Watchtower Protest is now Ballard Property Tax Protest. The same great, personalized service you expect.
Watchtower Protest is now Ballard Property Tax Protest. The same great, personalized service you expect.
If you live in Collin County, Texas, the Collin Central Appraisal District (CCAD) plays a critical role in calculating the property taxes you owe each year. Understanding what the CCAD does and how it does it is crucial if you want to protest your property taxes. So, keep reading to find out how to lower your property tax bills in Collin County.
Every county in Texas has an appraisal district responsible for determining the value of all of the real property within its borders. The CCAD is supposed to assess each property at its market value as of New Year’s Day of the tax year.
After determining an assessed value of your home, the Appraisal District mails a Notice of Appraised Value to you on approximately April 15 of each year. This notice contains the assessed market value of your home from last year, the proposed taxable value for the current tax year, information on exemptions, and a deadline for filing a protest of your home’s value.
The CCAD follows the Texas Property Tax Code to appraise your home’s value. The determination is based on market value, which is the price your home would sell for in current conditions after a reasonable time on the market.
However, the Appraisal District is responsible for assessing every property in Collin County. Typically, this means that the assessed value on your Notice of Appraised Value is based on information in public records, such as the square footage of your home, the year it was built, and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms.
The determination does not consider factors specific to your home, like foundational issues or a leaky roof. There are simply too many homes and properties to assess for the District to conduct a detailed appraisal of each one.
The CCAD website contains information on homestead exemptions for each tax district in Collin County. There are also downloadable forms to apply for exemptions.
Common property tax exemptions for a primary residence include:
Receiving all the exemptions you qualify for is vital for minimizing your property tax bills. For example, every Texas school district must provide a $25,000 homestead exemption for a property owner’s primary residence. This means that when the school district’s tax rate is applied to your home’s assessed value, $25,000 of value is exempted before the bill is calculated.
If you think that the appraised value of your home is too high, it may be because it was only subject to a mass-assessment determination. Fortunately, you have the right to protest the assessed value of your property.
You can file a property tax protest after receiving your Notice of Appraised Value from the Collin Central Appraisal District in mid to late April. The Notice mailing will contain details on how to file and a deadline date.
On the CCAD website, you will find common questions about property tax protests and a downloadable form for filing. Though you do not need to use the form, it will help ensure your filing contains all necessary data about you and your property.
After you file the protest, you’ll receive a hearing date before the county Appraisal Review Board (ARB). The ARB will notify you of your hearing’s scheduled date, time, and location at least 15 days in advance. You will also receive another formal mailing, including remedies for homeowners and the ARB’s procedures.
At your ARB hearing, you can present evidence that the assessed value of your home is too high. The Appraisal District can also offer support for its proposed valuation. Afterward, the ARB will either confirm the District’s proposed value or rule in your favor. When successful, a protest with the ARB can result in significant savings on your property taxes.
Presenting compelling evidence in a formal hearing can be challenging, especially if you have never done it before. So why not let the experienced professionals at Watchtower Protest handle the property tax protest process for you? You can register for our risk-free services online, and you won’t pay a dime unless we get your property taxes reduced!
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