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Just Protest. Don’t Buy Anything.

Filing a Texas property tax protest is free, it’s your statutory right, and your value generally cannot be raised because you filed. You do not need our packet (or any packet) to file. Here’s the bare-minimum path.

Why We’re Telling You This

We sell a $50 evidence packet. That doesn’t mean you need it. The process can feel intimidating, and many people assume it costs money to file. It does not.

Filing Form 50-132 is free. The form is free. The hearing is free. You don’t need an attorney, a consultant, or our packet. Filing the form is all that is required to protest.

What the Review Board Can and Cannot Do

Under Tex. Tax Code §41.47(c-2), the appraisal review board may not set your appraised value above the value the chief appraiser submitted, except as you request and agree to. This limit does not stop the district from adding new construction or omitted property, or correcting records under §25.25, through separate procedures that can increase your value. Many protests result in no change.

If you settle informally with an appraiser, you sign the agreement and your value adjusts. If you decline the offer and go to the ARB, the panel decides the value.

The Six Steps

  1. Wait for your Notice of Appraised Value. Your county mails this in April. It shows your appraised value for the current tax year and includes your property ID (and an online protest PIN for some counties).
  2. Get Form 50-132. Download the official form — free — from the Texas Comptroller: comptroller.texas.gov/forms/50-132.pdf.
  3. Fill it out. Property ID, property address, your name, the reason for protest. The form lists the reasons, including “value over market value” (sales-based) and “unequal appraisal” (equity-based). You choose which apply.
  4. Submit by the deadline. May 15 or 30 days after the date on your Notice of Appraised Value — whichever is later. Three ways to submit:
    • Online — your county’s online protest portal (see per-county links below)
    • By mail — certified mail to your county appraisal district (postmark counts as filing date)
    • In person — your county appraisal district office during business hours
  5. Attend the informal hearing. If you request one on your protest form (Texas Tax Code §41.445), the appraisal district holds a short one-on-one meeting with an appraiser before the formal hearing. Bring whatever evidence you have — recent sales of similar nearby homes (Zillow, Redfin), photos of any condition issues, contractor estimates for needed repairs. The appraiser may propose a value; you decide whether to accept.
  6. If unresolved, attend the ARB hearing. If no informal settlement, the Appraisal Review Board schedules a formal hearing. About 15 minutes. An Appraisal Review Board panel (the number of members varies by county) decides your value. See what to expect at your ARB hearing for the full format.

County Portal Links

If you want to file online (fastest, most convenient), here are the portals:

  • Montgomery (MCAD): mcad-tx.org/online-protest | filing address: 109 Gladstell St, Conroe TX 77301 | (936) 756-3354
  • Harris (HCAD): owners.hcad.org | filing address: P.O. Box 922012, Houston TX 77292 | (713) 957-7800
  • Dallas (DCAD): onlineprotest.dallascad.org | filing address: 2949 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas TX 75247 | (214) 631-0910
  • Travis (TCAD): traviscad.org/efile | filing address: P.O. Box 149012, Austin TX 78714 | (512) 834-9317

Filing in another Texas county? Look up your county appraisal district on the Texas Comptroller’s site — every district accepts Form 50-132.

What to Bring (Bare Minimum)

You can attend an informal hearing with nothing but your notice. Any evidence you bring gives the appraiser something specific to review. The easiest sources:

  • Recent sales of similar nearby homes. Zillow and Redfin show recent sales for free. Print the comp page for 3-5 homes within a half mile that sold below your appraised value.
  • Photos of condition issues. Roof damage, foundation cracks, dated kitchens, drainage issues — anything the district’s drive-by appraisal wouldn’t have caught.
  • Contractor estimates. A written repair quote documents the cost of any major issue.
  • Your county’s evidence packet (under §41.461). Under Texas Tax Code §41.461, the district must give you their evidence at least 14 days before your hearing. Reading it shows you the data the district plans to present. See how to read the district’s evidence.

When Our $50 Packet Helps — and When a Firm Helps More

You can skip ahead to a fully built equity-appraisal packet (10 comparable properties from county records, adjusted for size and lot, with statutory citations and per-county filing instructions) for $50. That’s what we sell.

The $50 saves you the comp-research hours and gives you a hearing-ready document. It does not change your filing rights, your §41.47(c-2) protection, or the protest deadline. Worth it for owners who can attend their own hearing but don’t want to research comps from scratch.

If you can’t attend the hearing — can’t take time off work, can’t physically be there, or simply don’t want to present your own case — hiring a %-based firm is by far the better option than either our packet or going it alone. The firm files, attends, and negotiates for you; you sign one form and wait for the outcome. Full comparison of the three paths →

We’re fine with any of the three paths. Whether to file is your decision.

The most important sentence on this page:

Filing Form 50-132 is free. You decide whether to file. It’s your right, the deadline is May 15, or 30 days after your Notice of Appraised Value, whichever is later, and you do not need our packet to file.