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.

Honest comparison · 2026

The best way to protest your property taxes in Texas (2026)

Texas reassesses your home every year and the protest deadline is May 15. Five services compete for that protest: two contingency firms that file for you, and three flat-fee options. Here is how they compare for a Texas homeowner, including which ones actually use HCAD and other appraisal-district records versus generic estimates.

Service	Fee	You keep on a $3,000 saving	Comp data
AppealMyTax Filing-ready packet (you file) · 13 Texas counties + all of Florida	$99 flat, one time	$2,901	Real comparable parcels from your county's own appraisal roll, each one verifiable
Ownwell Done for you · About 7-8 states	25% of savings (35% in FL/CA/NY), every year	$2,250/yr	Their analysts assemble the evidence and file on your behalf
O'Connor & Associates Done for you · Texas + many states	50% of first-year savings	$1,500	Full-service firm; files and represents you (subject of a Texas AG lawsuit, allegations unproven)
TaxLasso Done for you · Texas only	$199 flat	$2,801	AI analysis, then they file and negotiate for you
AppealDesk Filing-ready packet (you file) · Claims all 50 states / 3,100 counties	$49 flat	$2,951	AI-generated estimates; no county data source disclosed

$3,000is an illustrative annual saving. Fees are each provider's publicly listed pricing as of June 2026; verify on their sites.

The honest verdict

For a Texas homeowner who can file a ten-minute iFile protest, a flat-fee packet built from your actual appraisal-district comps keeps the most money in your pocket. If you want a firm to attend the ARB hearing for you, expect to give up 25% to 50% of your savings to do it.

More on why we are flat-fee and how to vet any appeal service on our honest comparison page, or run your own numbers in the fee calculator.

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