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 Ownwell and AppealMyTax?

Ownwell uses a contingency — 25% of savings in tx/il, 35% in ca/ny/fl 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 Ownwell?

Yes. Ownwell charges $194–$271 per year. AppealMyTax charges $49 flat, one time. You keep all your savings.

Why would I use AppealMyTax instead of Ownwell?

Flat $49 packet — you keep 100% of the savings, every year You own the filing record and can escalate to circuit court yourself We show you the exact comparable evidence and let you tune it

Property tax appeal comparison · 2026

Ownwell vs AppealMyTax

Ownwell takes 25–35% of your savings every year. We charge $49 flat. You do the math.

Check your overassessment — Free See the $49 packet

Them

Ownwell

Contingency — 25% of savings in TX/IL, 35% in CA/NY/FL

$194–$271 per year

25% × $774 average annual savings = $194 (TX) or 35% × $774 = $271 (FL/CA/NY). Every year. Forever.

Coverage

TX, FL, CA, NY, IL, GA (Ownwell). TX, FL (us — CA/NY launching).

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

Typical Florida homeowner — $50K overassessment, $430/yr savings

Annual savings on appeal

$430

Ownwell cost

$150 (35% × $430)

$280/yr after their cut, repeating

AppealMyTax cost

$49 one-time

$430/yr — every year

Multi-year math

10-year math: Ownwell takes ~$1,500 in contingency fees over a decade (assuming flat savings — actual fees grow as Save Our Homes compounds). Our $49 fee captures the same reduction with the same Save Our Homes protection. You keep $1,450 more.

Ownwell— pros & cons

Strengths

✓ Hands-off — they handle the protest filing and hearing for you
✓ $50M Series B funding (Feb 2026), 500K+ clients, proven 86% success rate
✓ Coverage in TX, FL, CA, NY, IL, GA, expanding nationally

Limitations

✗ Takes a percentage of YOUR savings every year (compounds against you)
✗ 35% contingency in Florida/California/New York is steep
✗ Hard to escalate if they don't pursue your case aggressively
✗ No transparency on which comparables they used or how they argued the case

Why AppealMyTax wins

★ Flat $49 packet — you keep 100% of the savings, every year
★ You own the filing record and can escalate to circuit court yourself
★ We show you the exact comparable evidence and let you tune it
★ Florida Save Our Homes compounds: a one-time $49 packet protects your savings for 10+ years
★ $199-$249 Done-For-You tier if you want hands-off — still cheaper than Ownwell year 1, and zero recurring cut

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

AppealDesk vs AppealMyTax →Houston Chronicle TX TAX vs AppealMyTax →