Here’s What You’re Saying About Your 2017 Property Tax Protest Hearings

"I protested my property taxes several times, and my tax rate was not lowered. So I don't see the point of doing this."Those words to The Watchdog are from Tom H. after I announced my #EverybodyFileAProtest campaign.Since then I'm hearing dozens of reports from taxpayers about their experiences this month in property tax hearings.I want to share with you. Keep in mind these voices you'll hear are from different counties. There's no one way to do this - which is part of the problem. But this illustrates the random, unfair nature of the state system. It's guesswork that's negotiable. That's a silly way to run a tax system.When these protesters talk of lowering their numbers, they mean they've lowered the taxable value of their home in negotiations with the appraisal district - not their final tax bill. The tax value will be multiplied by the tax rate set in the coming weeks by cities, counties, school districts, hospital and college entities.I'm using initials because most of us are hesitant to publicly wrangle with our appraisal district. We're afraid of future repercussions.But these folks believed me when I told them their annual tax statement is the one bill they get each year that's negotiable. As I've said, this is a sucker's game. If you don't protest, you lose without trying. These people tried.Numbers are up. In Collin and Dallas counties, for instance, NBC5 reports that the number of protests increased by 10,000 compared to last year. Wow.At the conclusion, I'll share an important tip to help you win.  Continue reading...