Home address: 12231 Emerald Mist Ln

2021 Taxable Value: $337,170

Recent Sales Price: $190,000 – Over-taxed by 77%

Texas property owners can avoid paying excess property taxes by taking several basic steps. Most market value protests are successful, typically saving the owner hundreds or thousands of dollars. An unequal appraisal appeal is easy to prepare. Just find neighborhood homes with a lower level of assessment (per square foot). Summarize the data in a table. The majority who appeal their Texas property taxes are successful.

Property owners are sometimes reluctant to protest their property taxes because the believe the appeal process is difficult. It is not difficult and 60 to 80% of owners who appeal are successful. Incorrect property data such as grade, effective year built, condition, etc lead to substantial errors in appraisal district values for houses. Appraisal districts are receptive to settling property tax protests for houses at the informal level because it has only a nominal impact on the total tax base. Property taxes are the largest tax most Texans face. But it is a stealth tax hidden in the mortgage payment, disguising the size of property taxes paid.