Texas Property Taxes Are Collected by Central Appraisal Districts (CAD)
Central Appraisal Districts in Texas determine property tax amounts and maintain property tax records.
Taxes are calculated based on the value of the property from January 1st through December 31st of the calendar year.
Tax values are reported to property owners in the Spring. Tax value protests need to be filed on time, and the information about that will arrive with your property tax notice.
Greater Austin Area Property Tax Agencies
Travis County Appraisal District (TCAD) (most of Austin)
Williamson County Appraisal District (WCAD) (north Austin)
Hays Appraisal District (HCAD)
Bastrop Central Appraisal District
Caldwell County Appraisal District
Other Texas Counties Property Tax Websites
Why Are Texas Property Taxes So High?
Texas does not have a state income tax, so the State makes that up by imposing high property tax rates on property owners.
Also, unlike California, where a lot of Austinites have moved here from, Texas does not protect homeowners from yearly property tax increases, although there is a 10% homestead cap on the assessed value that determines how much your taxes can go up each year.
That means that you taxes can jump each year, and over time may become a big part of your monthly payments for your home.
Can I Appeal My Property Taxes?
A tax assessment is not the same as a market value appraisal, even though these taxing entities are called appraisal districts. Tax values are often high, and you can file a property tax protest to try to get them lowered.
Check with your local Appraisal District on the websites listed above for more information about how to file a property tax protest.
You will need to have good information about the sales prices of other homes like yours during the tax year. You can get this information from a real estate agent, or from a real estate appraiser by having an appraisal done on the property.
