Travis County Homeowners: May 15 Deadline to Protest Property Values | The Locally Times
With 427,000 appraisal notices arriving, Travis County property owners have a critical May 15 deadline to challenge their valuations and potentially save hundreds on their tax bills. Don't overpay.
Hundreds of thousands of Travis County homeowners are about to receive their 2026 property appraisal notices, and a critical May 15 deadline looms for those who want to challenge what could be a costly overvaluation. Starting the week of April 6, 2026, the Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) will release 2026 market values online and begin mailing notices to over 427,000 property owners. This process directly impacts property taxes, as the value assigned to a property determines its share of the total tax levy set by local taxing entities. Property owners who believe their market value is incorrect have until May 15, 2026, or 30 days after their notice is mailed (whichever is later), to file a protest with TCAD. These notices also outline the protest process. The overall Travis County appraisal roll for 2026 saw a 5.48% increase, totaling $482 billion, driven primarily by growth in healthcare, industrial, and office commercial properties. For residential homestead properties, the 2026 median market value in Travis County stands at $493,449, with a median taxable value of $384,747. Interestingly, single-family residences across the county experienced an average 1.8% decline in market value, though the specific factors contributing to this trend are not detailed in available records. Chief Appraiser Leana Mann urges all property owners to carefully review their property's information on the TCAD website (traviscad.org) and within their mailed notice, emphasizing the importance of ensuring accuracy and claiming all eligible exemptions. ## The Critical Protest Process and Deadlines Property owners have a narrow, critical window to challenge their property's valuation. The firm deadline to file a protest with the Travis Central Appraisal District is May 15, 2026, or 30 days after your notice is mailed, whichever date is later. The informal protest process is scheduled to open on April 6, 2026. During this period, property owners can meet informally with a TCAD appraiser to discuss their valuation and potentially resolve their protest without a formal hearing. TCAD strongly encourages filing protests through its online portal, which allows users to upload evidence, review district evidence, receive settlement offers, and participate in both informal meetings and formal hearings. Alternatively, protests and supporting evidence can be submitted by mail or in person at the TCAD office (850 East Anderson Lane). If an informal settlement isn't reached, property owners can present their case to the Travis Appraisal Review Board (ARB), an independent group of citizens resolving taxpayer disputes. The exact duration of this informal process before formal hearings begin is not specified. ## Your Tax Bill: Understanding the Stakes It's key to understand that TCAD's market values don't *directly* determine your final property tax bill. Instead, they establish your property's share of the total tax levy, which local taxing entities like cities, counties, and school districts set through their annual budgets. This means an inaccurate property valuation can lead to a disproportionately higher tax burden for you. Missing the protest deadline could mean unnecessarily higher property taxes for years to come. While mailing of notices begins the week of April 6, the exact timeline for all 427,000 property owners to receive their notices in the 'coming weeks' is not specified. ## Key Details Not Yet Available While TCAD provides extensive information on the 2026 appraisal process, some specific details remain unreleased. * A range or confidence interval for the $493,449 median market value for residential homestead properties. * The specific reasons behind the 1.8% average decline in market value for single-family residences. * A more detailed breakdown of the 'healthcare, industrial, and office commercial properties' contributing to the 5.48% overall appraisal roll increase. **How can I file a protest?** Property owners can file protests through the TCAD online portal, by mail, or in person at the TCAD office. **What is the impact of the new market values on my property taxes?** The market value determines your property's share of the total tax levy, which local taxing entities set through their annual budgets.