Per Austin Business Journal and ABOR Brady Weunsch, "How Texas homeowners can protest annual property appraisal"
Residential Real Estate •
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How Texas homeowners can protest annual property appraisal
Click here for KXAN YOU TUBE VIDEO ABOR tips to protest Property Tax Appraisals.
By Brandy Wuensch – Austin Board of Realtors
Apr 1, 2025
Every spring, Texas homeowners receive their annual property appraisal notice in the mail, often met with frustration, confusion and worry. As professional real estate agents, we see it all the time — clients reaching out in shock, wondering why their home’s value has risen so much in a single year and whether that means their tax bill will skyrocket.
While there are a lot of factors that play into an appraisal, the truth is any homeowner can protest their valuation.
An appraisal district’s role is to determine a home’s market value annually — it does not set tax rates or collect property taxes. Local taxing entities, such as school districts and city governments, set tax rates based on the revenue needed to provide community services. The amount a homeowner pays in property taxes depends on two things: the appraised property value and the tax rate set by local officials.
While you can’t change the tax rate on your own, you can challenge whether your home’s appraisal is fair.
Reviewing your home’s notice of appraised value is important for several reasons. For one, a home could be valued higher than similar properties that have been sold or recently appraised by the appraisal district. An appraisal district may have outdated information that includes reporting a home larger than it is or failing to account for needed repairs. Additionally, your homestead exemption and other exemptions may not have been correctly applied. If any of these factors apply to you, a protest could mean substantial cost savings on a tax bill.
The first step to protest an appraisal is to review the appraisal notice. The market value reflects what the appraisal district believes a home would sell for on Jan. 1. The net appraised value applies the 10 percent appraisal cap limit if your property has a homestead exemption. The taxable value, which takes into account any other exemptions the property qualifies for, determines how much of that net appraised value is taxable.
The final tax bill is based on this taxable value. If the market value looks inflated, it’s a sign to dig deeper into needed repairs, property characteristics and recent sales in the neighborhood to name a few. Once that information is gathered, a protest must be filed by May 15 and can be done online, by mail or in person.
After filing a protest, there will be an opportunity to meet with an appraiser for an informal review. Many of the disputes will be resolved here. If you're not satisfied with the outcome, your protest will move to a hearing before the appraisal review board. Even if a protest does not lead to the final value you hoped for, the process helps hold the system accountable and ensures your property is assessed fairly.
Many homeowners mistakenly believe that protesting their property appraisal won’t make a difference, but the truth is that many successfully lower their values each year, reducing their property taxes. It’s also important not to fear the protest process — your property’s appraised value cannot be increased beyond what is listed on your notice of appraised value letter.
At the end of the day, a home is one of the biggest investments someone will make in their lifetime. Making sure it’s being fairly appraised and taxed is one part of the process that a homeowner can directly impact. This is your right as a homeowner. If you think your property’s appraised value is too high, take the time to challenge it.
The deadline to file comes quickly and making the effort now could mean significant savings this year and, in the years to come. Review your appraisal, gather evidence and make your voice heard.
For more information and resources to protest your property appraisal, visit our property appraisal resources hub at UnlockMLS.com/PropertyProtest.com.
Unlock MLS marks the intersection of knowledge, humanity, and home. For nearly 60 years, we’ve fostered the most complete, accurate, timely, and reliable real estate marketplace for the 18-county Central Texas region. In partnership with the 18,000 real estate professionals who power our MLS, we lead the industry in transparency, data integrity, and a people-first focus to make homebuying, selling, and renting accessible and attainable for all.
Brandy Wuensch is the 2025 president of Unlock MLS the Austin Board of REALTORS®, serving more than 18,000 real estate professionals across the 18-county Central Texas region. With 20 years of real estate experience, Wuensch has a proven record and passion for advocating for REALTORS® and homeowners.
By Brandy Wuensch – Austin Board of Realtors
Apr 1, 2025
Every spring, Texas homeowners receive their annual property appraisal notice in the mail, often met with frustration, confusion and worry. As professional real estate agents, we see it all the time — clients reaching out in shock, wondering why their home’s value has risen so much in a single year and whether that means their tax bill will skyrocket.
While there are a lot of factors that play into an appraisal, the truth is any homeowner can protest their valuation.
An appraisal district’s role is to determine a home’s market value annually — it does not set tax rates or collect property taxes. Local taxing entities, such as school districts and city governments, set tax rates based on the revenue needed to provide community services. The amount a homeowner pays in property taxes depends on two things: the appraised property value and the tax rate set by local officials.
While you can’t change the tax rate on your own, you can challenge whether your home’s appraisal is fair.
Reviewing your home’s notice of appraised value is important for several reasons. For one, a home could be valued higher than similar properties that have been sold or recently appraised by the appraisal district. An appraisal district may have outdated information that includes reporting a home larger than it is or failing to account for needed repairs. Additionally, your homestead exemption and other exemptions may not have been correctly applied. If any of these factors apply to you, a protest could mean substantial cost savings on a tax bill.
The first step to protest an appraisal is to review the appraisal notice. The market value reflects what the appraisal district believes a home would sell for on Jan. 1. The net appraised value applies the 10 percent appraisal cap limit if your property has a homestead exemption. The taxable value, which takes into account any other exemptions the property qualifies for, determines how much of that net appraised value is taxable.
The final tax bill is based on this taxable value. If the market value looks inflated, it’s a sign to dig deeper into needed repairs, property characteristics and recent sales in the neighborhood to name a few. Once that information is gathered, a protest must be filed by May 15 and can be done online, by mail or in person.
After filing a protest, there will be an opportunity to meet with an appraiser for an informal review. Many of the disputes will be resolved here. If you're not satisfied with the outcome, your protest will move to a hearing before the appraisal review board. Even if a protest does not lead to the final value you hoped for, the process helps hold the system accountable and ensures your property is assessed fairly.
Many homeowners mistakenly believe that protesting their property appraisal won’t make a difference, but the truth is that many successfully lower their values each year, reducing their property taxes. It’s also important not to fear the protest process — your property’s appraised value cannot be increased beyond what is listed on your notice of appraised value letter.
At the end of the day, a home is one of the biggest investments someone will make in their lifetime. Making sure it’s being fairly appraised and taxed is one part of the process that a homeowner can directly impact. This is your right as a homeowner. If you think your property’s appraised value is too high, take the time to challenge it.
The deadline to file comes quickly and making the effort now could mean significant savings this year and, in the years to come. Review your appraisal, gather evidence and make your voice heard.
For more information and resources to protest your property appraisal, visit our property appraisal resources hub at UnlockMLS.com/PropertyProtest.com.
Unlock MLS marks the intersection of knowledge, humanity, and home. For nearly 60 years, we’ve fostered the most complete, accurate, timely, and reliable real estate marketplace for the 18-county Central Texas region. In partnership with the 18,000 real estate professionals who power our MLS, we lead the industry in transparency, data integrity, and a people-first focus to make homebuying, selling, and renting accessible and attainable for all.
Brandy Wuensch is the 2025 president of Unlock MLS the Austin Board of REALTORS®, serving more than 18,000 real estate professionals across the 18-county Central Texas region. With 20 years of real estate experience, Wuensch has a proven record and passion for advocating for REALTORS® and homeowners.
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