If you own property in Tarrant County and believe your appraised value is too high, you can file a Tarrant County property tax protest with the Tarrant Appraisal District by May 15 or within 30 days of the date your Notice of Appraised Value was mailed, whichever is later.1Tarrant Appraisal District. TAD Mails 2026 Notices of Appraised Value to Property Owners Your specific deadline is printed on your value notice. In most protests, the appraisal district carries the burden of proving your property’s value, not you.2Tarrant Appraisal District. Property Tax Protest and Appeal Procedures
How to File Your Protest
The deadline comes from Texas Tax Code Section 41.44.3State of Texas. Texas Code TAX 41.44 – Notice of Protest Miss it and your right to a hearing is gone unless you can show the Appraisal Review Board good cause.
TAD accepts protests online, by mail, or in person. The quickest route is the TAD website, where you log into your dashboard or create one using the Online PIN printed on your value notice.1Tarrant Appraisal District. TAD Mails 2026 Notices of Appraised Value to Property Owners TAD has its own Notice of Protest form, and the Texas Comptroller’s Form 50-132 works too and can be mailed to the district office.4Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Owners Notice of Protest for Counties with Populations Greater than 120,000 You’ll need the property account number from your appraisal notice, and you have to check the specific grounds for your protest on the form.
Grounds You Can Protest
Texas Tax Code Section 41.41 sets out what you can challenge. Not every protest is about the dollar figure. The grounds that come up most often:
- Excessive appraisal: the district valued your property above what it would sell for on the open market. This is the most common homeowner protest.
- Unequal appraisal: your property is assessed at a higher level than comparable homes. You don’t have to prove your home is worth less than its appraised value, only that similar properties are assessed at relatively lower values.
- Errors in the property description: wrong square footage, lot size, bedroom count, or improvements listed that don’t exist.
- Exemption denial: you applied for a homestead, over-65, disability, or other exemption and were denied in whole or in part.
- Ownership disputes: the district has you listed as owner of property you don’t own.
Section 41.41 also includes a broad catch-all for any action by the chief appraiser or district that adversely affects you as an owner.5State of Texas. Texas Code Tax Code 41.41 – Right of Protest If something looks wrong on your appraisal, you likely have standing.
Check the 10% Homestead Cap First
If your home has a homestead exemption, Texas Tax Code Section 23.23 caps how much your appraised value can increase each year. The district cannot raise your appraised value by more than 10 percent over the prior year’s appraised value, plus the market value of any new improvements.6State of Texas. Texas Code Tax Code 23.23 – Limitation on Appraised Value of Residence Homestead Your appraised value is always the lesser of market value or that capped figure.7Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Valuing Property
Pull out your notice and do the math. If the district exceeded the 10 percent limit, that alone is grounds for a successful protest. And if the notice already shows the capped value but you think actual market value is even lower, you can still protest on excessive-appraisal grounds to push the number down further.
Build Your Evidence
The strength of your evidence decides whether you walk out with a lower value. Start with recent sales of homes similar to yours that closed near the January 1 valuation date. The district uses comparable sales as a primary method for valuing single-family homes, so working from the same type of data is the most effective approach.7Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Valuing Property
Then document anything that pulls your property’s value down. Photos of foundation problems, roof damage, outdated systems, or other deferred maintenance give the appraiser something concrete. Written contractor estimates attach dollar figures to those conditions. A busy road, nearby commercial development, or any other feature that depresses resale value belongs in the file too.
Review your property record on the TAD website. Errors in square footage, room counts, or features like a pool or garage that isn’t actually there are among the easiest wins. Mass appraisal data has mistakes in it more often than you’d expect.
Get the District’s Evidence Before the Hearing
Texas law gives you the right to see the district’s case first. Under Section 41.461, the chief appraiser must notify you at least 14 days before your hearing that you can request all the data, schedules, and formulas the district plans to use.8State of Texas. Texas Code Tax Code 41.461 – Notice of Certain Matters Before Hearing Delivery of Requested Information The copies are free. If the district provides access through a website, it must also tell you that you can request physical copies by mail or in person.
Request this material as soon as you’re notified. Reading the district’s comparables and methodology ahead of time lets you spot weaknesses and prepare targeted responses. If the district fails to comply with the 14-day requirement, you can ask the ARB to postpone the hearing so you have time to prepare.
The Informal Review
Before the formal hearing, TAD offers an informal review, which the district describes as the easiest and fastest way to resolve your value.9Tarrant Appraisal District. A Message For Taxpayers You can use the online value negotiation tools on the TAD legacy site, call the number on your notice, or meet with a staff appraiser.
The appraiser looks at your evidence and may offer a reduced value on the spot. Many protests end here. Sign a settlement and the new value becomes final. Reject the offer and your case moves automatically to the Appraisal Review Board. There’s no penalty for rejecting a settlement, and going to the ARB doesn’t waive anything.
The Appraisal Review Board Hearing
The Appraisal Review Board is a panel of local citizens appointed to resolve disputes between owners and the appraisal district.10Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Appraisal Review Boards It hears both sides and issues a binding determination on your value for the current tax year.
Hearings are informal by design. You can appear in person, by telephone or videoconference, or submit a written affidavit with your evidence. Indicate which type you want on your protest form no later than the 10th day before the hearing date.2Tarrant Appraisal District. Property Tax Protest and Appeal Procedures At the hearing, you and the district representative exchange copies of your evidence, then each side gets time to present.
In most protests the district must prove its value by a preponderance of the evidence. In certain cases the standard rises to clear and convincing evidence.2Tarrant Appraisal District. Property Tax Protest and Appeal Procedures Your job is to show the board the district’s case falls short or that your own comparables and property data support a lower figure. The board mails its order to you by certified mail.
If You Disagree With the ARB Decision
Two further avenues are open: binding arbitration and a lawsuit in district court. Both carry a 60-day filing deadline from the date you receive the ARB’s final order.
Binding Arbitration
Arbitration is a streamlined alternative to a lawsuit. The property’s ARB-determined value must be $5 million or less to qualify, though there is no value cap for properties with a residence homestead exemption.11Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Regular Binding Arbitration You file your request and a deposit through the Comptroller’s online system or a paper form within the 60-day window. The deposit and fee schedule varies with the property’s value. An independent arbitrator reviews the case and issues a final, binding decision.
District Court
A petition for review in district court is the more formal path. File within 60 days of receiving the ARB’s final order, and bring the petition against the appraisal district, not the Appraisal Review Board.12State of Texas. Texas Code TAX 42.21 – Petition for Review Missing this deadline bars any further appeal. District court is slower and costlier than arbitration, but it offers a judge or jury trial, which can be worth it for high-value properties or complex disputes.
Hiring a Property Tax Consultant
You don’t have to handle any of this yourself. Texas licenses property tax consultants through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and licensed consultants must complete specific education and experience requirements before representing you or providing expert testimony.13Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Property Tax Consultants
Most Texas consultants work on contingency, charging a percentage of the tax savings they achieve and nothing if they don’t reduce your value. Fees commonly run around one-third of the first year’s tax savings, though the percentage varies by firm and can differ depending on whether the reduction happens at the informal stage, the ARB hearing, or in arbitration or litigation. Before signing, be sure the agreement spells out what counts as “savings” and which percentage applies at each stage.
To authorize a consultant or any other agent, file Comptroller Form 50-162, Appointment of Agent for Property Tax Matters, with the Tarrant Appraisal District.14Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Appointment of Agent for Property Tax Matters You can only designate one agent per property, and appointing a new one automatically revokes any prior designation. If you direct the district to send all communications to your agent, the district is not required to send you copies, so keep your own records and check in with your agent so deadlines don’t slip by.