How to protest your property tax value in Tarrant and Denton counties

This guide explains how a property value protest works for homes and businesses in Tarrant and Denton counties. It is general information from the appraisal districts and the Texas Comptroller. It is not advice for your property.

Who sets my property value, and what can I protest?

Your county appraisal district sets your value. Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD) covers Tarrant County. Denton Central Appraisal District (DCAD) covers Denton County. Cities, school districts and other taxing units set the tax rates. You protest the value and the related items on your notice, not the rate.

An appraisal district values every property in its county each year. It mails a notice of appraised value. A property tax protest is your formal way to disagree with what is on that notice.

TAD lists the concerns you can raise in a protest. They include:

• the appraised (market) value of your property;
• unequal value compared with other properties;
• exemptions that may apply to you;
• the taxing units that tax your property;
• the property’s ownership; and
• a missing notice that the district or review board had to send.

A protest does not change the tax rate your city or school district adopts. If your concern is the rate, that is a question for the taxing unit.

What is the deadline to protest, and what is the exemption deadline?

The protest deadline in both counties is May 15, or 30 days after your notice. TAD says the deadline for the 2026 notices was May 15, 2026, or 30 days after the notice was delivered. DCAD says May 15 or 30 days from the mailing date, whichever is later. Read the date on your own notice.

Dates differ by year and by notice. Give the year when you plan around a date. Do not assume that last year’s date applies to this year.

The Tarrant County Tax Office also lists May 15 as the last day to file a protest with TAD for the current year. It lists April 30 as the last day to file an exemption application.

What exemptions affect my value, and who must apply?

Exemptions lower the taxable value of your property. A residence homestead exemption is the most common one. You usually must apply for it. A new buyer does not inherit the seller’s exemption in Denton County.

The Comptroller says school districts must give a $140,000 exemption on a residence homestead. It also says any taxing unit may adopt a local option exemption of up to 20 percent of appraised value. Southlake’s own city page says residents benefit from a 20% homestead exemption. Rates and exemptions vary by taxing unit, so check each unit on your bill.

TAD says a homestead exemption also limits the increase of your appraised value to 10% annually. TAD says there is no fee to file a homestead application. DCAD says that if you bought a home recently, exemptions from the previous owner do not carry over. You must apply for your own.

See the glossary entry for the homestead exemption. A first-time protest and a late exemption application are two different problems. The exemption deadline can pass before the protest deadline.

How do I file a protest?

File online with your appraisal district’s account system, or file a written notice of protest. Do it before the deadline. TAD accepts an online protest through a dashboard account. DCAD calls online filing the fastest way to start and manage a protest.

Follow these steps.

1. Find your Notice of Appraised Value. Note the district, the account number, the value and the deadline.
2. Create or log in to your online account. DCAD says you can create one with the property owner ID and PIN from your notice. TAD asks you to log in to your dashboard account or create one.
3. Choose the reason for your protest, such as market value, unequal value or an exemption.
4. Submit before the deadline. Keep the confirmation.
5. Watch for the response. The district may offer an informal review, and the review board will set a hearing if the case does not settle.

You may also use Comptroller Form 50-132, Property Appraisal - Notice of Protest, for a written request. TAD says a written request filed before the deadline gets a hearing notice with the time, date, place and subject.

What happens at the informal review and the formal hearing?

Most owners start with an informal review. If that does not settle the case, the appraisal review board (ARB) hears it. TAD says the ARB is an independent board of citizens. It can order the appraisal district to change the record based on evidence at the hearing.

The usual order is:

1. Informal review. Look at your value on the district website, or call the number on your notice. TAD warns that phone lines are very busy right after notices go out, so waiting a few days can help.
2. ARB hearing. If you cannot resolve the issue, you have the right to a hearing before the ARB. You can ask for an evening or Saturday hearing if needed.
3. Evidence exchange. TAD says you and the district must give each other copies of the materials you plan to offer, before the hearing or immediately after it begins.
4. Decision. The ARB mails you its order. If you disagree, you can appeal.

TAD says the hearing is informal as far as practical. You or your authorized representative may appear in person, by phone or videoconference, or by written affidavit. You must tell the ARB which type of hearing you want on your notice of protest, not later than the 10th day before the hearing.

Do not contact ARB members outside the hearing. TAD says ARB members sign an affidavit that they have not talked about your case beforehand.

What evidence helps in a protest?

Facts about your own property and similar properties help most. The district usually has the burden to establish the property’s value, and TAD says that in most cases the burden is a preponderance of the evidence. Your evidence should be easy to read and tied to the issue you raised.

Keep copies. Bring enough to hand to the district and the panel. If a CPA or other adviser helps you, give them your notice and these records early.

What about cities that sit in both counties?

Some nearby cities sit in more than one county, so your property may be in either district. Your notice names the district that appraised it. The city pages confirm the split for several cities.

• Southlake’s city page links to both the Tarrant and the Denton appraisal district websites.
• Trophy Club says it is located in two counties. Most residents live in Denton County, and about 150 homes fall under Tarrant County.
• Westlake’s FAQ gives Tarrant County owners an online tax statement lookup.
• Flower Mound’s page says its taxes are assessed and collected by the Tarrant County or Denton County appraisal district.

Read the local guides for Tarrant Appraisal District dates in Southlake and the appraisal districts in Trophy Club and Westlake. The Southlake page lists more local context.

What if I disagree with the ARB decision?

You can appeal. TAD says the ARB must send you its order by certified mail. If you are not satisfied, you have the right to appeal to district court. You can also choose regular binding arbitration or the State Office of Administrative Hearings if you qualify.

TAD gives a 60-day window. You start a district court case by filing a petition within 60 days of the date you receive the order. A request for regular binding arbitration is due not later than the 60th day after you receive notice of the order. Appeals can be complex, so talk to a qualified adviser early.

TAD also says you must pay the tax due on the part of the value that is not in dispute. Check your district’s page for details on payment while an appeal is open.

How does a property value change affect my other taxes?

A lower or higher property value changes your property tax bill. For a business, it can also change cost records and cash flow planning. For a family, it can affect the housing budget and any itemized deductions.

Property tax can be part of your federal return. The standard deduction and itemized deduction rules decide whether it changes your federal tax. Those rules change by year, so confirm the current-year limits before you rely on them.

Read the Texas family tax guide for the wider picture of taxes for Texas households. Business owners can read the Texas business taxes guide for franchise tax, sales tax and property tax in one place.

Next step

Gather your notice, your exemption records and your evidence now, then file before the deadline on the notice. Appraisal district staff can answer questions about values, exemptions and protests. If you want a CPA to look at how property tax fits with your income tax and planning, see individual tax and planning, call (877) 682-1171 or use the form at /contact.

This guide is general information, not advice for your situation. Talk to a CPA about your own situation before you act.