“We want to make it an easy process and to encourage people to take advantage of this,” Chief Appraiser Joe Don Bobbitt said.
TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — As Tarrant County homeowners race to meet the May 15 property tax protest deadline, many are once again looking for ways to lower their tax bills.
“I protest every year,” Tarrant County homeowner David Pannell said after successfully challenging his latest property appraisal.
Pannell said property taxes on his downtown Fort Worth home, originally built in the early 1900s, have climbed sharply since he began renovating it. He believes surrounding development has played a major role in the increases.
“All the condos, all the million-dollar houses around 7th Street. They want to jack my price up,” Pannell said. “Yeah, we’re downtown. It’s a great location. But man, it’s a struggle every year.”
At the Tarrant Appraisal District office, homeowners have formed steady lines ahead of the protest deadline.
“Property tax is always a little painful, but we try to make it as pleasant as we can,” Chief Appraiser Joe Don Bobbitt said.
Tarrant Appraisal District board members voted to freeze 2025 property tax values and carry those same values into 2026. Even with the freeze in place, Bobbitt said property owners who believe their values are too high should still file protests.
“They can go on a website. We have a value negotiation tool where they can use and try to resolve it at home,” Joe Don Bobbitt said. “They can file online applications for their homestead. If that doesn’t work, they can come in and see us.”
Bobbitt told WFAA the district is resolving about 90% of tax reduction requests, including for homeowners like Brendon Cameron.
“It’s pretty easy and TAD; they’re willing to work with you and listen to what you have to say,” Brendon Cameron said. “If you have the evidence, they give you some help there to lower it.”
Still, property tax protest expert Chandler Crouch argues many homeowners may still be overpaying.
“About 80% of people paid too much property tax because of the freeze policy,” Crouch said.
Crouch said he expects to help roughly 45,000 property owners challenge their 2026 tax bills. Through online videos and free protest advice, he encourages all homeowners to review and protest their appraisals if necessary.
“The chief appraiser is not against you at all,” Chandler Crouch said. “The appraisal district isn’t against you. All of the stuff we’re talking about, like the freeze policy, that’s by the board, which is kind of separate. Those are politicians. The appraisal district itself, they’re government employees that are there to do a job, to value properties, and that’s it.”
Bobbitt said the district’s goal is to help homeowners reach fair and reasonable values, but property owners must participate in the process for reductions to happen.
“We want to make it an easy process and to encourage people to take advantage of this,” Joe Don Bobbitt said. “So, 2024 is the last year we re-appraised residential properties, so we carried that forward for 2025 and for 2026. So, 2027 will be the first year that we re-appraise.”
For many homeowners, the process has become a yearly routine they believe can save significant money.
“It’s definitely worth your while to do it each year,” Cameron said.
“Just get online and file. It’s free,” Pannell said.
Tarrant County property owners wanting to protest their tax values can visit Tarrant Appraisal District or go in person to the TAD office at 2500 Handley-Ederville Road in Fort Worth.