How to protest property taxes in Texas
Start with the filing date, preserve the formal protest, and prepare the records you want your local appraisal review board to consider.
What is the Texas property tax protest deadline?
Last verified July 2026. Source: Texas Comptroller.
File with your local appraisal district and ARB
File the protest with the local appraisal district that appraised the property. Its appraisal review board, usually called the ARB, hears the formal protest. Do not send a local property tax protest to the Texas Comptroller. Use the Comptroller's county directory to find the correct district, then follow that district's filing instructions.
Choose the applicable official form
The Comptroller provides Form 50-132 for counties with a population over 120,000 and Form 50-132-A for counties with a population under 120,000. A written notice may be sufficient if it identifies the owner, identifies the property, and states that the owner is dissatisfied with an appraisal district decision. Follow your local district's instructions so the filing contains what it requires.
Online or other electronic filing is not universal. Check whether your appraisal district accepts it and what local process applies. Filing informally or through a channel the district does not accept can put the deadline at risk.
The protest process, step by step
Check the deadline and your notice
The usual deadline is May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal district mailed the notice of appraised value, whichever is later. Use the deadline printed on the notice and confirm it with your local appraisal district. Also follow the filing instructions on the notice.
File a written protest
File the protest with your local appraisal district for review by the appraisal review board. Do this before the deadline even if you also request an informal review, because an informal-review request does not preserve a late protest.
Review the district evidence and prepare yours
Request and review the appraisal district information available for the protest, then organize the evidence you want the ARB to consider. Useful records may include property photos, repair estimates or receipts, closing or sale documents, and comparable or unequal-appraisal evidence.
Use an informal conference if offered
An appraisal district may offer an informal conference before the hearing. You can use it to discuss the value or correct facts, but keep the formal protest active unless the dispute is resolved and you choose to withdraw it.
Attend the ARB hearing and review the order
Present the grounds and evidence in your filed protest at the appraisal review board hearing. After the hearing, review the written order and any instructions or deadlines that apply to further review.
If the usual deadline has passed
First, confirm the mailing date and deadline with the appraisal district. Limited late-protest or correction procedures may apply to some facts, but they are not a replacement for filing on time. Read what may still be available after a missed protest deadline.
What ExemptLand does
ExemptLand is self-service software. It prepares information and a protest packet for the owner to review. You verify the information, decide what to use, sign, and file with the appraisal district yourself. ExemptLand does not file the protest, represent you, guarantee savings, or provide legal or tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the deadline to protest property taxes in Texas?
The usual deadline is May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal district mailed the notice of appraised value, whichever is later. Use the deadline printed on the notice and confirm it with your local appraisal district.
Does an informal review replace filing a protest?
No. An informal-review request does not replace a timely written protest and does not preserve a late protest. File the formal protest by the applicable deadline even if the appraisal district offers an informal conference.
What evidence can I use in a Texas property tax protest?
Depending on the grounds for your protest, evidence may include property photos, repair estimates or receipts, closing or sale documents, and comparable or unequal-appraisal evidence. Review the appraisal district evidence and organize records that support the grounds you filed.
Does ExemptLand file my property tax protest for me?
No. ExemptLand is self-service software that prepares information and a protest packet for you to review. You decide what to use, sign the protest, and file it yourself. ExemptLand does not file or represent you.
Official sources
Related
This page provides general information only and is not legal or tax advice. Confirm forms, deadlines, filing methods, and procedures with your local appraisal district.