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Travis County property tax protest

Updated

Travis County homeowners file Form 50-132 with TCAD by May 15 or within 30 days of the appraisal notice. The TCAD portal allows online evidence uploads, and informal reviews with a staff appraiser resolve most Austin-area protests before they reach the ARB.
Deadline
May 15 or 30 days after TCAD mails your notice
Form
Form 50-132 (filed via TCAD online portal)
Where to file
Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD)
State guide
Texas overview

What works in Travis County

Austin neighborhoods with rapid 2024 to 2026 price corrections have produced the strongest comp-based reductions.

Across Texas, the strongest single-family appeals pair three to five recent comparable assessments with documented property condition. See the evidence and comps guide for what the ARB will weigh.

How to file a Travis County property tax protest step by step

  1. 1. Read your notice. TCAD mails the Notice of Appraised Value in spring. Check the account number, square footage, year built, lot size, and bedroom or bathroom count against reality. A recording error alone is grounds for a reduction. See common appraisal district errors.
  2. 2. Pull comparable properties. Find three to five homes within roughly half a mile that match yours on size, age, and condition. In Travis County the typical spread between similar homes inside the same ZIP is 34.7 percent, which is the gap your packet is built on.
  3. 3. File Form 50-132. Submit it to TCAD by the deadline above. State a specific target value rather than leaving it blank, and select every applicable reason including unequal appraisal.
  4. 4. Take the informal review. Most Travis County reductions are settled here with a staff appraiser, before any board hearing. Bring the same one-page comp summary you would bring to the hearing.
  5. 5. Attend the Appraisal Review Board (ARB) hearing if needed. If the informal offer is below your evidence, continue to the hearing. Present the comps, the condition photos, and your target number, then stop talking.

What a reduction is worth in Travis County

The median assessed single-family value in Travis County is $456,238. A 10 percent reduction removes about $45,624 from the taxable value of a median home, and that lower base carries into future years rather than resetting each season. Across 343,355 homes analyzed in Travis County, 24.2 percent sit at least 15 percent above comparable neighbors. Your exact saving depends on the combined school, county, and city rates printed on your own bill.

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Travis County property tax protest questions

What is the Travis County property tax protest deadline in 2026?

May 15 or 30 days after TCAD mails your notice. Filing one day late ends the protest for that tax year, so file as soon as the notice arrives rather than waiting for the deadline.

Which form do I file in Travis County?

Form 50-132 (filed via TCAD online portal). The form asks for your account number, the value you believe is correct, and your reason for protesting. In Texas you can select more than one reason, and selecting both market value and unequal appraisal keeps both arguments open.

Where do I file my Travis County protest?

With the Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD). Online filing through the TCAD portal is faster than mail and gives you a timestamped confirmation you can keep as proof of filing.

Do I need a lawyer or a protest company in Travis County?

No. Homeowners file their own protest in Travis County every year. Contingency firms typically keep 25 to 50 percent of the first-year savings, so self-filing with a comparable-sales packet keeps the entire reduction.

What evidence works best with TCAD?

Three to five recent sales or assessments of similar homes within about half a mile, matched on square footage, age, and condition, plus dated photos of any defects. Vague statements about high taxes carry no weight with the Appraisal Review Board (ARB).

Will protesting raise my Travis County assessment?

A protest cannot increase the value beyond what the district already proposed for that year. The realistic outcomes are a reduction or no change.

Guides for your Travis County protest

Other Texas counties

General information only, not legal advice. Confirm the deadline on your most recent notice from Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD).

See how evenly homes in your county are assessed in our Assessment Gap Study of 5.9 million single-family homes.