Appraisal district employees hold informal hearings with property owners by phone, email or in person at the district office. Formal ARB hearings are being scheduled for in-person, tele/videoconference or written affidavit hearings as in previous years (click the links for specific hearing procedures).
Please note below answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Q: What are my taxes for this year?
Tax rates aren’t set until August/September, so your final tax amount is unknown until that time. During this phase of the tax calendar, we send property owners or their authorized representatives notice of their proposed property values for the year. If you don’t agree your property is worth what we say it is, you may file a dispute with our office.
It is important to remember that the appraisal district doesn’t set tax rates, assess taxes, or collect taxes. How much you pay in taxes each year is calculated by taking the property’s value * each taxing entity’s tax rate; we exclusively deal with the property value side of the equation.
Q: How do I protest my taxes?
Truthfully, you can’t. You can disagree with us on what your property is worth and you can attend your taxing entities’ budget or tax rate hearings to provide feedback on the proposed rate for the year (or submit feedback online through the Truth-in-Taxation online database). But after property values are finalized and certified and definitely after tax rates are set by the taxing jurisdictions, the amount of taxes you owe is a matter of a simple math calculation and can’t be changed.
That said, if there is an exemption (homestead, disabled veteran, etc.) you believe you qualify for and aren’t receiving, let us know. We can review the qualifications with you and have you fill out an application if necessary to get you any and all tax breaks you’re eligible for.
Q: Do inflation, tariffs or any other economic circumstance affect my market value this year?
A: The Texas Property Tax Code (TPTC) mandates property be appraised as of January 1 at market value. The Texas governor and legislature already decided economic challenges do not fit the definition of “disaster” as described in TPTC Section 11.35, although they have attempted to provide tax relief by raising the homestead exemption amount and implementing a circuit breaker limitation among other legislative changes. We will continue to analyze property sales, material and labor costs, and other data local to our county while we build and update valuation schedules; appraisals for this year will reflect the results of those analyses.
Q: Why did my market value change?
A: Appraisal Districts are required to figure out what property is worth by looking at comparable sales; building, material and labor costs; or income (rents and vacancy rates, etc.). If property sales, building costs or income data are up from the year before, property values across the board will increase as well.
Q: When is the protest deadline?
A: Protest deadlines are listed in bold type at the top of your notice and above on this page.
Q: How have the per barrel prices today affected my oil, gas or mineral appraisal?
A: Oil and gas properties in Texas are appraised for ad valorem tax purposes by estimating future revenue. The oil and gas prices are key factors in calculating revenue, but much like home and commercial property values, the actual average monthly oil and gas prices are evaluated based on what was paid last year.
Q: Why is my homestead savings decreasing year over year?
“Homestead savings” is the difference between your market value (what we say your property is worth) and your appraised value. Why is there a difference? Because by law, your appraised value can only increase 10% year over year if the property is your primary residence and has the homestead exemption. Market value, on the other hand, can and does increase or decrease as much as necessary based on available cost or sales data.
For a more detailed explanation, check out this article published on our website several years ago.
Q: What is a circuit breaker limitation?
The Texas Legislature passed a new law in the 2023 session limiting increases on most properties to no more than 20% year over year. This works similar to the homestead cap/limitation except that it applies to non-homestead properties. See our Circuit Breaker Limitation page for additional explanation.
The Texas Property Tax Code generally does not allow Appraisal Districts to appraise property based on economic conditions, oil or gas prices, hail or fire damage, or other changes that have taken place after January 1st. Nonetheless, we are committed to ensuring fairness and equality in property appraisals as of the January 1st appraisal date. If you believe your property’s value does not reflect market value on January 1st, you may contact appraisers at our office for informal review of your 2026 value or file a protest by mail or online. Please be aware, you must provide your opinion of value and evidence to support it.
