What is a property tax appeal?

A property tax appeal (also called a protest in Texas, or a VAB petition in Florida) is a formal process where you challenge your county appraiser's assessed value of your home. You file with the county Appraisal Review Board (Texas) or Value Adjustment Board (Florida), present comparable-sales evidence that your home is overvalued, and the board issues a ruling.

When is the Florida property tax appeal deadline?

Florida property owners have 25 days from the date the TRIM (Truth in Millage) notice is mailed to file a VAB petition (Form DR-486). TRIM notices typically mail mid-August, putting the petition deadline in early-to-mid September. The deadline varies by county and is printed on the TRIM notice itself.

When is the Texas property tax appeal deadline?

In Texas, the deadline to file a property tax protest is May 15 each year (or 30 days after your appraisal notice is mailed, whichever is later). The 2026 deadline has passed; the next protest window is April-May 2027.

How much can I save by appealing my property taxes?

Homeowners who appeal save an average of $774 per year in Texas and several hundred to several thousand dollars per year in Florida (Save Our Homes locks in the savings for 10+ years). Success rates range from 80-91% when you bring 3-5 comparable sales as evidence.

What's the difference between AppealMyTax and Ownwell?

AppealMyTax charges a flat $99, one time, for a complete personalized appeal packet you file yourself, or $199-$249 for our done-for-you filing service. You keep 100% of your savings every year. Ownwell keeps a 25-35% contingency on whatever you save and O'Connor keeps about half, meaning a $2,461 reduction costs you roughly $615-$1,230 every year forever. We charge $99 once and keep nothing.

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How to Protest Property Taxes in Dallas County (2026 Guide)

Published June 3, 2026 · AppealMyTax

The Dallas County deadline

Your DCAD notice of appraised value usually lands in April. From the date on that notice, you have until May 15, 2026 (or 30 days after the notice date, whichever is later) to file a protest. Miss it and you are locked into that value for the entire tax year.

If you are reading this after May 15, do not assume you are out of options. Texas allows a late protest in specific situations under Tax Code 25.25, and you can still prepare for next year. But the clean path is filing on time.

Step 1: Look up your assessment

Go to dallascad.org and search your property. Note two things:

Your 2026 appraised value.
How much it jumped from 2025.

A double-digit increase is a flag worth investigating. So is any value that is higher than what your home would realistically sell for today.

Step 2: Decide your grounds

Almost every successful residential protest in Dallas County rests on one of two arguments:

Market value too high. Your assessed value is above your home's actual market value.
Unequal appraisal. Comparable homes near you are assessed for less than yours.

The second one wins more often than people expect, because appraisal districts mass-appraise and routinely assess similar homes inconsistently.

Step 3: Pull your comps

This is the whole game. You want five or more comparable properties, similar in size, age, and neighborhood, that are assessed lower than your home. Print the DCAD record for each one. The more directly comparable they are, the stronger your case.

This is also the step most homeowners get stuck on, because finding and formatting clean comps by hand is tedious. Our free calculator pulls your Dallas County comps automatically and shows whether you are actually over-assessed before you spend a dollar. Run your address and see the comps in about 30 seconds.

Step 4: File the protest

File online through the DCAD uFile system, or mail Form 50-132 (Notice of Protest) before the deadline. Online is faster and gives you instant confirmation.

Step 5: Work the informal first

Before any formal hearing, DCAD offers an informal review with an appraiser. Bring your comps. A large share of protests settle right here without ever reaching the Appraisal Review Board. Be polite, lead with your comparable evidence, and ask for a specific number.

If the informal does not get you there, you can take it to the ARB for a formal hearing. Same evidence, more structured setting.

What to expect

Plenty of Dallas County homeowners who protest with solid comps get a reduction. Even a modest cut compounds, because a lower assessed value this year becomes the starting point for next year. The biggest mistake is not protesting at all and paying the full over-assessment by default.

Start by checking whether you are over-assessed. If the comps say you are, you have a case worth filing.

Check Your Houston Address

Free calculator pulls HCAD comps in 30 seconds, no signup. Optional $99 packet pre-fills your iFile protest — you keep 100% of your savings.

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