How to Protest your Property Taxes
Great news! Your property value has increased! 🙌
Bad news. So have your property taxes. 😩
It’s that time of year where we have to talk about those 3 little words that all homeowners dread: Property Value Notice. AKA the infamous blue letter. I bet we all make that same sound when we open our mailbox to find the appropriately colored notice that dampens our spirits. Sadly, we can’t make taxes go away, but before you get too down in the dumps, it’s reassuring to know that you do have options when it comes to fighting back. Here’s some helpful advice on how to protest said taxes should you choose to do so!
If you’re considering protesting the value listed, you must act quickly! The deadline to protest in Tarrant County is May 16th! We asked our broker, Matt Lewis, for his advice on how to best approach this year’s property taxes. Check out this short video…we’ve also summarized his wisdom below for your convenience.
Hold Tight. If your taxes didn’t increase or the increase was minimal, it may not be worth your time, money or effort to protest. Contact your agent first. He or she can help you fill out a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to determine whether or not the property description and assessed value of your home is correct or is worth protesting.
Hire a Professional. If you believe you have a strong case, you can hire a Property Tax Consultant to protest on your behalf. They will gather the needed proof to argue against the higher assessment. Our LEAGUE agents can point you to the right consultant!
DIY. This is more cost effective but can be burdensome, so it’s important to have your evidence together and ready. Have your CMA completed, take pictures of anything that needs to be updated, repaired or replaced in your home, and know the conditions of comparable houses in your area, like upgrades and improvements. If you purchased your home within the last 2 years, locate your closing documents and bring those with you. Here are step by step directions for how to protest online:
Go to www.TAD.org. Login or create an account.
Locate your account number and pin from your property value notice and enter it into the system.
Choose “Add Property.”
Scroll down and select the box marked "Value Review/Protest."
Select "Sales Comparables." View your Comparables Report.
Locate the sales price and square footage of each comparable property. Determine the price per square foot for each property by dividing the sales price by the number of square feet in the home.
Find the average price per square foot for all comparables.
Take the assessed value of your home and divide it by your square footage. If the price per square foot of your home is higher than the average of the comparables provided, you can protest your taxes.
If the value is lower than your assessed value, simply enter that value and TAD will approve or disapprove immediately.
Whatever you choose to do, it’s important to us that you don’t feel overwhelmed, discouraged or alone. Please reach out to any one of our LEAGUE agents for help! Between us, we have years of experience and can put you in touch with the right resources. Let us come alongside you to help reduce your tax burden!
