Making the Most of Property Assessors Offices - Texas

Save on taxes with property assessors in Texas
By Emmet McMahan Making the most of property assessors offices in Texas will require the office to assess the market value of a property. This value is then multiplied by the tax rate to determine the actual tax that the owner must pay on the property each year. Property tax rates may be set by organizations such as cities, counties or school districts.

Texas property assessors offices use factors like location and size to determine the value of a property. This assessment is usually accurate and requires a property value appeal only on rare occasions. There are three things you need to do when evaluating the property value as determined by the assessor’s office:

1. Obtain the information the property assessors offices in Texas uses to make the assessment. You should already know the size and location of the property but the assessor also will be able to provide the value of other properties in your area.
2. Get professional appraisals so you may compare them to the official Texas property assessments.
3. Appeal the assessor’s valuation of your property if needed. Texas assessors have a specific procedure for accomplishing this.

Learn more about the laws regarding Texas property assessments

Each state has laws that provide guidelines on the way that property values are be assessed. There also may be laws that specify what property tax information is be publicly available.
Try:  Window on State Government provides basic information on paying local property taxes in Texas. Brusniak and Blackwell provides several links to property tax laws in Texas.

Find out how professional appraisers determine Texas property values

Appraisers may use different methods to estimate the value of your property. You will want to ensure the professional appraiser considers the same factors as the property assessor.
Try:  Big County Appraisals offers a FAQ on the procedure it uses for performing appraisals. E-Appraisal performs home appraisals in central Texas and also provides an overview of the appraisal process. 

Learn how your county performs a Texas property assessment

Many counties have online resources available to help you with your property tax assessment. You should be able to locate this information on your county's website, in addition to other information regarding property taxes.
Try:  The Johnson County Tax Office provides a FAQ on property assessments and taxes in Johnson County. The Ector County Appraisal District outlines the process for appealing a property tax valuation.

• Check with your Texas property assessor to see if you qualify for any exemptions on your property assessment. Exemptions may be recognized for disabled veterans, senior citizens or non-profit organizations. File any appeals to your current tax assessment before the tax deadline. It will be more difficult to obtain a favorable ruling on an appeal after the deadline.