Tips for Protesting your Taxes

Do you feel your property taxes are too high? Want to get them lowered? The Texas deadline, May 15th, is quickly approaching. Now is a good time to protest your taxes if you have not done so already. I know it seems like a daunting task- and possibly a bit intimidating- but the process is really not too bad.

There are law firms which will protest for you for a fee, however, the process is so easy it may be worth saving the extra money by doing it yourself. You can file a protest with your local appraisal district, for example, if you live in Harris County you can file with hcad.org or if you live in Brazoria County you can file with brazoriacad.org. You should also have received forms from your appraisal district with the assessed value and instructions on how to go about protesting your taxes.

You can protest for various reasons but two reasons that I am going to focus on are “incorrect appraised (market) value” and “value is unequal compared with other properties.”

Incorrect Appraised (market) Value

A property owner can submit information to the appraisal district regarding needed repairs. It is helpful to include photos of defects (new roof needed, foundation issues, etc.) and/or repair estimates as proof of necessary improvements. Sometimes the appraisal district may have the incorrect info regarding factors such as square footage of air conditioned space that can also impact the assessed value, so be sure to verify all the appraisal district’s information is correct.

It can also be valuable to get a comparative market analysis from a real estate professional which will focus on the sales price of similar homes in your area. This is definitely useful if this value is lower than the appraisal districts value of your home. Feel free to ask your local real estate expert to assist with this, as many will provide this service for no charge.

Value is Unequal Compared with Other Properties

Another feasible option used to dispute taxes is that the assessed value assigned by the appraisal district is unequal to properties which are comparable to yours. Information regarding neighboring properties can easily be accessed on the appraisal district’s website. Search for homes in your area of similar floor plans that are comparable in age, square footage, etc. Make a note of the properties which are like yours and have a lower assessed value and use this to support the protest of your home’s value. This may take using some of your detective skills, but it may be well worth the effort.

Just Do It

You have a right to protest your taxes and feel free to protest them yearly. I am no expert in protesting property taxes, but as a homeowner, I have found protesting to be quite beneficial . If you need any help with getting a comparative market analysis in Houston and the surrounding area, I would be more than happy to help. Good luck!