Growing up is fun. Bills and taxes are not. There’s a mega vinyl-screeching sound heard throughout the Metroplex when thousands of property owners received their tax bills this year, from their County Appraisal District.
The market is ‘good’ and prices have risen, we are out of a recession… so it would only make sense that taxes are increasing as well. And even though we don’t pay income taxes like other states, County Appraisal Districts have the right to assess your homes taxable value. Even though the tax rate might stay the same, the taxes you pay increase when this happens.
If you are thinking about protesting your taxes with the Appraisal District, which you have every right to do, consider these things:
Get Connected
You can now protest taxes online at your appraisal district’s website. Meaning in your pj’s. In order to do so, you will need to plug in your estimate and attach evidence that shows detrimental value to your home (another reason why before and after photos are such great ideas). If the software and a representative agree, you will be awarded confirmation. If not, you can continue to contest in person by hearing.
The deadline to file your protests is June 1, but I wouldn’t wait until the last minute. We’re in May, so let’s try and get this going in the next week, okay?
10% Cap Strap
If you didn’t see an appraised value increase by more than $1,000 over last year, you may not have received an appraisal notice in the mail. Not likely, but it happens. Check the appraisal district’s website for your values and keep reading…
With Dallas County Appraisal District, there are two important numbers to review. The Appraised Value and the Market Value. Appraised Value is what is multiplied in the formula they use to determine your actual tax bill. The Market Value is what they think (hah!) you could get in the sale of your home on a straight sale. (***Super Important Don’t Miss It Note: Please don’t view this website as hard and true, since the county assessment has no impact on what a Seller is willing to sell for and a Buyer is willing to pay for property.)
There is a 10% cap on an annual increase of the taxable ‘appraised’ value - IF you have a homestead exemption. Which can be pretty steep, but is something we should thank our lucky stars for. It means that they cannot raise your taxable value more than 10% from last year.
It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the market value. If you believe it to be too high, protest. If you don’t, your taxes will likely increase next year. Market value does not follow cap guidelines.
WINNING
Don’t worry about hiring a company to protest your taxes, since you can usually learn the basics enough to do it yourself. Many protestors share their stories and tips. And appraisers don’t.
Think of it this way: Appraiser’s don’t really know what a home sells for because Texas is a non-disclosure state. They can find the mortgage taken out, but it’s an incomplete picture since they don’t know what your down payment looked like.
If you can prove that homes near and similar to you are valued less, you have a real shot. Dallas is rich with history, which means that finding a home with the exact floorpan as yours is pretty tough, but asking your Realtor for comps (tell her the reason) will gain you access to the information you need.
Another thing to consider is the fact that these county appraisers don’t actually enter your home. It’s a drive-by assessment of the property. DCAD had the home that I grew up in listed as a 0 bed and 2 bath home for almost 16 years!
You may love your home and love the work that you’ve done with it, but it’s in your best interest to pick the poor thing apart for this reason. Needing a new roof, having visible separation or evidence of other yuckies will equip you with the evidence you need. Drainage issues. Old carpet. Devalue the structure.
Protesting your taxes will not negatively impact your credit, your chances for a loan, equity. Nothing! It’s worth a shot to try and protest the amount you are being assessed because of an arbitrary drive-by formula, based on what the county needs in their budget… don’t you think?
Here are the county appraisal district websites with more information:
Dallas County: DallasCAD.org
Collin County: CollinCAD.org
Denton County: DentonCAD.com
Tarrant County: TAD.org
Rockwall County: RockwallCAD.com
Comments (1)Subscribe to CommentsComment