Frequently Asked Questions

When a home is owned by a legal entity instead of an individual, the county requires proof that the person signing up has the legal authority to sign on behalf of the legal entity. Formation docs for the legal entity provide that proof. We don’t need the whole document, but only (1) the first 1-2 pages that name and describe your LLC/Trust/INC, (2) the signature page and (3) any page that is notarized. For LLCs, sometimes the Certificate of Filing and Certificate of Formation that was filed with the Secretary of State can work. Please upload these documents to the notifications tab on your account page.

Yes! Any real estate professional can sign up for a Home Tax Shield partner account. It’s free and professionals get a unique referral link to share with your clients, friends and neighbors.

Click here to visit our partner page to learn more.

Login to your partner account. Click on Tax Toolbox on the left hand side and use the content we’ve made available. Or, just copy your unique referral URL there on your marketing tab and share it with clients.

We offer real estate professionals a host of benefits when they become a Home Tax Shield partner!

• You help clients avoid overpaying property taxes
• Your clients get a 50% discount on their first year membership fee
• You stay top-of-mind when it comes to your clients’ real estate needs
• You get access to valuable marketing content
• You can earn referral commissions for your business or a Texas housing non-profit

As a Home Tax Shield partner, you show commitment to clients’ financial wellbeing by helping them relax when they open their property tax bill. Clients see you as their real estate hero, stay loyal and recommend your services to others. And with no fees to become a partner, it’s all upside for you!

We will file your protest before the deadline. Sometimes we wait until the day before or the day of the deadline to file. This helps us remain efficient when we are scheduling our hearings with the county.

Friendly reminder: DO NOT file your own protest, otherwise it will hinder our ability to help you.

Most of the time there’s nothing we need you to send us as we have all the data necessary to have a great chance of getting you a reduction. Only two situations occur that require your input…

1. Recent purchase. If you purchased the home in the last 12 months and paid less than the county’s appraised value for your home, we need a copy of your closing/settlement statement
2. Major repairs. If you are facing MAJOR repairs (roof replacement, foundation issues, etc), we need a contractor’s official estimate for each major repair. Photos can help too.

If either situation applies to you, please visit your account page to upload those documents. We cannot accept photos or documents via email.

First and foremost, we are huge fans of transparency and putting power in your hands! You will find lots of information on our website, both during the signup process as well as in our blog and help desk articles. Customers also get full access to their account to review their properties, results, profile, billing, etc. The website is always the best place to start.

If you cannot find what you are looking for or need help understanding something (property taxes can be complicated!), our Texas-based support team is ready to help. You can contact them live on webchat or via email and SMS. In order to offer you the lowest fees in the industry, we do not maintain a call center or connect via phone.

Unfortunately, too many property tax firms promise huge savings and consistently underdeliver.

We take a very conservative approach to estimating your savings. The average reduction on a Texas residential home the past 5-7 years is 3.0%-6.0%. We apply that average reduction to your home, after applying any expected increase/decrease in market value due to the real estate market, to determine your tax savings.

Our estimates sometimes disappoint homeowners, but the reality is protesting property taxes rarely yields HUGE savings. Instead, it’s best to protest each and every year and get a little savings along the way.

The deadline to file a property tax protest in Texas is May 15th … or 30 days after you receive your preliminary appraised value notice. The deadline for each county is different and can change from year to year. We will update the deadlines as they are published.

Exemptions can reduce your property taxes in two ways:

1. They cap how much property taxes can increase year over year.
2. They exclude a portion of the value from taxation.

Each exemption has rules for qualifying. Some common exemptions in Texas are the homestead, Over 65 and disabled veteran exemptions. Filing an exemption with the county is relatively easy and can often be done online. You will need a Texas ID in your name with the address of your property. The popular homestead exemption applies only to the owner’s primary residence, therefore investment properties are NOT included.

It’s important to note that our success fees are calculated after your exemptions are applied.

Many local services in your area, such as schools, fire departments, and local governments, are funded by property taxes. See our explainer video (click here) for more on the basics of how property taxes work in Texas!

Texas homeowners pay billions of dollars in property taxes each year to support local government services like police, fire and schools.

The amount of property tax you pay is determined by two numbers: your property’s market value and your local tax rate.

Rates are set by local taxing authorities and you can’t change them.

However, your property value is set by the county appraiser and IS something you can change every year.

Here’s how you can change your property value and lower your taxes:

Your county will send you a notice with the proposed value of your property. This is the value you will be taxed on if you don’t protest.

Once you receive the notice, you have 30 days to file a protest. If you miss the deadline there is nothing you can do to lower your taxes that year.

To find out how to lower your property taxes, let’s revisit how property taxes are calculated:

Taxable Value x Tax Rate = Total Tax Due

So mathematically, the only way to reduce your property taxes is to (1) lower your taxable value or (2) lower your tax rate.

Tax rates, however, are set by elected officials and/or by public vote so you can only influence rates through your vote in the democratic process. There’s nothing else you can do to lower your tax rate.

Property tax values, on the other hand, are determined by the county and there are two ways you can lower your taxable value.

1. Apply for exemptions. Most exemptions save you money by reducing (or capping) your taxable value.
2. Protest your taxable value and try to get it lowered (this is what we do for you!)

No. State and federal funds also support local services. And if your local service providers (schools, fire fighters, roads, etc) need more money you can be sure it will show up on your voting ballot.

No. On the contrary, having a high property tax value can reduce buyer interest in your home and their ability to qualify for a mortgage.

When you escrow your property taxes you are giving your escrow company the legal right to raise your property tax withholding as much as they feel is needed to cover a future tax bill. Each year your mortgage company estimates the amount of property tax they think they will need to pay your next property tax bill. This estimate is added to your principle and interest payment each month. When your mortgage company thinks property taxes are going up, they will raise your payment to cover the anticipated increase.

Protesting does not immediately lower your mortgage payment. Instead, it aims to lower the amount your mortgage company has to pay the county when they pay your bill. If we lower your tax bill and your mortgage company ends up paying less than they expected, they will issue you a refund and possibly lower your mortgage payment for next year.

This is why some homeowners prefer to NOT escrow their property taxes with their mortgage company, and instead pay the property tax bill themselves each year. If you choose not to escrow, it’s VERY important to save enough money each month to pay your property tax bill. The consequences of not paying your property tax bill in full are very high.

We’re glad you asked! Watch our explainer video (click here) or read on!

We don’t overpromise

No company can save you money every year. We don’t promise savings just to get you in the door. But we do take your home through the entire protest process each year to make sure your tax valuation is fair.

We don’t overcharge

Our pricing structure keeps more of the savings in your pocket, because that’s the whole point. Our standard fees are 40% below industry average. Just a $30 annual fee + 30% of tax savings. That’s it.

Our sign-up process is simple

Signup your property online in one simple step. In only 2-3 minutes, you’re all done and we represent you for as long as you own the property. Sign up and forget it.

We use sophisticated technology

We put the power of data science and artificial intelligence into the hands of our local, experienced tax professionals who represent you at your hearing each year. We give you online access to your properties, protest status and results.

It’s possible, but very unlikely. This can only happen if the real estate market is flat or down. If the real estate market is up, you are likely to pay more tax than last year even if you protest and get a reduction. When the county proposes a higher value, we go to work to lower that value but sometimes can’t get it below last year’s value. When that happens you still save money vs what you would have paid.

The sales argument, also known as the “market” argument, works the exact same way as the equity argument but instead of using any home in your neighborhood that is similar to yours, it only uses homes that sold the previous calendar year. These homes are commonly called “comps” and are what you might get from your real estate agent during the home buying process. However, it’s important to know if your local real estate market is strong the sales argument can actually hurt you! So don’t bring raw sales comps to a protest without having a professional adjusting them correctly. See our explainer video (click here) for more on the process!

The equity argument, also known as “Equal & Uniform”, compares your home to other homes similar to yours, after all the characteristics are adjusted. If we determine your value is unequal, we can use that to convince the county to lower your value. It’s more challenging than the sales argument, but the good news is we are excellent at equity arguments. See our explainer video (click here) for more on the process! 

The annual membership fee is non-refundable, nor do we deduct the annual fee paid from any success fees due as a result of tax savings. The moment you sign up we start working on your protest by sending forms and pulling data. The annual fee ensures you will have talented, motivated tax agents working on your behalf no matter how big or small the perceived savings opportunity. The old “we don’t charge you unless you save money” model that some firms offer does a great disservice to homeowners and tax agents that both deserve better.   

It takes 2-3 months to get results, so typically around August/September. We often meet with the county multiple times as we exhaust every path to get you the reductions you deserve.

Around the time you receive your new, lowered tax bill in October/ November. We want you to see your savings before we bill you the success fee.

It could be because the county got it wrong, and we check for that and will fix it if they did. If you notice the county has incorrect data about your home, like the wrong # of bedrooms or square footage, you need to let us know! But many times your neighbor’s value appears lower because of how the county “adjusts” the data for each home in order to correctly compare your home with other homes in your neighborhood. Most counties look at LOTS of characteristics and adjust them up or down when comparing homes. The most common ones are square footage, lot size, bedrooms, baths, year built, garage, exterior finishes, and major additions like courtyards, decks, and pools.

Yes, we represent you throughout the protest process. Every property we represent receives at least one informal hearing and many also go to a formal hearing. Our tax professionals take your property through the entire process so you can spend time on other things.

Although some hearings are open to the public, we strongly discourage homeowners from attending and do not share hearing dates/times. After all, you hired us to handle this for you! Letting a pro handle your case creates a more streamlined and efficient process that helps both you and the county.

To cancel your account visit your account page, select the tax year and click the red X on the property you wish to cancel and follow the prompts.

If you are cancelling because you intend to protest yourself, you also need to file a revocation form with the county to remove us as an authorized agent. This will ensure you begin receiving value notices and exemption updates from the county again.

We are unable to accept cancellations cancel via chat, sms or email.

But remember, the best results are achieved by protesting every year.

To visit your account page click here.

Home Tax Shield makes sure you don’t over pay your property taxes every year and in many cases our efforts will reduce your tax bill and save you money!

Home Tax Shield makes sure you don’t overpay your property taxes. We do this by filing a protest (or appeal) on your home with the county and assign it to one of our local, experienced tax professionals who negotiates with the county on your behalf. The goal is to reduce your home’s taxable value and save you money so you can rest assured you aren’t paying a dollar more than you should on your property taxes each year.

The amount Home Tax Shield can save you on property taxes will vary year to year. It depends on a number of factors such as the real estate market, the condition of your home, and most importantly how the county values your home. Some years you may receive a very favorable value from the county, and if you do, count yourself lucky! Even when that happens Home Tax Shield will still work to reduce it. We’ve had great success reducing values even when the owner (and we) thought it was already fair.

One thing is for certain…getting HUGE savings is super rare and not something to expect. Homeowners that don’t protest every year but instead do so every 3-5 years sometimes expect huge savings, and that’s not quite how property taxes work. It’s always best to protest each and every year.

To find your average savings please visit our homepage and type in your address. If you have multiple properties you can add them on the last signup screen or reach out to us via chat for assistance.

Home Tax Shield charges $30 per property to cover your basic account setup and data costs (Tip: check with your trusted real estate partner for a 50% discount!). This covers us taking your home through the entire protest process…filing paperwork, compiling data that can support your case, and having our local, licensed professionals negotiate for you.

Then, when we save you money on your property taxes every year, you keep 70% of the savings and share only 30% with us. The 30% success fee is charged on your tax savings and is due in November each year (although you can pay earlier if you’d like). Here’s an example: if we reduce your appraised value from $300,000 to $280,000, multiply that $20,000 reduction by your tax rate (~2%) and you get $400 in tax savings. You would owe us 30% of that, or $120.

Be aware that some tax agents only charge a % fee and nothing up front. If they don’t see an easy reduction on your home they won’t work on it at all. You might feel like you’re getting a “better” deal, but in reality, you are not getting a professional working hard to get you a reduction.

Only if you think it’s fair. But how can you be sure it’s fair? The county’s data and approach to determining value often produces errors. This is especially true in non-disclosure states, such as Texas, where counties don’t have access to the data necessary to arrive at fair and accurate values. Home Tax Shield identifies errors in the county’s appraisal and corrects them to ensure property owners receive a fair property valuation. Would you trust the IRS to file a tax return on your behalf?

Not at this time. Home Tax Shield is focused on providing a full service, “white-glove” property tax service so our reports are designed for our local tax professionals. They contain data and analysis that the average homeowner would not be able to explain correctly in a hearing. 

Most customers don’t need to do anything at all, as we already have most everything we need to be successful protesting your home. But here are a few important next steps:

1. Check your notifications page. If there’s something important we need we will place a notification there.
2. If you had unique situation with your home in the last 12 months, such as major damage or a mortgage appraisal due to a recent purchase or refinance, use the upload documents feature to upload evidence. This is not common or required.
3. Share Home Tax Shield with your neighbors and friends! Our systems are designed to serve every property owner that wants a fair property tax value. Insider tip…did you know your neighbor that doesn’t protest is actually hurting your value? The more owners that protest in your area the more likely you (and your neighbors) will receive a reduction.

Otherwise, sit back, relax and know that Home Tax Shield has your back. We’ll send you important updates about your home’s property taxes throughout the year.

The Home Tax Shield service doesn’t require you to maintain a login and password to access your account. We’ll email you important updates throughout the year. Click here to access your account.

Once you’re an Home Tax Shield customer, we will file your protest each and every year you own your home. You do not need to signup again or file your own protest with the county. We’ll work to lower your property taxes every year until you cancel.

Many local services in your area, such as schools, fire departments, and local governments, are funded by property taxes. See our explainer video (click here) for more on the basics of how property taxes work in Texas! 

No. State and federal funds also support local services. And if your local service providers (schools, fire fighters, roads, etc) need more money you can be sure it will show up on your voting ballot. 

Equation: Tax Value  x Tax Rate = Total Tax Due.

Example: $250,000 x 2.2% = $5,500 tax due. 

See our explainer video (click here) for more on the basics of how property taxes work in Texas! 

The primary driver is the real estate market, which over time tends to rise in value. Rates can climb as well. So the two variables used to calculate property taxes … property tax rates and property tax values … can, and often do, go up every year. 

That’s why it is important to protest your taxes every year!

Tax rates are set by elected officials and/or by public vote, so you can influence rates through your vote in the democratic process. Property tax values, on the other hand, are determined by county appraisal entities. Entities recommend values and you can argue for a more fair tax value, either on your own or through services like Home Tax Shield. 

It varies by state. In Texas property tax payments are due January 31 each year, and there are stiff penalties for late payments so be sure to pay on time. Many homeowners with a mortgage choose to use an escrow agent to collect and pay their property taxes each year. 

No. On the contrary, having a high property tax value can reduce buyer interest in your home and their ability to qualify for a mortgage.