Property taxes are necessary to fund public works, but do they have to be so high? It appears that in Texas, they do. Without an income tax to raise funding, the state finances much of its budget from property and sales taxes. In fact, this state has one of the highest property tax rates in the country. The good news is that Texas property owners have the right to dispute their property tax appraisals. If you believe your property was overassessed, there is an established process for disputing your property taxes.  Where Does Your Property Tax Calculation Come From? The Texas Comptroller ..read more

Most people don’t think about property taxes until they get their statement. Then some sticker shock might hit, especially for Texas homeowners. This state has the seventh highest property tax rate in the nation at an effective rate of 1.69%. Why? Why are Texas property taxes so high? Partly because there is no state income tax and no state property tax. All property taxes are local. These taxes are the largest source of money for local governments, which use them to pay for schools, streets, police, fire protection, and other services. Texas law outlines the process for local officials to de ..read more

Texas allows property owners to protest what the appraisal district has determined to be their property value. To dispute the appraisal, taxpayers can choose litigation or arbitration. Many owners feel property valuations are incorrect or unfair, and those who put in the time can get their property taxes corrected or even reduced. Have you selected arbitration in protest of your property tax valuation? Here’s what you can expect from the process. What Is an Arbitrator? Arbitration is an alternative to filing an appeal with the Appraisal Review Board. An arbitrator is an independent, neutral i ..read more

Did you receive a Notice of Appraised Value from the Appraisal Review Board? Was the value way higher than you expected? If you are worried about paying a lot more in property taxes this year, don’t freak out yet. In Texas, property owners have the legal right to protest their property tax valuations.  While you can protest the appraisal in district court, you might decide to use binding arbitration instead. The result of binding arbitration is final and utterly binding on all parties. However, there are circumstances in which you or your property might not qualify for binding arbitratio ..read more

As a Texas taxpayer, you have the right to protest the Appraisal Review Board’s determination of your property value, which affects the amount of taxes you pay.  If you fail to reduce your property tax by meeting with the Appraisal Review Board (ARB), you can use a process called regular binding arbitration. It’s a method of avoiding an appeal of the Arbitration Review Board decision in district court and generating a decision that all parties must abide by. Since litigation is typically more expensive compared to arbitration, both you and the Appraisal Review Board can obtain a decision ..read more