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.

Fee comparison · 2026

What does a property tax appeal actually cost?

Most appeal services take a percentage of your savings, forever. On a typical reduction that is hundreds to over a thousand dollars a year, gone. Move the slider to your estimated savings and see exactly what each service keeps, and what you keep.

Your estimated annual property tax savings

$3,000 / year

$500$15,000

Not sure? The average successful Texas appeal saves about $1,200/yr. Check your real number, free.

Service	They keep	You keep
AppealDesk DIY packet, AI estimates · $49 flat	$49	$2,951
AppealMyTax (you keep 100%) Filing-ready packet, real county comps · $99 flat	$99	$2,901
TaxLasso They file for you (TX only) · $199 flat	$199	$2,801
Ownwell They file for you · 25% of savings (35% in FL/CA/NY)	$750/yr	$2,250
O'Connor They file for you · 50% of first-year savings	$1,500	$1,500

At $3,000/yr in savings, you keep $651 more than with Ownwell, every year.

Contingency firms take a cut of your savings for as long as you use them. We charge $99 once and keep nothing.

See your real overpayment, free

Fees shown are each provider's publicly listed pricing as of June 2026 (Ownwell 25%, 35% in FL/CA/NY; O'Connor 50% of first-year savings; TaxLasso $199; AppealDesk $49; AppealMyTax $99), verify on their sites. Ownwell and O'Connor file and represent you; AppealMyTax and AppealDesk deliver a filing-ready packet you submit yourself (about 10 minutes online). The difference: our packet uses real comparable parcels pulled from your county's own appraisal roll, not generic estimates.

Why a contingency fee costs you more over time

A contingency firm like Ownwell or O'Connor charges nothing upfront, which sounds great. But your assessment resets every year, so they take their cut every year you stay. A $1,200 saving with Ownwell's 25% cut costs you $300 this year, and again next year, and the year after. Over five years that is $1,500 to keep a result you could have locked in once.

A flat $99 packet from AppealMyTax gives you the same evidence, a filing-ready protest letter, and the comparable sales you need, using real parcels pulled from your county's own appraisal roll, not a generic estimate. You file it yourself in about ten minutes and keep 100% of every dollar you save, this year and every year after.

Check your real overpayment, free

No signup, no email. 30-day refund. You keep 100% of your savings.