How to Read Your Texas Notice of Appraised Value

When You Receive the Notice

Texas appraisal districts mail the Notice of Appraised Value each spring, typically between late March and early May. This is not a tax bill — it is the district's proposed value for your property, which will be used to calculate your taxes later in the year. If you disagree with the value, this notice is your starting point for filing a protest.

Section by Section: What Each Part Means

Property Description

The top section identifies your property: account number (also called property ID or PID), legal description, address, and owner name. Verify that:

• The address and legal description match your property.
• The owner name is correct and current.
• The account number matches any previous correspondence from the district.

Appraised Value

This is the district's estimate of your property's market value as of January 1 of the current tax year. It is typically broken down into:

• Land value: The estimated value of your lot.
• Improvement value: The estimated value of the structure(s) on the lot.
• Total appraised value: Land + improvements.

The total appraised value is the number most people focus on, because it is the basis for your tax calculation (after exemptions).

Assessed Value vs. Appraised Value

If you have a homestead exemption with the 10% cap, your assessed value (the value used for tax calculation) may be lower than the appraised value. The assessed value cannot increase by more than 10% per year from the prior year's assessed value, regardless of how much the appraised value jumps. The notice should show both numbers.

Previous Year Comparison

The notice shows last year's appraised value alongside the current year. This lets you quickly see the year-over-year change. A large increase (especially one significantly above comparable sales trends in your neighborhood) is worth investigating further with comp data.

Exemptions

The notice lists all exemptions currently applied to your property. Common residential exemptions include:

• General homestead: Reduces your taxable value for school district taxes (currently a $100,000 reduction).
• Over-65 or disabled: Additional exemptions and a tax ceiling for qualifying owners.
• Disabled veteran: Partial or full exemption depending on disability rating.

If an exemption you have previously filed for is missing, contact the appraisal district immediately. A missing homestead exemption alone can cost several hundred dollars per year in additional taxes.

Protest Deadline

The notice states the deadline to file a protest. In Texas, this is May 15 or 30 days after the notice is mailed, whichever is later. Mark this date — missing it generally means you cannot protest the current year's value (with limited late-filing exceptions).

Common Errors to Check

• Wrong square footage: The district may have incorrect living area. Compare the notice to your survey or builder plans. Even a 100 sqft error can shift your value by thousands of dollars.
• Wrong year built: Occasionally, remodels or additions cause the district to record an incorrect build year.
• Missing or wrong features: Pool listed when you do not have one, or a garage count that does not match reality.
• Missing exemptions: Especially homestead. If you moved in recently and have not filed for homestead, do so immediately — it is free and can be filed directly with the county.

What to Do Next

If you spot errors or the year-over-year increase seems high compared to recent sales in your area, consider gathering comparable property data and filing a protest before the deadline. The protest process is free to file and the district cannot raise your value because you protested.