Can I Protest My Property Taxes in Texas?
Yes. Every Texas property owner has the right to protest their property's appraised value each year. You file a Notice of Protest (Form 50-132) with your county appraisal district by May 15 (or 30 days after your appraisal notice, whichever is later). You can do it yourself for free — you do not need to hire a firm or pay anyone a percentage of your savings.
Who can protest?
Any property owner can protest the appraised value of their own property. This right is set out in Texas Tax Code §41.41, which lets an owner protest before the Appraisal Review Board (ARB). You do not need to be a lawyer, a real-estate professional, or a tax consultant. Homeowners protest their own homes every year, and business owners protest their own commercial property and business personal property. If more than one person owns the property, any owner can file. You can also authorize an agent to act for you, but you are never required to.
What can I protest? (market value vs. unequal appraisal)
You can protest for several reasons, but two grounds win the most reductions:
1. Your value is too high (over market value)
Under §41.41(a)(1), you can protest that the appraisal district set your value higher than what the property would actually sell for. Evidence here includes recent sales of similar homes, a recent purchase price, an appraisal, or documented problems that lower value (foundation issues, a bad roof, deferred repairs).
2. Your value is unequal compared with similar properties (unequal appraisal)
Under §41.43(b)(3), you can protest that your property is appraised higher than the median appraised value of a reasonable number of comparable properties, appropriately adjusted for differences in size, age, and condition. This is the unequal-appraisal ground, and it is powerful because it uses the district's own appraisal records — not the sales market — as the yardstick. If the adjusted median of your comparables is below your value, the district must reduce you to that median.
You are allowed to raise both grounds at once, and it is usually smart to do so. You can also protest issues like an incorrect exemption, a wrong owner, or a property that was taxed but does not exist.
When is the deadline?
Under Texas Tax Code §41.44, the deadline to file a protest is May 15, or 30 days after the appraisal district mailed your Notice of Appraised Value — whichever date is later. Because the deadline keys off the mailing date on your notice, always check that date. If your notice arrives late, your window can extend past May 15. Miss the deadline and you generally lose the chance to protest that year, so file as soon as you have your notice.
How do I file?
Get your Notice of Appraised Value
Your county appraisal district mails this each spring. It shows your appraised value, exemptions, and the deadline. Keep the mailing date — it can extend your window.
Complete Form 50-132
The Notice of Protest is Comptroller Form 50-132, a standard statewide form. Fill in your property and owner information, then check your grounds. Check both "value is over market value" and "value is unequal compared with other properties" to preserve every argument. See how to fill out Form 50-132.
Submit it to your appraisal district by the deadline
Most Texas counties let you file online; you can also mail it or drop it off. File with the appraisal district for the county where the property sits, on or before your deadline.
Attend the informal review, then the ARB hearing if needed
Most protests settle at the informal review — a one-on-one meeting with an appraiser. If you don't settle, you present your evidence to the Appraisal Review Board (ARB), a panel of independent citizens that issues a binding value for the year. Know what happens at an ARB hearing before you go.
For the full walkthrough, read how to protest property taxes yourself in Texas. You can also confirm the process at the authoritative source: the Texas Comptroller.
Do I need to hire a firm?
No. The process is designed for property owners, the appraisal records are public, and you keep every dollar of any reduction when you file yourself. Contingency firms do the same work at scale and typically keep 25%–40% of your savings every year you use them. Whether a professional files or you do, the outcome is decided by the quality of the evidence — not by who submits it. If you'd rather not build the comparable analysis yourself, a flat-fee evidence packet gives you the finished work while you keep 100% of the reduction. Compare your options in our Texas protest services comparison.
What does it cost?
Filing a protest yourself with the appraisal district is free. There is no filing fee to submit Form 50-132. The only costs are optional: a contingency firm's percentage of your savings, or a flat fee for a done-for-you evidence packet. TaxStand builds a hearing-ready evidence packet for a flat fee across all 254 Texas counties — you file it, and you keep everything you save.
What are my odds?
Outcomes vary by property, county, and the strength of your evidence, so no honest source can promise a specific result. What is consistent is the mechanism: an owner who arrives with organized, adjusted comparable-property evidence gives the appraiser and the ARB a concrete number to reduce to, while an owner who shows up empty-handed gives them nothing to act on. The single biggest lever you control is the quality of your comparables — not luck.
What evidence do I need?
For an unequal-appraisal case (§41.43(b)(3)), pull 5–15 comparable properties from your appraisal district's public records — square footage, effective year built, condition/quality grade, and appraised value — then compute each one's appraised value per square foot, adjust for differences, and find the median. If that adjusted median is below your value, it is your target reduction. See how to find comparable properties. For a market-value case (§41.41(a)(1)), bring recent sales of similar homes, a recent purchase price or appraisal, and photos or estimates documenting any condition problems.
Check your property free
TaxStand analyzes your appraisal against comparable properties and builds a hearing-ready evidence packet for a flat fee across all 254 Texas counties. You file it, you keep 100% of the reduction. Free to check first.
Check my property →FAQ
Am I allowed to protest my property taxes in Texas?
Yes. Under Texas Tax Code §41.41, every property owner has the right to protest the appraised value of their own property each year. You do not need a lawyer or an agent to do it.
How do property tax protests work in Texas?
You file a Notice of Protest (Form 50-132) with your county appraisal district. You first meet informally with an appraiser, and most protests settle there. If you don't settle, you present evidence to the Appraisal Review Board (ARB), which issues a binding value for the year.
When can I protest my Texas property taxes?
You can protest after you receive your Notice of Appraised Value, typically in the spring. The deadline is May 15, or 30 days after your notice was mailed, whichever is later (Texas Tax Code §41.44).
What form do I use to protest property taxes in Texas?
Comptroller Form 50-132, the Notice of Protest. It is a standard statewide form. Most counties also let you file online through their appraisal district portal.
Do I have to hire a company to protest my property taxes?
No. You can file yourself for free and keep the entire reduction. Contingency firms typically keep 25%–40% of your savings. A flat-fee packet is a middle option — you get finished evidence and still keep 100% of the reduction.
Does it cost anything to protest my property taxes in Texas?
Filing the protest with the appraisal district is free. Any cost is optional — a contingency firm's percentage, or a flat fee for a done-for-you evidence packet.
Can protesting make my property taxes go up?
No. The appraisal district cannot raise your value as punishment for protesting. The worst realistic outcome is no change.
What can I protest — market value, unequal appraisal, or both?
Both. You can protest that your value is over market value (§41.41(a)(1)) and that your value is unequal compared with similar properties (§41.43(b)(3)). Raising both grounds preserves every argument.
Related: How to protest yourself (step by step) · Unequal appraisal explained · Finding comps · FAQ