Property taxes in Plano, TX run about $1.7076 per $100 of taxable value for fiscal year 2025–2026, split among four taxing entities: Plano Independent School District, the City of Plano, Collin County, and Collin College.1City of Plano, TX. Taxation On a home with a $400,000 taxable value, that’s roughly $6,830 a year before exemptions. The two things that actually move your bill are the exemptions you file for and the appraised value the county assigns to your home.
Where Your Tax Dollars Go
Four jurisdictions set their own rates each summer before the fiscal year starts in October.2Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Truth-in-Taxation: Tax Rate Adoption For 2025–2026, the adopted rates per $100 of assessed value are:1City of Plano, TX. Taxation
- Plano ISD: $1.0395
- City of Plano: $0.4376
- Collin County: $0.1493
- Collin College: $0.08123Collin College. Annual Budget FY2026
The school district takes the biggest share of every bill by far. When you hear about a Plano tax rate changing, it’s usually one entity moving while the others hold steady. Plano ISD’s rate dropped from $1.04245 in 2024–2025 to $1.03955 for 2025–2026, for example.4Community Impact. Plano ISD Adopts New Tax Rate for 2025-26 Your total bill can still climb even when a rate falls, because the other side of the equation is your home’s appraised value.
Exemptions That Lower Your Bill
Filing for every exemption you qualify for is the most effective thing you can do to cut your Plano tax bill. Exemptions reduce the taxable portion of your home’s value and apply automatically each year once approved by the Collin Central Appraisal District.
General Homestead Exemption
If you own and occupy your home as your primary residence, you qualify for a homestead exemption. Texas law removes $140,000 from your home’s appraised value for school tax purposes, and the City of Plano offers the maximum 20 percent local homestead exemption allowed under state law for city taxes.5State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.13 – Residence Homestead File once with Collin CAD and the exemption stays in place as long as you own and live in the home. Collin County itself doesn’t offer a general local homestead exemption, so your county tax is calculated on the full appraised value.
Over-65 and Disability Exemptions
Homeowners 65 or older, or those meeting Social Security Administration disability standards, qualify for substantially more relief. The school district adds another $60,000 reduction on top of the standard $140,000, and the City of Plano adds its own $40,000 exemption.5State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.13 – Residence Homestead
The bigger benefit is the tax ceiling. Once you qualify, your school tax bill is frozen at the dollar amount you owed the year you turned 65 or became disabled. The ceiling holds even if your appraised value or the tax rate rises in future years. Plano has adopted a city tax ceiling as well, so the same freeze applies to your city taxes. If your appraised value drops, your taxes can go below the ceiling, but they won’t go above it.
How Your Appraisal Works
The Collin Central Appraisal District (CCAD) sets the market value of every property in the county as of January 1 each year.6Collin Central Appraisal District. How Is Your Property Appraised? Under Texas Tax Code Section 23.01, property must be appraised at the price it would sell for in an open, arm’s-length transaction.7State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 23.01 – Appraisals Generally CCAD uses mass appraisal, pulling from recent sales, property characteristics, and neighborhood trends.
Appraisal notices typically go out around mid-April.8Collin Central Appraisal District. Taxpayer Portal Read yours closely when it arrives. The appraised value is the starting point for your whole bill, and catching an error here saves money across all four entities at once.
The 10 Percent Homestead Cap
If you have a homestead exemption, Texas law limits how fast your appraised value can rise. Starting in the second year after the exemption is granted, the appraisal district cannot increase your appraised value by more than 10 percent per year, plus the value of any new improvements.9Collin Central Appraisal District. What Is a Homestead Cap? The cap applies to the appraised value used for taxes, not to the district’s market value, so your notice will often show two different numbers.
In a rising market, the cap can hold your taxable value well below market value for several years. When the home sells, the appraised value resets toward market value and the new owner’s cap cycle starts fresh.10State of Texas. Texas Code TAX 23.23 – Limitation on Appraised Value of Residence Homestead
Protesting Your Appraisal
If the appraised value on your notice looks too high, you can challenge it before the Appraisal Review Board, an independent panel that hears disputes between property owners and the appraisal district.11Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Appraisal Protests and Appeals Protests are free to file, and you don’t need a lawyer or a consultant.
You must file a written notice of protest by May 15, or within 30 days of receiving your appraisal notice, whichever is later.12State of Texas. Texas Code TAX 41.44 – Notice of Protest Collin CAD takes protests through its online Taxpayer Portal, which is the fastest route.8Collin Central Appraisal District. Taxpayer Portal The strongest evidence is comparable sales: recent transactions on similar homes in your neighborhood that sold for less than CCAD’s number for your property. Photos of condition problems a drive-by appraisal wouldn’t catch help too. Many protests settle informally with an appraiser before the ARB hearing happens.
Payment Deadlines and Penalties
The Collin County Tax Assessor-Collector mails tax statements in October.13Collin County. Collin County Tax Assessor-Collector – Property Taxes You have until January 31 to pay in full without penalty.14Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Paying Your Taxes You can pay online by credit card or e-check, mail a check, or pay in person.
Miss January 31 and the penalties stack up fast. On February 1, a 6 percent penalty plus 1 percent interest hits right away. The penalty climbs 1 percent each month through June. On July 1, the total penalty jumps to 12 percent regardless of how long you’ve been late, and interest keeps running at 1 percent per month with no cap.15State of Texas. Texas Code TAX 33.01 – Penalties and Interest If the taxing entity hands the account to a collection attorney after July 1, an extra penalty of up to 20 percent for legal fees can be added.14Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Paying Your Taxes A $7,000 bill left unpaid until August can easily top $9,500.
Installment Payments for Seniors and Disabled Homeowners
If you’re 65 or older, disabled, or a disabled veteran with a qualifying homestead exemption, you can split your annual tax bill into four equal installments with no penalty. The first payment is due by January 31, along with written notice to the tax office that you’re using the installment plan. The remaining three are due before April 1, June 1, and August 1.16State of Texas. Texas Code TAX 31.031 – Installment Payments by Certain Persons Miss an installment and that portion gets a 6 percent penalty plus the usual monthly interest, but the harsher delinquency schedule doesn’t kick in.
If You Pay Through Mortgage Escrow
Most Plano homeowners don’t write a check to the county directly. If you have a mortgage, your servicer likely collects property taxes with your monthly payment and holds the money in escrow until the bill comes due. Federal law requires your servicer to send you an annual escrow statement showing what was collected, what was paid, and whether the account has a surplus or shortage.17Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Escrow Accounts When your appraisal jumps, expect your monthly mortgage payment to rise at the next escrow adjustment. Confirm your servicer actually paid the bill on time; the tax office holds you responsible either way.