Property tax appeal comparison · 2026
Texas Protax vs AppealMyTax
Texas Protax keeps 40% of what they save you. We charge $99 flat, one time, and you keep every dollar.
What 5 years of protests costs you
Drag to your annual tax savings. Contingency firms charge a cut of your savings every single year. We charge a flat fee and you keep all of it.
Assumes you protest every year for 5 years: our $99 packet each year, Ownwell at a contingency fee starting at 25% of savings per year (ownwell.com pricing example, retrieved June 2026), and O'Connor at 50% of current year savings per their published residential terms (poconnor.com, retrieved June 2026). Ownwell's rate varies by region, so we use their own 25% example as the conservative case.
Them
Texas Protax
Contingency: 40% of residential tax savings, $50 minimum per parcel, full-service firm since 1988
About $462 in year one
Texas Protax charges a 40 percent contingency on residential tax savings with a $50 minimum per parcel (texasprotax.com FAQ and published fee comparisons, retrieved June 2026). On a $1,155 first-year reduction that is about $462, among the highest cuts in Texas. AppealMyTax is $99 flat, one time, and you keep 100 percent.
Coverage
Austin metro + Harris County (Texas Protax). Texas, 13 county appraisal districts (us).
Us
AppealMyTax
Flat-fee packet, no contingency, no recurring cut.
$99 flat
One time. You keep 100% of your savings every year. Ownwell keeps 25-35%, O'Connor keeps half. See your exact overpayment free first, no signup.
Coverage
Texas, 13 county appraisal districts (HCAD plus 12 others), with Harris County (Houston) live
Feature by feature
An honest side by side. Both get you a real protest, the difference is what it costs and what you see along the way.
Price
Us:$99 flat, one time
Texas Protax:40% of residential savings, $50 minimum per parcel (texasprotax.com, retrieved June 2026)
Your savings
Us:You keep 100% of your savings, every year
Texas Protax:About $462 of a typical $1,155 reduction goes to the firm
Coverage
Us:13 Texas counties with real appraisal-roll data
Texas Protax:Austin metro (Travis, Williamson, Hays) + Harris County only
Control
Us:You own the filing record and can escalate yourself
Texas Protax:Case handled inside the firm; agents attend hearings for you
Transparency
Us:Every comp is a checkable parcel in your county's public roll, shown free up front
Texas Protax:You see the result after the fact
Real-world cost comparison
Houston homeowner in Harris County, $50K overassessment, $1,155/yr savings
Annual savings on appeal
$1,155
Texas Protax cost
About $462 (40% of $1,155)
About $693/yr in year one after their cut
AppealMyTax cost
$99 one-time
$1,056/yr after the one-time $99, every year
Multi-year math
In year one alone, the 40 percent contingency takes about $462 of a $1,155 reduction, nearly five times our flat $99. Stay enrolled and the cut repeats every winning year. With the packet you re-check your numbers free each season and pay only when you choose to file.
Texas Protax: pros & cons
Strengths
- ✓ Operating since 1988, one of the longest-tenured protest firms in Texas
- ✓ Local offices and agents in Austin and Houston with deep ARB experience
- ✓ No reduction generally means no contingency fee (the $50 minimum can still apply)
Limitations
- ✗ 40% of your residential savings, among the highest contingency rates in the state
- ✗ Covers only the Austin metro (Travis, Williamson, Hays) and Harris County
- ✗ $50 minimum per parcel regardless of outcome in some fee structures
- ✗ You hand off the case and see the evidence after the fact
Why AppealMyTax wins
- ★ Flat $99, one time, and you keep 100% of the savings. Texas Protax keeps 40 cents of every dollar they win you
- ★ See your exact overpayment and your actual comps free in 30 seconds, no signup, before paying
- ★ 13 Texas counties with real appraisal-roll data, not just two metros
- ★ You own the filing record and can escalate to the ARB, arbitration, or district court yourself
Where Texas Protax genuinely wins
Texas Protax has been doing this since 1988, its agents sit at ARB hearings for a living, and in their two metros that experience is real. If you want a person at the table and accept the 40 percent contingency, they are an established firm, not a fly-by-night.
Our case is narrower and far cheaper: a 10-minute online filing with the same class of comparable evidence, $99 flat, you keep 100 percent, and we cover 13 counties instead of two metros.
Texas Protax vs AppealMyTax: common questions
How much does Texas Protax charge?
Texas Protax charges a 40 percent contingency on residential tax savings with a $50 minimum per parcel (texasprotax.com FAQ and published fee comparisons, retrieved June 2026). On a typical $1,155 first-year Harris County reduction, that is about $462, among the highest residential rates in Texas.
Is AppealMyTax cheaper than Texas Protax?
Yes, by roughly 5x in a typical case. AppealMyTax is $99 flat and you keep 100 percent of the reduction. Texas Protax keeps 40 cents of every dollar saved. On the same $1,155 reduction you keep about $363 more with us in year one, and the gap repeats any year you protest again.
What does Texas Protax do that AppealMyTax does not?
Texas Protax has operated since 1988, staffs local offices in Austin and Houston, and its agents attend hearings for you. If you want a person at the ARB table and accept paying 40 percent of the result for it, they are an established choice. With our packet you file yourself in about 10 minutes online and keep all of the savings.
Does Texas Protax cover my county?
Texas Protax covers the Austin metro (Travis, Williamson, Hays) and Harris County. AppealMyTax has real appraisal-roll data for 13 Texas counties including Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, and Travis, and the free check tells you instantly whether your county is covered.
Can I switch from Texas Protax to filing myself?
Yes. In Texas you can file your own protest in any year, even if a firm filed for you before. Check your cancellation terms with them, then run our free check next season to see your current over-assessment and the actual comps before spending anything.
Try it free
Search your address. Get your specific overassessment estimate in 30 seconds. No credit card.
Check my address · FreeThe free check is genuinely free: no signup, no email. Optional $99 packet only if you want a pre-filled iFile-ready protest letter, and you keep 100% of your savings.