Property tax notices tend to generate more reader questions than almost any other local government topic we cover. Here's a plain-English breakdown of how appraisals, rates, and protests work across Dallas and Tarrant counties.
Two Separate Numbers: Appraised Value and Tax Rate
Your property tax bill is the product of two independent figures: your property's appraised value, set by your county appraisal district, and the combined tax rate set by every taxing entity with authority over your property — typically the county, your city, your school district, and often a community college district or special district like a hospital authority. Multiplying assessed value by the combined rate produces your annual bill.
Who Sets Your Appraised Value
In Dallas County, that's the Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD). In Tarrant County, it's the Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD). Both offices use a mass appraisal process rather than inspecting each property individually — statistical models estimate market value for hundreds of thousands of properties at once, using comparable sales and neighborhood data, with values reflecting the property's estimated worth as of January 1 of the tax year. Because it's a modeled estimate rather than an individual inspection, appraisal districts frequently overvalue specific properties relative to their true condition.
Notices and Deadlines
Appraisal districts typically begin mailing Notices of Appraised Value in late March or April. The standard protest deadline in both Dallas and Tarrant counties is May 15, or 30 days after your notice was mailed, whichever is later — the exact date is printed on your individual notice. Missing this deadline generally means losing the right to protest that year's value, so it's worth marking as soon as the notice arrives even if you're still gathering documentation.
How to Protest an Appraisal
- File your protest online through your county appraisal district's portal, by mail, or by email before the deadline
- The most common and effective basis is "value is over market value"
- Gather comparable sales — three to five similar homes that sold recently near your property, ideally for less than your assessed value
- An informal review with a staff appraiser typically follows two to six weeks after filing; most protests are resolved at this stage
- If no agreement is reached informally, the case proceeds to a formal Appraisal Review Board (ARB) hearing
Homestead Exemptions and the 10% Cap
Homeowners who claim their property as a primary residence can file for a homestead exemption, which reduces the taxable value used to calculate the bill. Texas law also caps how much a homestead property's assessed value can increase in a single year at 10 percent, which is why long-term homeowners in rapidly appreciating neighborhoods sometimes see their assessed value lag well behind current market value.
Why Your Neighbors' Bills Can Differ So Much
Because tax rates are set separately by each overlapping taxing entity, two similarly valued homes on opposite sides of a city or school district boundary line can carry meaningfully different total tax bills. This is also why a city council vote to adopt a new tax rate, or a school district bond election, directly affects what shows up on your bill the following year — even if your appraised value doesn't change at all.
This is a general overview of Texas property tax procedure, not financial or legal advice. For your specific appraisal district contact information and deadlines, consult DCAD, TAD, or your local county's official appraisal district website.
