Texas property tax rates have always been skyrocketing and many property owners out there are expecting to see a tax break because of the current economic situation, but sadly it is not on the horizon. With COVID-19 hitting the real estate market, Texans are not likely to see any tax break in 2020. The opportunity to freeze taxes is slim as well. Property owners are left with just one choice, and it is none other than protesting property taxes. Why no tax breaks in 2020? There are two major reasons. The increasing tax rate during this tough time is making it even tougher for taxpayers. The only way to reduce the tax burden is by filing an appeal. Property taxes can quickly get out of control if not appealed every year. Filing a property tax appeal Filing an appeal is the best way to reduce the tax burden and is... Read More

Do I Have To Appeal My Taxes Every Year? Yes. You should appeal your taxes every year and protest annually to minimize property taxes due to the arbitrary nature of the process and the people factor. The appraisal districts use inaccurate information and an inaccurate model to value your home.  About half the houses are over-valued and half are under-valued.  And if half are under-valued and half are over-valued, then there are all sorts of the unequal appraisal. One issue that is not clear, is the arbitrary nature of the appeal process.  Some years you have good results in the informal and some years you don’t.  Same for the formal or appraisal review board hearing (ARB), some years are great and some are terrible. People are at the heart of the appeal process and some are more flexible and better understand the concept of a range of value. The appraisal... Read More

Did you know that reducing your property taxes is a lot easier than you think? There are only 4 simple steps standing between you and reducing your property taxes to 50 to 80% of market value. It’s a shame that only 7% of property owners appeal their unfair values annually because that means that over 90% of property owners are overpaying the government! Wouldn’t you agree that you can spend your money better than the government can? The 4 simple steps to take to help your appeal be as successful as possible. Step One: Appeal your property taxes EVERY YEAR. This is important because the process can be arbitrary. If you fight to lower your taxes every year you have a greater chance of significantly reducing your taxes. Step Two: Appeal to the highest level that is financially feasible. O’Connor & Associates files about two-thirds of the binding arbitration cases... Read More

In Texas, property taxes for seniors are a burden. Fortunately, Texas seniors have many options to limit the impact of property taxes, including a freeze on school taxes, generous exemptions, and the ability to defer paying property taxes for their residence. Homestead exemptions are available for all Texas homeowners to reduce their property taxes, with a superior exemption available to those over 65 years of age. The over-65 homestead exemption permanently freezes the amount paid for school property taxes. School property taxes will never increase after obtaining an over-65 exemption unless the property is renovated or the owner moves to a more valuable home. Renovations can include upgrading a kitchen or bathroom, but replacing expensive items, such as a roof or an HVAC unit, are not renovations and will not increase property taxes. The over-65 homestead exemption is portable within Texas. The Over-65 Homestead Exemption The new home will be... Read More

The Texas Property Tax Code for many years had required owners of business personal property (BPP) to annually render those assets used in a business. Rendering is summarizing to the central appraisal district the ownership and value of the assets. Historically, however, over half of all owners of business personal property have not rendered. The Texas law was unusual in that while rendition was mandatory, there was no penalty for not rendering. Therefore, many property owners did not render because it was not material, convenient, or would dramatically increase their tax liability. For many small business owners, the value of the personal property and the associated property taxes are modest and not a material issue for the business. Chief appraisers at central appraisal districts and tax entities have long been concerned that a material amount of business personal property is not being taxed. There is a reasonable concern that if... Read More