Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD) has been delivering inflated property tax valuations for the past decade. Thanks to being understaffed, HCAD must handle nearly two million parcels with various computer models, giving all taxpayers a one-size-fits-all valuation. The only way for a Harris County taxpayer to counter this is to appeal their taxes, a right granted to all Texans. Tax protests are free in Texas, and protesting can never be used to raise your taxes. 88.62% of Harris County taxpayers who informally appealed were able to get a cut, totaling $24.868 billion in value reduction in 2024. O’Connor can file your protest for you, with no cost or flat fee. We simply accept payment equal to half of what you save if we win, and you pay nothing if we don’t. Enroll now in the Property Tax Protection Program™ to secure the savings you rightly deserve. Enroll, relax, and save.
Resolved Informally Harris CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 130.277 | 160.284 | 191.445 | 200.982 | 199.412 | 197.842 | 243.902 | 241.930 | 283.790 | 343.649 | 372.846 | |
| Single Family | 85.139 | 108.050 | 136.329 | 143.794 | 142.783 | 141.772 | 185.293 | 182.877 | 216.425 | 265.031 | 292.219 | |
| Commercial / Other | 45.138 | 52.234 | 55.116 | 57.188 | 56.629 | 56.070 | 58.609 | 59.053 | 67.365 | 78.618 | 80.627 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Most appeals are resolved with a reduction at the informal level.
Harris County Property Tax Protests Resolved Informally
The informal appeal process may be the most straightforward of Property tax protests, but it is always good to have an experienced guide on your journey. O’Connor has been doing that for over 50 years and has become a trusted Texas stalwart while doing so. One of the largest property tax consulting companies in the USA, O’Connor has all the tools and personnel you need to take the fight to HCAD. Let us be your advocate through every step of the process.
HCAD Informal Settlements
When a person first wishes to protest their proper taxes, they usually start by making an informal appeal to the Harris Central Appraisal District(HCAD). While this is an admirable start, as most Harris County taxpayers do not protest at all, it can be something of a trap for the uninitiated. HCAD will often offer a small settlement for an informal appeal. If the taxpayer accepts it, they cut themselves off from getting greater savings. If a Harris County property owner does not accept the informal settlement, they can push for a formal appearance before the appraisal review board (ARB).
Informal appeals can still be a boon for a taxpayer, however, as any kind of savings will be better than none at all. In 2024, the county saw 372,850 total informal appeals, with 78.38% of those protests being from residences. The number of tax protests in Harris County has quadrupled in the past decade, with only 85,139 property owners appealing in 2014. More citizens than ever before are standing up to HCAD’s inflated taxes.
Resulted in Reduction Through Informal Process Harris CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 106.183 | 137.300 | 155.222 | 165.931 | 169.933 | 173.934 | 218.076 | 217.394 | 244.541 | 306.803 | 330.399 | |
| Single Family | 74.987 | 99.460 | 116.231 | 124.023 | 128.027 | 132.031 | 175.903 | 174.731 | 196.014 | 251.613 | 279.265 | |
| Commercial / Other | 31.196 | 37.840 | 38.991 | 41.908 | 41.906 | 41.903 | 42.173 | 42.663 | 48.527 | 55.190 | 51.134 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is the world’s safest wager. No cost and a 60% chance of savings annually.
HCAD Informal Hearing Reductions
Even if informal settlements produce lower returns, they are still almost guaranteed to give savings to the average Harris County property owner. In 2024, a total of 330,399 reductions were granted to those that filed an informal appeal. This translates to 88.62% of all appellants getting a reduction on their property taxes. Considering there is no cost to appeal, this is a simple way to cut your taxes. 279,265 single family homeowners received reductions in 2024, representing 84.52% of all reductions in Harris County.
Percent That Resulted in A ReductionSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Percent | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 81.510% | 85.660% | 81.080% | 82.560% | 85.220% | 87.920% | 89.410% | 89.860% | 86.170% | 89.280% | 88.620% | |
| Single Family | 88.080% | 92.050% | 85.260% | 86.250% | 89.670% | 93.130% | 94.930% | 95.550% | 90.570% | 94.940% | 95.570% | |
| Commercial / Other | 69.110% | 72.440% | 70.740% | 73.280% | 74.000% | 74.730% | 71.960% | 72.250% | 72.040% | 70.200% | 63.420% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Errors in the appraisal districts records for your property often artificially inflate YOUR property taxes.
Harris County Percent of Informal Hearings with Reduction
In 2024, 88.62% of informal appeals resulted in a reduction, but single family homeowners saw their taxes reduced 95.57% of the time. This puts the success rate for Harris County homeowners 9% higher than the average in Texas, which is 87.05%. Commercial properties in Harris County fared better as well, with 63.42% of appeals resulting in reductions.
The hit rate on informal appeals shows that they are a viable and easy step to take to save some money on property taxes. They represent the bare minimum that a property owner in Harris County can do to protect their rights, but it is still a big step. As property values rise, it is only natural for more people to protest their taxes in the future.
$ Value Reduction From Informal ProcessSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| $ Reduction Total | 7.5391 | 8.6538 | 9.4701 | 9.8611 | 10.3808 | 11.7128 | 14.2864 | 14.2441 | 16.7790 | 24.8848 | 24.8647 | |
| $ Reduction Single Family | 1.4221 | 2.1739 | 2.3934 | 2.6251 | 1.7234 | 3.2005 | 4.3252 | 4.4933 | 6.0276 | 8.5808 | 9.5763 | |
| $ Value Commercial / Other | 6.1170 | 6.4799 | 7.0767 | 7.2359 | 8.6573 | 8.5123 | 9.9612 | 9.7508 | 10.7515 | 16.3040 | 15.2884 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Property taxes are the only type that can be negotiated based on subjective factors and judgment.
HCAD Informal Process Value Reduction
The savings afforded to Harris County taxpayers thanks to informal appeals were massive in 2024, granting a total of $24.86 billion in value reductions. $15.29 billion of the total was for commercial properties, along with miscellaneous others. This is normal, as individual commercial properties are worth more than single family homes by several orders of magnitude. This was a slight downturn from 2023’s record total of $16.30 billion. Single family homeowners, on the other hand, saw another year of growth, achieving $9.57 billion in reductions for taxable value. While homes are doing better every year in administrative appeals, many businesses are now taking their fight to lower costs to judicial appeals.