Resources · After you file
What to Expect After You File Your Property Tax Protest
Reviewed by Daniel Ortiz · Senior Property Tax Consultant · Last reviewed September 2026
Filing preserves your rights. Everything that changes the value happens after: the evidence, the offers, and the decisions you make about them.
From Filing to Final Value
The evidence exchange.
Request the district’s evidence as soon as you file. It must be delivered at least 14 days before your hearing, and it shows how the district reached its number.
The informal meeting.
Most protests start with a district appraiser, by phone, online, or in person. The appraiser may make an offer. Many protests settle here.
The settlement decision.
A settlement you sign is final for that year. You give up the formal hearing, arbitration, and a lawsuit. Accept an offer when it meets your own opinion of value, not just because it’s lower than the notice.
The hearing notice.
If the protest doesn’t settle, the Appraisal Review Board mails a hearing notice at least 15 days before the hearing.
The ARB hearing.
A three-member panel hears the district’s evidence and yours, then decides the value. Hearings are short and scheduled through the summer.
The order.
The board’s written order of determination arrives by certified mail, or by email if you’ve agreed to electronic delivery. Keep the envelope or email: the date you receive it starts your next clock.
The 60-day window.
If the order still leaves the value too high, you have 60 days from receiving it to file binding arbitration or a lawsuit in district court. You can’t do both.
The tax bill.
Bills go out in October and are due by January 31. If an appeal is still open, the bill can be corrected when it’s resolved.
The First Offer Isn’t Always the Best One
The district’s first offer is the start of a negotiation, not the end of one. Sometimes it’s fair. Often the evidence supports more. The question is whether anyone has measured the offer against what the property is actually worth.
Properties where a closer look usually pays: high-value and custom homes, homes with condition problems, commercial and income-producing property, and anything with an unusual location or lot.
How Long a Protest Takes
Most protests filed by the May deadline are resolved within about four months. Arbitration and lawsuits take longer.
What Happens If You Don’t Protest
The district’s value becomes final for the year, and your taxes are calculated on it. You can’t protest that year’s value later, with narrow exceptions: a late protest for good cause before the records are approved, a protest for a notice you were entitled to and never received, and a 25.25(d) motion if the value was far too high.
The value also becomes the starting point for next year. In districts where a protested value carries weight the following year, an unprotested value doesn’t get that benefit.
This article is general information about Texas property tax, not legal advice. Rules and deadlines can change with each legislative session.
After-Filing FAQs
Do I have to attend the hearing?
If you represent yourself, yes, in person, by phone, or by video where the district allows it. If you hire a consultant, they attend for you.
Does filing a protest lower my value automatically?
No. Filing starts the review. The evidence decides the result.
What if I miss my hearing?
Contact the review board right away. A rescheduled hearing may be available for good cause, but it isn’t guaranteed.
Let Us Take It From Here
We request the evidence, weigh every offer against our own opinion of value, and attend the hearings. No savings, no fee.