Tarrant Property Tax Protest ARB Tax Savings over $116 MM in 2024
Informal appeals have always done well in Tarrant County, while protests to the appraisal review board (ARB) have been in a mixed bag. That should not underscore the importance or effectiveness of ARB hearings, however, as they provided $116 million in savings for 2024, and reduced taxable property value by $5.55 billion. 60% of formal appeals end in a successful value reduction, below the Texas average of 66%. Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ and improve your odds of winning a great tax settlement. You will pay nothing unless you lower your taxes and will never suffer any hidden fees or upfront costs. Enroll, relax, and save.
Protests with Written ARB DeterminationSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total protests | 32.747 | 21.215 | 57.547 | 53.528 | 32.130 | 36.110 | 30.778 | 25.445 | 20.478 | 17.496 | 30.934 | |
| Protests single family residential | 20.562 | 13.158 | 41.233 | 30.283 | 15.770 | 14.834 | 18.297 | 21.760 | 16.401 | 13.322 | 19.554 | |
| Protests with all other | 12.185 | 8.057 | 16.314 | 23.245 | 16.360 | 21.276 | 12.481 | 3.685 | 4.077 | 4.174 | 11.380 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Hearing results depend on the appraiser assigned or the ARB; results vary widely. You do not know the appraiser or ARB panel prior to appealing.
TAD Protests with Written ARB Determination
Whether it is the Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD) or any other Texas appraisal district, challenging them to get your correct taxes is a mean feat. They seem to operate as their own personal fiefdoms, handing out tax decrees without anyone opposing them. The Texas Constitution has granted Texans the right to protest their taxes, however, and a growing number of Tarrant County residents are taking advantage of it. 89.66% of informal protests are granted a reduction, but sometimes that is not enough. For those that wish to improve their tax break, the next option is the appraisal review board (ARB).
Formal protests to the ARB require more knowledge than informal appeals, and O’Connor is here to help. O’Connor is a far-reaching property tax consulting business that has been fighting for Texas taxpayers for over 50 years. Experienced in fighting TAD and other appraisal districts, O’Connor is ready to give you the edge you need to claim the correct taxes and valuations that your property deserves.
TAD Protests by Property Type
Formal hearings are not as big in Tarrant County as they are in some others. In the county, first option, the informal appeal, is usually enough to get a strong settlement. 201,291 informal appeals were granted a reduction in 2024, a success rate of 89.66%. However, ARB hearings exist for those that did not get a settlement from TAD, or those that got what they deemed inadequate. 30,934 formal protests were filed in 2024 in an effort to right these wrongs.
19,554 single family homeowners and 11,380 other property owners appealed their cases to the ARB. 63.21% of formal hearings were for homes, continuing their streak as the top dogs of that type of administrative appeal. Formal appeals have been on the decline in Tarrant County across all property types, though 2024 was a strong reversal of this trend. The number of formal protests nearly doubled, reaching the highest level since 2019.
Tarrant County ARB Decisions with a ReductionSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total | 15.730 | 8.536 | 22.409 | 36.282 | 23.293 | 27.324 | 23.451 | 14.922 | 13.407 | 13.459 | 18.513 | |
| Single Family Residential | 9.590 | 3.628 | 12.578 | 21.527 | 12.209 | 12.262 | 13.339 | 13.246 | 11.119 | 11.357 | 12.265 | |
| Commercial / All Other | 6.140 | 4.908 | 9.832 | 14.755 | 11.084 | 15.062 | 10.112 | 1.676 | 2.288 | 2.102 | 6.248 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since An annual appeal is an insurance policy to avoid major increases.
TAD ARB Decisions with a Reduction
The infrequency of their use should not undermine the value of formal appeals. 18,513 ABR hearings resulted in a reduction of taxable value, with 12,265 of these being for single family homes. Businesses have traditionally seen the greatest success in these hearings, recording 6,428 successful outcomes. Each ABR decision in favor of a commercial or industrial property represents a significant financial win for the taxpayer. Commercial appeals seemed to make a comeback in 2024, with the highest number of successful protests since 2020.
Percent That Resulted in A ReductionSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Percent | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Reduction | 48% | 40% | 39% | 68% | 72% | 76% | 76% | 59% | 65% | 77% | 60% | |
| Single Family Residential | 47% | 28% | 31% | 71% | 77% | 83% | 73% | 61% | 68% | 85% | 63% | |
| Commercial / All Other | 50% | 61% | 60% | 63% | 68% | 71% | 81% | 45% | 56% | 50% | 55% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since To ensure their property taxes are at the lowest possible level.
Percent That Resulted in a Reduction
Formal appeals may not have the numbers in Tarrant County of informal appeals, but they punch above their weight class. 60% of 2024 ABR appeals ended in a reduction. Single family homes notched an astounding 63% success rate, while businesses scored 55%. Across Texas, the average success rate of a formal appeal is 66%, with 68% of single family homes getting a reduction.
Value Reduction From Written ARB DeterminationsSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total $ Reduction | 1.845 | 6.184 | 5.814 | 5.444 | 7.154 | 6.560 | 5.967 | 3.375 | 4.328 | 5.282 | 5.545 | |
| Single Family Residential | 0.236 | 0.190 | 0.432 | 0.674 | 0.471 | 0.409 | 0.347 | 0.340 | 0.379 | 0.417 | 0.397 | |
| Commercial / All Other | 1.609 | 5.994 | 5.382 | 4.770 | 6.683 | 6.151 | 5.620 | 3.035 | 3.950 | 4.864 | 5.148 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Unequal appraisal allows protests based on neighbors having a better tax assessment.
Dollar Value Reduction from Texas ARB Hearings
Tarrant County formal appeals delivered the goods for their taxpayers in 2024, bringing home $5.55 billion in total property value reductions. This was the highest total reduction from ARB hearings since 2020. Commercial properties were king, with $5.15 billion in reductions, though single family homes also scored $397 million. The increase in savings seems to show that ARB hearings are favoring quality over quantity.