Property Taxes: Real Estate Advice  ·  Denton & Tarrant Counties

Your Tax Bill Arrived. Your Jaw Dropped. Good News: You Can Fight Back.

The May 15th deadline is closer than you think - here's exactly what to do about it.

Every spring, Texas homeowners open their appraisal notices and do the same thing: stare at the number, look up from the paper, stare at the number again, and then wonder if the county appraiser has been driving through the neighborhood in a Ferrari with dollar-sign sunglasses on.

Here's the thing most people don't know: you don't have to just accept it. You have the legal right to protest your appraised value — and thousands of homeowners win every single year. The deadline to file your protest is May 15th (or 30 days after you receive your notice, whichever is later). Miss it, and you're stuck with whatever number they landed on.

Wait — Market Value and Appraised Value Aren't the Same?

Nope! And this confusion is exactly what costs homeowners money. Let's break it down:

These two numbers should not be identical. The county appraises thousands of homes at once using algorithms and averages. They have never been inside your house. They don't know about the dated kitchen, the HVAC that's running on a prayer, or the fact that your neighbor's house backs up to a busy road and sold for $40k less than theirs. That's your evidence.

The goal isn't to prove your home is worthless. It's simply to show that the county's estimated value is higher than what comparable homes are actually selling for. That's it. That's the whole argument.

How to File Your Protest — Step by Step

Good news: this process is more straightforward than it sounds. Here's how to do it in both Denton and Tarrant counties.