal district through a mass appraisal system for all properties within the district. The assessed value is what your tax bill is based on, and accounts for any exemptions deducted from your market value.
Property Tax Protest Questions
Q.
When are my Texas property taxes due?
A.Texas residential property taxes are due January 31st of the current calendar year
Q.
Can I protest myself?
A.In our experience, working with an agent improves your chances of a successful protest. We have seen clients protest themselves and actually increase their property taxes as a result. Working with a qualified agent is key to navigating the process correctly to prevent further tax increases.
Q.
How often should I protest my Texas property taxes?
A.Every year. The compounding effect of tax savings from your tax protest add up year over year, and filing a protest is free.
Q.
How do exemptions impact my protest?
A.Exemptions do not impact your ability to file a protest in Texas. Instead, exemptions help limit your tax liability by establishing caps or reducing your appraised value
Q.
How long does the protest process take?
A.Usually, the protest process takes 6-12 weeks from the filing deadline in your county, however this timeline could change depending on a variety of factors.
Q.
If I protest my property taxes, will my home be worth less?
A.No, the market value of your home is determined by recent comparable sales, not by the appraisal district's value. If you are planning to seel your house, lowering your property taxes can be an attractive point for potential buyers.
Q.
Can My Property Value Increase Due to a Property Tax Protest?
A.During the informal negotiation phase of a property tax protest, it's not possible for your property value to increase. While there is a technical possibility of an increase during the formal Appraisal Review Board (ARB) hearing, such an outcome is extremely rare. Based on our extensive experience attending thousands of formal ARB hearings, we have yet to witness a property value increase as a result of these proceedings. This reassures property owners that the protest process is designed to explore opportunities for reducing your property taxes, not increasing them.
Q.
Can I protest when I receive my tax bill in October?
A.No, Texas Law only permits a protest to be filed by May 15 of the current tax year or 30 days after you receive your proposed value notice. Once this deadline has passed, you are highly unlikely to reduce your proposed value. For this reason, we recommend you protest your value every year and fight to save every penny on your Texas property taxes.
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