The system is designed to be confusing. These guides are not. Deadlines, rights, exemptions, and the people running the process — explained plainly, from a conviction that Texans deserve better.
Your notice arrived. The clock is running. This guide covers what the notice means, how to read it, what the 10% homestead cap and 20% circuit breaker actually do, and exactly how to file your protest before May 15, 2026.
Harris, Collin and San Antonio raised property tax rates in Sept 2026 without an election. What each adopted, why, and what it adds to your bill.
At a September 15 hearing, the Comptroller's office told Texas lawmakers ending school property taxes on homesteads would cost $8.6 billion a year.
Denton County owners sued to force appraisal districts to follow USPAP mass-appraisal rules. Texas courts threw it out at every level. Here's why.
The Texas Supreme Court says Willacy County taxpayers can sue over South Texas ISD's tax — a district many pay but few attend. What the 2026 ruling means.
Your local appraisal district sets your value; the Texas Comptroller only audits the CAD and school funding. Here's how the PVS and MAP really work.
Texas lawmakers are studying property taxes this week, but the Senate hearing on cutting them further was canceled. What's still on the calendar.
Texas tax sites credit a $0.0331 school-tax cut to HB 8 - a bill that never passed. Here is the law that actually delivered it, and what 2026 holds.
Texas school bonds are repaid through the I&S tax rate. See what is on the November 3, 2026 ballot, and why every bond warns of a tax hike.
Texas VATRE 2026: districts want higher school M&O rates on Nov. 3. What each is really asking, and why most Ysleta homestead owners won't pay it.
SB 1851 bars Texas cities that miss their annual audit from raising taxes above the no-new-revenue rate. Paxton has now capped 240-plus cities.
The Texas tax rate election deadline is Aug. 17, 2026 — the last day a school district, city or county can put a tax hike on your Nov. 3 ballot.
Why Texas property taxes rank among the nation's highest — how the 'no income tax' tradeoff and school funding push the burden onto homeowners.
How Texas's 2019–2025 property tax reforms work — SB 2's revenue caps, the 2023 cuts, and the 2025 homestead exemption increase to $140,000.
How the Edgewood lawsuits and Texas's Robin Hood recapture system reshaped school property taxes — and created a de facto statewide tax.
How the 1979 Peveto Bill created Texas's county appraisal districts, market-value appraisal, and your right to protest — the modern property tax system.
How property taxes began in the Republic of Texas, why early Texans refused to pay, and how Reconstruction produced the anti-tax 1876 Constitution.
Protest season is over. Now Texas counties, cities, and school boards vote on the tax rate that sets your 2026 bill. Here's how to watch and weigh in.
How Texas property taxes evolved from the Republic era to today's reform fight — and why the 1876 Constitution still shapes your bill.
Texas Prop 13 raised the school homestead exemption to $140,000 for 2025. Here is what it actually cuts from your bill and the catches to watch.
In 2025 Texas touted property-tax relief, then dozens of school districts held VATRE elections to raise rates. See who won, who lost, and the impact.
The 20% circuit breaker cap that shields most non-homestead Texas property from big value jumps expires Dec. 31, 2026. What it means for your 2027 bill.
Protest Help How a Property Tax Consultant Can Save You Money in Texas You can protest your own property taxes — for free, without a professional. But if the thought of gathering evidence, filing paperwork, and sitting across from an appraisal district appraiser feels overwhelming, a licensed consultant can do it for you. Every Texas […]
Who Runs the System The Chief Appraiser: The Person Who Sets Your Property Value Most Texas property owners have never heard of their chief appraiser. That’s exactly how the system prefers it. Every county in Texas has a Central Appraisal District, and at the top of that district sits a chief appraiser. This is the […]
Who Runs the System The Property Tax Assistance Division: What It Does — and What It Doesn’t PTAD is the state’s oversight arm for property tax administration. It monitors appraisal districts, publishes your rights, and ensures school funding is calculated correctly. It will not, however, fight your protest for you. Texas has no state property […]
Texas Property Tax Exemptions The Texas Homestead Exemption: What It Is, What It’s Worth, and How to Keep It The homestead exemption is one of the most powerful tools Texas property owners have. Most people have it. Many don’t know exactly what it does — or that a second protection kicks in once it’s filed. […]
Agricultural Exemptions Beekeeping and the Texas Ag Exemption: How Landowners Use It to Cut Their Property Tax Bill Texas law allows qualifying land to be taxed on its agricultural productivity value rather than its market value. For landowners with 5–20 acres, beekeeping is one of the qualifying uses — and the savings can be substantial. […]
“All political power is inherent in the People, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit; and they have at all times an inalienable right to alter their government in such manner as they may think proper.”
— Section 2, Declaration of Rights, Republic of Texas, 1836The county commissioners, appraisal district board, school board trustees, and city council members setting your tax rates are elected officials. They hold public meetings. Their votes are on the record. The articles on this site exist to make sure you know who they are, what authority they have, and what you are entitled to say and do about it.