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 Travis County / Austin (2026 Guide)

Published June 3, 2026 · AppealMyTax

The Travis County deadline

The Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) mails notices of appraised value in spring. From your notice date, you have until May 15, 2026 (or 30 days after the notice, whichever is later) to file. After that, your value is locked for the year except in the specific late-protest situations allowed under Texas Tax Code 25.25.

Step 1: Check your number

Search your property at traviscad.org. Look at your 2026 appraised value and how far it moved from 2025. In a market like Austin, a big jump does not automatically mean the value is wrong, but it does mean it is worth checking against comps.

Step 2: Pick your grounds

Two arguments win the vast majority of residential protests:

Market value. Your assessment is higher than what the home would sell for.
Unequal appraisal. Similar homes near you are assessed for less.

Austin's fast-moving market makes the unequal-appraisal angle especially useful, because mass appraisal struggles to keep similar homes consistent. Two nearly identical houses on the same street can carry very different assessed values.

Step 3: Build your comps

You want five or more comparable homes, close in size, age, and location, that are assessed below yours. This is the evidence that actually moves the number. Pull each one's TCAD record and keep the most directly comparable properties.

Finding clean comps by hand is the slow part. Our free calculator pulls your Travis County comps automatically and tells you whether you are over-assessed before you pay anything. Check your address and see your comps in about 30 seconds, which at minimum tells you whether protesting is even worth your time.

Step 4: File with TCAD

File online through the TCAD portal or submit Form 50-132 (Notice of Protest) by the deadline. Online filing is faster and confirms instantly.

Step 5: Take the informal review seriously

TCAD, like other Texas appraisal districts, offers an informal meeting with an appraiser before any formal hearing. Bring your comps and ask for a specific reduction. Many Travis County protests settle at this stage. If it does not, you move to a formal Appraisal Review Board hearing with the same evidence.

Why it is worth it in Austin

Travis County homeowners protest at high rates because the assessed values are high and the comps are often on their side. A reduction does not just save you this year, it lowers the base your future assessments build on. The only homeowners who never benefit are the ones who never file.

Start by checking whether your Austin home is over-assessed. If the comps back you up, file before May 15 and work the informal review hard.

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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