North Texas

Home Value Increases Could Mean Big Tax Bills

Check the mail. The clock starts ticking when you get your notice from your county’s appraisal office alerting you to an increase in the appraised market value of your home.

The Dallas County Appraisal District says property valuations will be sent to homeowners at the end of April.

NBC5 Responds couldn’t get exact figures for Dallas County, but the office told us values are definitely up.

Tarrant County residents should have already received their appraisal notices.

Jeff Law, Tarrant County’s chief appraiser, says that 80 percent of homeowners saw the market value of their homes increase more than a $1000 over the past year. That triggers a notification by mail. In fact, he says the average increase is 14 to 15 percent.

Remember that state law caps increases of the taxable value of your home at 10 percent. But if the appraised market value has increased far more than that, you are almost certain to see another 10 percent increase again next year. That’s why it’s important to protest the appraised market value if you believe it’s too high.

You can submit your protest online.

The link is up in Tarrant County, but won’t be up until May 1 in Dallas County. Last year, the Dallas County Appraisal office processed 103,000 protests. The most ever in a year was 110,000 and the office expects even more this year.

Here’s advice for submitting an online protest:

  • Look at comparable values in your neighborhood and submit your market valuation.
  • In most counties, you'll learn immediately whether you value is accepted or the computer software may counter the offer.
  • If your valuation is rejected, upload evidence supporting your appeal like repair estimates, photos, appraisals, disclosures, or sales contracts.
  • In a few weeks, you'll either get a settlement or a hearing notice.

Tarrant County residents may notice that it says your protest deadline is May 2. The Tarrant County chief appraiser tells me there's actually two deadlines allowed by law. All Texas counties will allow you to protest through May 31. But Law says the sooner you submit the better.

Many viewers have asked NBC5 Responds about how this applies to seniors and those with disabilities.

If you're 65 or older or you’re disabled and you've have filed the homestead exemption for that group, your property taxes will not go up. They’re frozen at the rate they were when homeowner turned 65 or became disabled. If you have not filed this special exemption, you need to do so.

Here are the links for some North Texas counties:

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