Every spring, the Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) and Williamson Central Appraisal District (WCAD) mail property owners a Notice of Appraised Value. That number drives your property tax bill — and in a fast-moving market like Austin's, it's often higher than what your property would actually sell for. Texas law gives every owner the right to protest. Here's how the process works, step by step.
1. Read your Notice of Appraised Value
Your notice shows last year's and this year's values, the exemptions on your account, and your protest deadline. Before anything else, check the basics against reality: square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, lot size, pools, and the condition and quality the district has on record. Errors in the property record are some of the easiest wins.
Pay attention to the difference between market value and appraised (assessed) value. If your property has a homestead cap or the 20% circuit breaker limit, the value you're taxed on can be lower than the market value — which changes what a protest can accomplish. (We explain this in our guide to the circuit breaker cap.)
2. File before the deadline
The deadline to protest is May 15, or 30 days after the appraisal district delivered your notice — whichever is later. If that date falls on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day. Miss it and you generally lose your right to protest for the year, so don't wait.
You can file three ways:
- Online through the appraisal district's protest portal, using the account information on your notice.
- By mail with the Notice of Protest form (Texas Comptroller Form 50-132) included with your notice.
- Through an agent — you sign an Appointment of Agent form (Form 50-162), and the agent files and handles the protest for you. That's how our clients work with us.
3. Build your evidence
A protest is won with evidence, not frustration. The appraisal district responds to data: comparable sales, comparisons to how similar properties are appraised, documented condition problems, and — for rentals and commercial property — income and expense figures. We cover exactly what works in What Evidence Actually Wins a Property Tax Protest.
4. The informal meeting and settlement offers
Many protests are resolved before a formal hearing. The appraisal district may make a settlement offer, or you can meet informally with an appraiser to review your evidence. If the offer is fair, accepting it ends the protest for the year. If it isn't, you decline and move on to a formal hearing.
5. The Appraisal Review Board (ARB) hearing
The ARB is a panel of local citizens independent of the appraisal district's staff. At the hearing, you (or your agent) present your evidence, the district presents its own, and the panel decides the value. Hearings are short and focused, so organized, well-supported evidence matters. The ARB will send you a written order with its decision.
6. If you disagree with the ARB's decision
Most protests end at the ARB, but you have further options in some cases — binding arbitration, an appeal to the State Office of Administrative Hearings for certain higher-value properties, or a lawsuit in district court. Each has its own deadlines and requirements, so get advice quickly if you're considering one.
Pay your taxes on time either way
A pending protest does not extend your tax payment deadline. Tax bills typically go out in the fall and are due by January 31. If your value is reduced after you pay, you'll receive a refund for the difference.
Why owners hire an agent
You can absolutely protest on your own. Owners hire us because we do this every year in Travis and Williamson counties: we know how each district builds its values, we have MLS access for comparable sales and rent data, and we handle the filing, evidence and hearings so you don't have to. And because our fee is contingent, you pay nothing unless we lower your taxes.
Sources
- Texas Tax Code §41.44 — Notice of protest (deadline)
- Texas Tax Code §41.461 — Evidence available before your hearing
- Texas Comptroller — Property tax protests and appeals
- Texas Comptroller — Property tax forms (50-132, 50-162)
- Travis Central Appraisal District
- Williamson Central Appraisal District
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice for your specific situation.
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