Plain-English reference on Texas property tax — exemptions, protests, CAD record correction, and county-by-county filing. Written to be usable by someone who has never protested before. Free.
The unequal-appraisal §41.43(b)(3) framework, the §25.19 notice clock, what the CAD must produce in response, and where the 25%-of-savings consultants squeeze homeowners who could have done it themselves.
Step-by-step walkthrough of an actual successful protest. Subject property, accepted comparables, hearing transcript notes, final agreed value. The kind of detail every protest service should publish and almost none do.
The four real options for protesting your 2026 appraisal: pure DIY, contingency-fee firms (O'Connor, Texas Tax Protest), flat-fee tech (Ownwell), and DIY-help services like TaxStand. Cost math on a real $475K Tarrant appraisal.
Every section of the Comptroller's 2026 Notice of Protest form, explained in order: the special-circumstance checkboxes in §1, the trap-laden grounds-for-protest checkboxes in §3, the hearing-type decision in §5, and the signature mistake that voids the whole filing.
The constitutional principle, the statutory text, the "median of comparable properties appropriately adjusted" standard, the math on a worked example, and the reason this argument beats market-value protests in a non-disclosure state like Texas.
Every Texas property tax procedural date in 2026 with statutory citation: when notices mail, when protests are due (May 15), when ARB hearings happen, when the tax roll certifies, when bills mail, when payments are due (Jan 31). Plus exception/back-claim windows.
Every major Texas exemption catalogued: homestead, over-65, disability, disabled veteran (100% and partial), surviving spouse, ag/wildlife/timberland, historic site, charitable, religious, freeport, solar/wind. Eligibility, dollar amounts, application forms, statutory citations.
Minute-by-minute walkthrough of the formal Appraisal Review Board hearing. Pre-hearing prep, what to bring, opening statement, evidence presentation, CAD's case, rebuttal, panel deliberation, the written Order. Virtual hearings and appeal paths (district court, SOAH, binding arbitration).
The 2023 reform that capped non-homestead residential appraisal growth at 20% per year. Eligibility (residential under $5M, non-homestead), worked math on a Pflugerville rental, status-change transitions, the 2026 sunset, and how to protest if your CAD applied the cap wrong.
The complete procedural walkthrough: open your CAD's public search, filter for usable comps (±25% sqft, ±10 years age, same subdivision), capture the set, compute the median per-sqft, apply to your property, and build the packet PDF. Plus CAD-by-CAD search interface notes for the 12 major Texas counties.
The under-the-radar appeal path most homeowners don't know about. $450 deposit, 90-day timeline, independent arbitrator, binding decision. When it beats district court for residential cases under $5M, the deposit refund mechanics, and how to file.
Word-for-word language for your informal review and formal ARB hearing. Opening statement template, evidence walkthrough script, rebuttal templates for common CAD arguments, closing statement, and the things you should NOT say. Plus the 5-bullet cheat sheet to bring to the hearing.
What the homestead exemption actually saves you, the §11.431 back-claim window for late filing, the §23.23 10% cap, and the cap-reset trap on recently-purchased properties.
Up to 100% property tax exemption for fully-disabled veterans. Partial exemptions for any qualifying rating. Full benefits for surviving spouses. Most-valuable single filing on this page if you served.
Two combined benefits: an extra $10,000 school-district exemption, plus a permanent school-district tax ceiling that freezes school taxes the year you turn 65. Plus optional city/county freezes, transfer rules, surviving spouse continuation, and the quarter-installment payment option for fixed-income homeowners.
The §25.25(c) and §25.25(d) correction motions, the 5-year lookback window, and how to fix valuation errors AFTER the regular protest deadline has passed.
Johnson CAD's eSearch portal, contact information, ARB hearing format, and county-specific protest deadlines.
TAD's uFile / uOffer settlement system, informal review process, and how to navigate the Tarrant ARB process specifically.
DCAD's iSettle online filing, ARB scheduling, and Dallas-area protest specifics.
Denton CAD process, online portal, and county-specific notes.
The CCAD portal walkthrough, iSettle vs. formal ARB, master-planned community comp strategy, and Plano ISD vs. Frisco ISD tax-rate math. Covers all major Collin cities including the Frisco/Denton border split.
HCAD's iFile + iSettle + iHearing systems explained. Neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown of comp strategy for inner-Loop vs. master-planned suburbs. MUD rate math and the Harris Health / Flood Control assessments DFW counties don't have.
TCAD portal walkthrough and the legacy of the 2022 reset that pushed Austin appraisals 40-70% in one year. Central Austin condition-comp strategy, Eanes ISD value pool, and the §23.23 cap-reset math for post-2022 buyers.
BCAD portal walkthrough plus the military overlay: 100% disabled-veteran exemptions (§11.131) that Bexar processes more of than any other Texas county, Alamo Heights value pool, and the University Health District assessment that adds to the combined rate stack.
WCAD portal walkthrough plus the Williamson/Travis border issue (Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Pflugerville all straddle the county line). Sun City Georgetown dynamics, Samsung/Taylor reset, MUD-rate math in master-planned suburbs.
FBCAD portal walkthrough plus the MUD overlay that pushes Sugar Land effective rates above 2.7-2.9%. Sugar Land subdivision-level comps (First Colony, Riverstone, Avalon, Telfair), Katy / Fort Bend / Harris border issue, and why Stafford's no-city-tax model matters for comp selection.
MCAD portal walkthrough plus The Woodlands' unique township-not-city tax structure. By-village comp strategy (Alden Bridge, Cochran's Crossing, Grogan's Mill, Sterling Ridge, Carlton Woods), Spring/Harris border issue, and Conroe vs Woodlands rate-stack math.
Galveston CAD walkthrough plus coastal property considerations: hurricane risk, erosion, post-storm depreciation. Friendswood Harris/Galveston split, Galveston Island historic condition variation, and §23.231 circuit-breaker eligibility for vacation properties.
Brazoria CAD walkthrough plus the Pearland three-county split (Brazoria/Harris/Fort Bend) that confuses thousands of homeowners every season. Shadow Creek Ranch MUD math, Lake Jackson's company-town housing dynamics, coastal Surfside Beach.
Hays CAD walkthrough plus the Austin metro southern growth dynamic. Kyle's 150% population growth (2010-2024), within-subdivision comp strategy for Plum Creek / Sunfield / Garlic Creek, Hill Country protest nuances (Wimberley, Driftwood, Belterra).