**Before we begin the blog we would like to point out that the following blog’s purpose is to give the reader a general description of the online property tax protest process. We ask that every reader be aware that each county has its own rules. RealValueIQ has used extra caution in making sure the following blog content includes only the aspects of the property tax protest process that we have observed to be uniform across the counties we have serviced and/or observed during the 2015 and 2016 property tax seasons.
For more specific information about the online property tax protest process for your county, we ask that you please reference our RealValueIQ COunty e-File Guides. If you do not find your county, let us know in the comments that you want to see RealValueIQ provide services in your county!
Is Your Home Eligible for an Online Property Tax Protest in Your County?
During the 2015 Legislative Session, the Texas Legislature passed a new law that is having a revolutionary effect on the way residential property tax protests are submitted and handled in the larger Texas counties.
Summarizing this law: The law mandates county appraisal districts in counties consisting of more than 500,000 residents to provide certain homeowners with the ability to file and submit a property tax protest (also known as a property tax appeal) ONLINE, provided the property protested meets the following three requirements:
- Has a valid homestead exemption filed;
- Located in a homogeneous neighborhood; and
- Not represented by, or coded to, a tax agent per appraisal district records.
The Online Property Tax Protest Explained
Homeowners typically receive their proposed value notice from their county appraisal district (CAD) in late April, and have until May 31st to file their protest. Be aware that the county is only legally required to send you a proposed value notice if your property’s appraised value is increasing by more than 5% that year. Moral of the story is that you have right to protest every year in Texas, so do not assume you do not have the right to file a property tax protest just because you do not receive a notice.
If you are eligible to file your protest online, you will receive a PIN number on this proposed value notice that you receive in the mail. This PIN number varies depending on the county, but this PIN number is your “ticket” to creating an online account with your local appraisal district, which is required to file an online protest. Creating an online account with your local appraisal district generally takes no longer than 5 minutes.
Once you have created an online account, you will choose the property you wish to protest and begin to submit the online protest. Again, reference our e-file guides for specifics on how to navigate your county’s specific online site.
There are only two questions that a property owner needs to know the answer to when filling out any property tax protest protest.
- What is your reason for protest?
- What is your opinion of value?
The options for your answer to number 1 are if the value is over market value, or unequal when compared to others.