What is a property tax appeal?

A property tax appeal (also called a protest) is a formal process where you challenge your county appraisal district's assessed value of your home. In Texas, you file a protest with your county's Appraisal Review Board (ARB), present evidence that your home is overvalued, and the ARB issues a ruling.

What's the deadline to file a property tax protest in Texas?

In Texas, the deadline to file a property tax protest is May 15, 2026 (or 30 days after your appraisal notice is mailed, whichever is later). There are no extensions.

How much can I save by appealing my property taxes?

Texas homeowners who appeal save an average of $774 per year. Success rates range from 80-91% when homeowners bring comparable sales evidence.

What is the difference between Houston Chronicle TX TAX and AppealMyTax?

Houston Chronicle TX TAX uses a free address lookup, paywalled comparable data (hearst paper subscription required) model. AppealMyTax charges a flat $49 per property tax appeal packet (one time). For a typical $774/yr savings, you keep $725 more with AppealMyTax — and 100% of the savings every year after.

Is AppealMyTax cheaper than Houston Chronicle TX TAX?

Yes. Houston Chronicle TX TAX charges Free address search; $1.99-$4.99/mo to see comparable data. AppealMyTax charges $49 flat, one time. You keep all your savings.

Why would I use AppealMyTax instead of Houston Chronicle TX TAX?

Generates a complete iFile-ready protest packet (cover letter, evidence sheet, filing steps) — not just data $49 one-time, no recurring paywall Annual monitoring subscription ($99/yr) auto-prepares next year's protest in April

Property tax appeal comparison · 2026

Houston Chronicle TX TAX vs AppealMyTax

TX TAX shows you the data. We hand you the iFile-ready protest packet — for $49.

Check your overassessment — Free See the $49 packet

Them

Houston Chronicle TX TAX

Free address lookup, paywalled comparable data (Hearst paper subscription required)

Free address search; $1.99-$4.99/mo to see comparable data

The TX TAX tool itself is free to search, but to see the comparable HCAD properties needed for an actual protest, you need a Houston Chronicle (or Hearst paper) subscription.

Coverage

Texas only (TX TAX). TX + FL (us).

AppealMyTax

Flat-fee packet, no contingency, no recurring cut.

$49 flat

One-time. You keep 100% of your savings every year. Or upgrade to $199-$249 Done-For-You for hands-off filing.

Coverage

TX (Harris County live, all 21 counties listed) + FL (67 counties — calculator live as ETL completes)

Real-world cost comparison

Houston homeowner in Harris County, $1,200/yr potential savings

Annual savings on appeal

$1,200

Houston Chronicle TX TAX cost

Free search + $4.99/mo for comps (~$60/yr) + 2-3 hours to write your own letter

$1,140/yr (after subscription) — assuming you actually file the protest yourself

AppealMyTax cost

$49 one-time, packet emailed in 30 seconds

$1,151/yr — and your time is freed up

Multi-year math

TX TAX requires re-subscribing every year to see fresh comps and re-write your own protest each cycle. Our $99/yr Annual Monitoring auto-builds your 2027 packet for half the recurring cost.

Houston Chronicle TX TAX— pros & cons

Strengths

✓ Free initial address check
✓ Backed by Hearst Newspapers — recently expanded statewide across Texas
✓ Trusted journalism brand

Limitations

✗ Doesn't generate a protest packet — you have to hand-write your own protest letter
✗ Comparable data behind a paper subscription paywall ($1.99-$4.99/mo)
✗ No ARB hearing prep or filing instructions
✗ No annual subscription option — you start over from scratch every year

Why AppealMyTax wins

★ Generates a complete iFile-ready protest packet (cover letter, evidence sheet, filing steps) — not just data
★ $49 one-time, no recurring paywall
★ Annual monitoring subscription ($99/yr) auto-prepares next year's protest in April
★ Step-by-step HCAD iFile walkthrough included in every packet
★ Done-For-You tier ($199) where John personally files the protest with a case number in 24h

Try it free

Search your address. Get your specific overassessment estimate in 30 seconds. No credit card.

Check my address — Free

The free check is genuinely free. Optional $49 packet only if you want a pre-filled iFile-ready protest letter.

See other comparisons

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