Tarrant County Appraisal DistrictAddress: 2500 Handley-Ederville
Fort Worth, Texas 76118-6909
Mailing address: 2500 Handley-Ederville, Fort Worth, Texas 76118-6909
Phone: 817-284-0024 Fax: 817-595-6198
Tarrant County Appraisal District Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
TAD serves the following cities: Arlington, Avondale, Azle, Bedford, Benbrook, Blue Mound, Briar, Burleson, Colleyville, Como, Crowley, Dalworthington Gardens, Edgecliff , Euless, Everman, Forest Hill, Fort Worth (County Seat), Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Haltom City, Haslet, Hurst, Keller, Kennedale, Lake Worth, Lakeside, Mansfield, Marshall Creek, Newark, North Richland Hills, Oak Grove, Pantego, Pecan Acres, Pelican Bay, Pleasant Glade, Pleasant Run, Rendon, Retta, Richland Hills, River Oaks, Saginaw, Sansom Park, Southlake, Watauga, Webb, Westlake, Westover Hills, Westworth, White Settlement
» Visit the Tarrant County Appraisal District online at www.tad.org.
Tips & Tricks for Appealing Your Property Taxes in Tarrant County
- Property taxes are a substantial cost for Texas homeowners. To encourage home ownership, the Texas legislature has provided a partial exemption for homeowners. The most meaningful way to reduce your property taxes for your home is to obtain a homestead exemption.
- Property tax reduction is an iterative process. The prior year's value is considered at the current year's property tax protest hearing. Reduce property taxes by annually appealing. You can file a notice of appeal by utilizing the comptroller's form or by sending a letter to the Tarrant County Appraisal Review Board.
- Property tax appeals are less work when the appraisal district gives you most of the evidence you need. Obtaining the Tarrant County Appraisal District evidence (House Bill 201 information) greatly increases your chances for success at the Tarrant County Appraisal Review Board hearing. They can't lawfully change or supplement the information provided to you 14 days before the hearing.
- The appraisal district maintains records for your real property. Analyze the Tarrant County Appraisal District "record card" which has information used to value your property. There are often errors with factors such as land area, building area, year built, year remodeled, grade (quality of construction) and CDU (condition, utility and desirability). Using a correction property tax protest, you can obtain a refund for 4 prior years if the appraisal district has overstated the size of your lot or home (or commercial building).
- If your property were professionally marketed for sale, market value is the amount for which it would sell. Unequal appraisal reviews whether you are overassessed compared to similar properties. When preparing for your Tarrant County Appraisal Review Board hearing you should gather information on market value and unequal appraisal
- Comparable sales comprise data such as sales date, lot size, building size and sales price for similar properties. Comparable sales are the cornerstone of market value. Sources of comparable sales data can be found in the House Bill 201 package obtained from the Tarrant County Appraisal District and MLS sites.
- Appraisal districts sometimes selectively reappraise recently sold properties. This practice is termed sales chasing and creates unequal appraisal. Unequal appraisal is often effective in reducing property taxes. Even if your assessed value is below market value, you can appeal based on unequal appraisal.
- Fair and equitable assessment is mandated in the Texas constitution. Unequal appraisal occurs when the Tarrant County Appraisal District has assessed your property at a higher level than similar properties. You can research assessment comparables on the Tarrant County Appraisal District website.
- When property taxes for recently purchased properties increase far more than for comparable properties, owners often believe their property has been selectively reappraised. Unequal appraisal can be particularly helpful for recently purchased properties. Tarrant County Appraisal District appraisers are reluctant to reduce the assessed value, when it is below the recent purchase price, even if it is unequally appraised. However, the impartial Tarrant County Appraisal Review Board is required to consider appeals on both market value and unequal appraisal.
- Arraying data in a matrix or table provides a good overview for an unequal appraisal presentation. Important components of an unequal appraisal presentation include a reasonable number of comparable properties (about 2 to 10) that are appropriately adjusted. These properties are usually considered to be properties that are similar in regard to the quality and quantity of improvements.
- An independent real estate appraisal can be worth the expense, depending on the property tax reduction you are seeking. Obtaining an independent appraisal can effectively document market value and will receive meaningful consideration from the Tarrant County Appraisal District appraiser and the Tarrant County Appraisal Review Board panel members.
- Property tax assessors often believe a property is worth the cost to build it. You should probably provide cost data if your construction cost through January 1 is less than the appraisal district's value for improvements. For recently built properties, the Tarrant County Appraisal District appraiser will want to review actual construction cost. A cost segregation report prepared by a qualified appraiser can separate personal property from real property.
- Appraisers are often receptive to resolving property tax protests at the informal hearing. At the hearing you will spend a few moments developing a rapport with the appraiser. Be polite with the appraiser - the appraiser is not opposed to reducing your property taxes.
- Bring 5 copies of your evidence (3 for ARB members, 1 for the appraiser and one for you) to the ARB property tax protest hearing. Organize your documents and thoughts before the hearing. Your presentation to the Tarrant County Appraisal Review Board should be kept between three to five minutes, since the entire hearing only lasts 15 to 20 minutes. ARB members appreciate a well reasoned presentation supported by factual data.
- A relatively new option is binding arbitration, which was passed by the Texas legislature in 2005. If you are not satisfied with your results from the appraisal review board hearing, you can request binding arbitration. When compared to a judicial appeal, advantages of binding arbitration include a lower cost, informal process, speedier resolution and the loser pays provision. Seriously consider binding arbitration if your assessed value exceeds market value after the ARB property tax protest hearing.
- Arbitrators are not employed or controlled by the appraisal district. They are Texas licensed appraisers and real estate agents/brokers. Binding arbitration is a new option that allows property owners an informal and inexpensive option if not satisfied with the Tarrant County Appraisal Review Board's decision. Binding arbitration is available for owners of properties with an assessed value of $1 million or less (after the Tarrant County Appraisal Review Board hearing) who are only appealing on market value. voluminous requests for binding arbitration could encourage more favorable consideration of property tax protests at the informal and ARB hearings.
- Although you can appeal on your own, hiring a consultant to appeal on your behalf is risk free because there is no flat fee and no upfront costs; you only pay a portion of the savings. Property tax consultants typically appeal every property annually. This insures an annual review of your property tax assessment.
Useful Texas property tax links:
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