Gill Denson vs Texas ProTax: which saves more?

The only formula that answers "which saves more"

Every property tax protest outcome in Texas reduces to the same three inputs:

• Value reduction: noticed appraised value minus the final value after informal settlement or an Appraisal Review Board (ARB) order under Tax Code §41.47.
• Combined tax rate: the sum of the rates adopted by your county, city, school district, and any special districts. Look yours up through the Comptroller's property tax rates and levies page or your county's truth-in-taxation site.
• Fee: a percentage of savings (contingency), a flat fee, or a hybrid.

Here is a worked illustration using round numbers. These are not results, not averages, and not quotes from either firm — substitute your own values.

Line	Contingency firm at 35%	DIY flat-fee packet
Noticed value	$450,000	$450,000
Final value after protest	$420,000	$420,000
Reduction	$30,000	$30,000
Combined rate (illustration)	2.2%	2.2%
Gross tax savings	$660	$660
Fee	$231	$199
Net to owner	$429	$461

Flip the inputs and the answer flips. If the same protest only produced a $300 gross savings, a 35% contingency costs $105 and nets $195, while a $199 flat fee nets $101. Contingency pricing is cheaper on small reductions and on properties where you expect nothing; flat pricing is cheaper as the reduction grows. That is the entire economic difference, and it is why no honest page can declare one firm the winner for every property.

Side-by-side: what to verify before you sign

Fee percentages, minimum fees, and renewal terms are set in each firm's engagement agreement and change over time, so the responsible comparison is a checklist of the terms that determine your net result.

What to compare	Gill Denson & Company	Texas ProTax	How to verify
Service model	Full-service property tax consulting; the firm files and represents you	Full-service property tax consulting; the firm files and represents you	The firm's own services page
Fee structure type	Outcome-based (contingency); confirm the exact percentage and any minimum	Outcome-based (contingency); confirm the exact percentage and any minimum	The signed agreement, in writing, before the deadline
Fee base	Confirm whether the fee is a share of tax savings or of value reduction	Confirm whether the fee is a share of tax savings or of value reduction	Agreement definitions section
First year only or recurring	Confirm auto-renewal and whether fees apply in later years	Confirm auto-renewal and whether fees apply in later years	Term and termination clauses
Counties served	Multiple Texas appraisal districts; confirm yours is covered	Multiple Texas appraisal districts; confirm yours is covered	Coverage page, then confirm by email
Residential and commercial	Both are offered; confirm residential handling for your property type	Both are offered; confirm residential handling for your property type	Firm's property-type pages
ARB representation included	Ask whether hearings, §41A arbitration, and §42.01 appeals are in scope or billed separately	Ask whether hearings, §41A arbitration, and §42.01 appeals are in scope or billed separately	Scope-of-services clause
Registration status	Check the consultant's registration	Check the consultant's registration	TDLR license search

Texas property tax consultants are regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Running the firm and the individual agent through the TDLR search before you sign takes a minute and is the one neutral, verifiable data point available to any consumer.

ProTax Consultants vs Texas Tax Protest — same analysis

The question people ask about those two firms has the same structure and the same answer: compare the fee base, the renewal terms, the county list, and whether ARB representation is included. We break that pair down separately in ProTax Consultants vs Texas Tax Protest, and the wider market is mapped in our comparison of Texas protest services. Across the industry, contingency fees commonly fall in the 25%–50% range of first-year tax savings; the exact number is contractual, not industry-fixed.

What signing Form 50-162 actually does

Both firms will have you sign Form 50-162, Appointment of Agent for Property Tax Matters. Under Tax Code §1.111, the appraisal district must then deliver notices to your agent and deal with the agent on the matters you designated. Practically, that means:

• The district's appraiser will negotiate the informal settlement with your agent, not with you.
• Your agent can settle at a value you may not have accepted, within the authority the form and your contract grant.
• You cannot run a parallel, independent negotiation on the same account for the same year without creating conflict; pick one track.
• The appointment stays in effect until it ends by its own terms or you revoke it in writing, which is why switching agents mid-season requires paperwork, not a phone call.

Gill Denson vs filing it yourself

Tax Code §41.41 gives every owner the right to protest, and §41.44 sets the deadline at May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal notice is delivered, whichever is later — for the 2027 season that is May 15, 2027 for most owners. You file Form 50-132 or use your district's online portal. Two statutory facts tilt the DIY math further than most owners realize:

• The district carries the burden. Under Tax Code §41.43, the appraisal district must establish the value by a preponderance of the evidence at the hearing, including on equal-and-uniform grounds under §41.43(b)(3) and §42.26.
• You are entitled to their file. Section §41.461 requires the district to make the evidence it plans to use available to you at least 14 days before the hearing. Many owners win using the district's own data.

If you have the time to assemble comparables and a median-adjusted unequal appraisal analysis, DIY keeps 100% of the reduction. If you do not, a firm is a rational purchase. We lay out the tradeoff without a thumb on the scale in DIY vs hiring a property tax firm in Texas, and our pricing page shows exactly what the flat-fee packet contains.

What neither comparison tells you

No head-to-head page — including this one — can tell you whether the reduction you receive would have happened anyway at the informal stage. Districts routinely settle clearly supported accounts informally, and a contingency fee is charged on that reduction the same as on a contested ARB win. Before hiring anyone, run the free check: if your account is already at or below the median adjusted value of comparable properties, there may be little to recover, and any percentage of a small number is still a cost. Start with how unequal appraisal works in Texas.

One more variable swamps fee percentages for homesteaded owners: Tax Code §23.23 caps the annual increase in a homestead's appraised value at 10%. If your capped appraised value sits well below market value, a market-value reduction can produce no tax savings at all — yet a contract that bases fees on value reduction rather than tax savings could still generate an invoice. Read that definition before signing. The Comptroller's Property Taxpayer Remedies explains the hearing process, ARB determinations under §41.47, and your appeal options under §41A and §42.01.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage do property tax protest companies take in Texas?

Contingency fees commonly run about 25% to 50% of the first-year tax savings, and some firms set a minimum fee. The exact percentage and its basis are set in your signed agreement, not by statute, so confirm the number in writing before the filing deadline.

Is the contingency fee charged on first-year savings only?

That depends entirely on the contract. Some agreements bill only on the first year's savings, while others auto-renew and bill in each subsequent year the agent obtains a reduction, so check the term, renewal, and termination clauses.

What happens if the ARB raises my value after I protest?

An Appraisal Review Board can determine a value higher than the noticed value if the evidence supports it, though in practice that is uncommon in residential hearings. The board issues a written determination under Tax Code §41.47, which you can then challenge through binding arbitration or district court.

Can I switch protest agents in the middle of the season?

Yes, but it requires written paperwork, not just a phone call. The appointment of agent you signed stays in effect until it expires by its own terms or you revoke it in writing with the appraisal district, and your contract may still obligate you for fees on work already performed.

Will a firm get a bigger reduction than I would on my own?

Not automatically. The appraisal district bears the burden of proof at the hearing and must give you its evidence 14 days in advance, so a well-prepared owner with comparable sales and an unequal appraisal analysis often reaches the same informal settlement a firm would.

Does a market value reduction always lower my tax bill?

No. If your homestead's capped appraised value under §23.23 is already below market value, lowering the market value may not change the taxable amount, which is why fee agreements based on value reduction rather than tax savings deserve close reading.