Our Process for Protesting Your Property Taxes in Texas

Here’s what you need to know about how to protest property taxes in Texas:

• Working with a professional property tax protest company ensures you maximize your chances of a successful protest and a higher reduction.
• Gill, Denson & Company has a team of industry professionals and uses a comprehensive, custom approach to each and every client’s case.
• We may need to go through several stages of the protest process to achieve the desired results, including an informal hearing, a formal ARB hearing, and a judicial appeal.
• Our team works with you every step of the way, from initial research and data gathering to presenting a clear and convincing case to the county. We then continue to protest on your behalf year after year.

Why You Should Work with a Professional Property Tax Protest Company

Protesting your Texas property taxes can be a complex and confusing process. There are many factors to consider when arguing against the county appraisal district’s (CAD) valuation. If your evidence for a lower valuation isn’t clear and convincing enough, you may not see a significant reduction in your taxes. A professional protest company has the knowledge, experience, and skills necessary to maximize your chances of success.

The Gill, Denson & Company Approach

Gill, Denson & Company takes a comprehensive approach to every case, with a team of property tax consultants, data analysts, attorneys, and licensed appraisers. Together, our unique perspectives and skill set allow us to craft the most effective strategies. Our goal is always to pursue every legal avenue so you can see the highest possible reduction and greatest savings.

We take an aggressive approach to protesting your property taxes at every stage of the protest process to achieve that goal. Each client is different, so our strategy for each case will be different, too. After thoroughly reviewing the details of your situation, we will build a custom strategy just for you.

The Different Levels of the Appeal Process

There are multiple levels to the protest process, and we may or may not have to go through all of them to achieve the best reduction. Here are the main stages of the process with the CAD:

• Informal Hearing: During the preliminary stages, our consultants negotiate with the appraisal district staff to determine whether we can settle on a value favorable to our client.

• ARB Formal Hearing: If we do not achieve a satisfactory reduction through the informal process, we proceed to a formal hearing with the Appraisal Review Board (ARB).  We present carefully prepared, data-backed evidence from our proprietary tools to make a compelling case for reducing your taxes.

• Judicial Appeals: If we do not feel the informal or ARB hearings resulted in a fair outcome, we can proceed to binding arbitration or litigation. It depends on what is best for our client and how aggressively they would like us to fight their taxes. The choice is always up to you.

Our team attends all hearings and proceedings on your behalf, presenting only the best evidence to support a reduction.

How to Protest Property Taxes in Texas with Us

Here is a step-by-step guide of what you can expect when you choose to protest your Texas property taxes with us:

1. Research Property Details and History:

Our research team collects all the data needed to prepare a strong case for a value reduction. This includes researching the property’s history, pulling the county records, and reviewing neighborhood trends.

2. Prepare a Case for Tax Reduction:

For residential properties, we perform an extensive analysis to compare your property’s value to recent, nearby sales. We select the most favorable data and prepare it to show the county. In addition, we perform an equity analysis to determine if it was appraised unfairly relative to comparable properties. We often uncover overlooked information that can help reduce your taxes.

For commercial properties, CADs often make assumptions about properties using an income or cost approach. With the income approach, we determine an accurate NOI for property tax purposes. We then use relevant data to negotiate the cap rate the CAD uses to generate a final value. With the cost approach, we leverage region-specific building cost metrics, analyzing every part of the building and improvements. We also perform a land analysis based on nearby sales and equity values.

3. File Necessary Protest Paperwork:

Our team files (on your behalf) all the appropriate paperwork with the appraisal district in a timely manner.

4. Attend and Negotiate a Reduction at Applicable Hearings:

We represent you in the informal and ARB hearings, as needed. We present the most compelling evidence we’ve gathered to support our argument for a lower valuation. If appropriate, we will also represent you during the judicial appeal stage of the protest.

5. Send Results to You When the Process is Complete:

We send you a detailed breakdown of the protest results, including our interpretation and recommendation of any further steps.

6. Continue Year After Year:

We continue to protest your property taxes on your behalf every year, automatically. Once you sign up, you can rest assured that our team will provide ongoing tax reduction services to ensure your taxes stay at a fair level.

Do you have a residential or commercial property in need of a property tax protest? Contact the tax experts at Gill, Denson & Company to get started. We’ll help you build a strong case to present to the county and ensure you only pay your fair share of taxes.