Your RIGHTS as a Property Taxpayer
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As humans, we all have three life guarantees: life, death, and (your favorite one…) taxes. As Texans, we all have experienced dramatic increases year after year on our property taxes. Luckily, our beloved Texan Founding Fathers created the Texas Property Taxpayer Bill of Rights to make sure that, even though we still have to pay property taxes, we have rights that help us to ensure we are treated fairly throughout the process.
The Texas Property Taxpayer Bill of Rights outlines “12 Critical Rights” that protect you as a property owner in our great state.
[Listed Below]
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to equal and uniform taxation.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to ensure that your property is appraised uniformly with similar property in your county.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to have your property appraised according to generally accepted appraisal methods and techniques and other requirements of law.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to receive exemptions or other tax relief for which you qualify and apply timely.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to notice of property value increases, exemption changes and estimated tax amounts.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to inspect non-confidential information used to appraise your property.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to protest your property's value and other appraisal matters to an appraisal review board composed of an impartial group of citizens in your community.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to appeal the appraisal review board's decision to district court in the county where the property is located.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to fair treatment by the appraisal district, the appraisal review board and the tax assessor-collector.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to voice your opinions at open public meetings about proposed tax rates and to ask questions of the governing body responsible for setting tax rates.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to petition a local government to call an election to limit a tax increase in certain circumstances.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to receive a free copy of the pamphlet entitled Property Taxpayer Remedies published by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts prior to your protest before the appraisal review board.
We highly suggest that you KNOW all of these rights as Texan Property Owners. They are crucial knowledge to be sure you will always get a fair valuation on your property or at least have the power to protest your valuation.
Now, let’s break down these “12 Rights” a little more for you.
1, 2, and 3: This “equal and uniform” taxation can potentially lead to counties increasing property values on a mass scale, which is frustrating for many property owners. This is especially true when property owners make no upgrades or additions to their space yet their values continue to go up 10% every year.
This is exactly why Texas Tax Protest is here to help. With our millions of real estate data records, we are able to protest on your property’s behalf to make sure you truly get a fair valuation, which saves you money on your tax bill.
4: THIS. IS. A. CRUCIAL. ONE. Take advantage of these exemptions!
The homestead exemption is a great example, as it is the most common and can be very effective year after year.
Here are the benefits –
10% Cap: The county can only increase the assessed (taxable) value of the home by 10%. All increases larger than 10% will result in a CAPPED value.
Tax Credits: Each taxing jurisdiction can issue an additional credit at the end of the year that will exempt more of the property value that the homeowner does not need to pay property taxes on.
There are many types of homestead exemptions and additional exemption benefits that you may qualify for. Each county is different so reach out to your appraisal district for your eligibility.
Here are some more useful exemptions:
Over 65
Disability
Veterans
Solar
5: This highlights that lovely letter you receive from your Appraisal District in the mail every year.
6: You have the right to see from your Appraisal District why they appraised your property the way that they did. You have the right to know their justification!
7: This is our bread and butter right here! We know many of you simply don’t have the time or resources to schedule a protest and follow through with the proper information on your own! This is where Texas Tax Protest comes in and handles all the heavy lifting for you. You DESERVE to have a fair and just valuation on your property, and we’re here to do everything we can to make that happen. Period.
8 & 9: In most cases when you protest on your own, you won’t like the results that come with the initial informal hearing. In 2020, of those who filed their own protest, only 29% achieved a value reduction. Then you have to schedule a hearing with the Appraisal Review Board (or ARB for short), and that isn’t a walk in the park. Again, when you sign up with Texas Tax Protest, you won’t have to deal with this mess. We will! Of those who were represented by us, 70% achieved a reduction on their property taxes.
10 & 11: You have a voice … Let it be heard! Tax rates and appraisal values are always fluctuating, every single year. Stay in-the-know. Get involved. Again, this is your RIGHT.
12: Pretty self-explanatory.
Glad we could break down those 12 key undeniable rights for you in a way that, hopefully, makes sense and inspires you to take action! Just remember, the deadline for most counties in Texas is May 17th, 2021. Be sure you contact Texas Tax Protest before that day if you want to protest your property taxes for 2021. And if you missed the cutoff, it’s never to early to get your 2022 sign-up out of the way!