How to protest property taxes yourself in Texas (step by step)
You can protest your Texas property taxes yourself, for free, without hiring a company. Check whether your appraised value is out of line, gather comparable properties that are appraised for less, file a Notice of Protest (Form 50-132) by May 15, and present your evidence at the informal meeting or ARB hearing. The homeowner who brings organized comparable-property evidence wins reductions that the homeowner who shows up empty-handed does not.
The steps
Review your Notice of Appraised Value
Your county appraisal district mails this each spring. Check the appraised value, your exemptions, and the protest deadline. The value shown here is what you protest, and the mailing date can set your deadline.
Check whether you're over-appraised
Look up your appraised value per square foot and compare it to similar homes nearby on your appraisal district's website. If comparable homes are appraised for less per square foot after adjusting for size, age, and condition, you have an unequal-appraisal case. A free tool like TaxStand's analysis does this comparison automatically for 45 counties.
Gather comparable properties
Pull 5–15 comparable homes in your neighborhood from the appraisal district's public records: square footage, effective year built, condition/quality grade, lot size, and appraised value. Compute each one's appraised value per square foot, adjust for differences, and find the median. Under Texas Tax Code §41.43(b)(3), if that adjusted median is below your value, the district must reduce you to it. See how to find comparable properties.
File your Notice of Protest (Form 50-132)
File by May 15 (or 30 days after your notice was mailed). Most counties let you file online; you can also mail or drop off Form 50-132. Check both "value is over market value" and "value is unequal compared with other properties" to preserve every argument.
Present your evidence at the informal meeting
Most protests settle here, one-on-one with an appraiser, before any formal hearing. Bring your comparable-property analysis and lead with the median. Stay factual and specific. See our word-for-word protest script.
Go to the ARB hearing if needed
If you don't settle informally, present the same evidence to the Appraisal Review Board — a panel of independent citizens. They issue a binding value for the year. Know what happens at an ARB hearing before you go.
Do you need a company to do this?
No. The data is public and the process is designed for homeowners. Contingency firms simply do this work at scale and keep 25%–50% of your savings. The only thing that determines the outcome is the quality of your evidence — not who submits it. If you'd rather not build the comparable analysis yourself, a flat-fee packet (like TaxStand's $199) hands you the finished evidence and you still file it and keep 100% of your reduction. Compare all your options in our Texas protest services comparison.
Skip the spreadsheet work
TaxStand builds the comparable analysis and the full evidence packet for you — flat $199, you file it, you keep everything. Free to check first.
Check your property →FAQ
Is it hard to protest property taxes yourself in Texas?
Not hard, but detail-oriented. Filing is simple; the work is assembling and adjusting comparable properties. Budget an evening to gather comps, or use a tool that builds the analysis for you.
Can protesting make my taxes go up?
No. The appraisal district cannot raise your value as punishment for protesting. The worst realistic outcome is no change.
What's the deadline to file?
Generally May 15, or 30 days after your appraisal notice was mailed, whichever is later.
Related: Unequal appraisal explained · Finding comps · Protest script · FAQ