Home address: 5727 Benning Dr
2021 Tax Assessment: $501,796
Recent Sales Price: $275,500 – Over-taxed by 82%
Property tax assessments not carefully reviewed lead to paying more than your share of property taxes. Appraisal districts are flexible on market value appeals given the large number of houses they value and that are protested. Unequal appraisal is a powerful tool to reduce property taxes, but many homeowners are not aware of it and don’t use it. The Texas Comptroller reports 80% of 2019 property tax appeals by homeowners were successful.
Many owners do not protest because they do not understand the process. Most would appeal if they know how easy it is the high chance of success. One reason it is difficult for appraisal districts to correctly value homes is they are not homogenous. Some have been remodeled and some haven’t. Appraisal districts aggressively settle appeals since they have only 65 days to settle most of the appeals. Property taxes are the largest tax most Texans face. But it is a stealth tax hidden in the mortgage payment, disguising the size of property taxes paid.
