How to Protest Your Property Taxes in Dallas County
To protest your Dallas County value, file by May 15 or 30 days after your appraisal notice is delivered, whichever is later (Texas Tax Code 41.44). In 2027, May 15 is a Saturday, so the deadline moves to Monday, May 17 (Tax Code 1.06).
The Dallas County Appraisal Review Board received over 250,000 protests in 2026, according to DCAD. The process is free, takes an evening online, and the evidence that wins is simple. This is the whole method, including what to say at the hearing.
Dates that matter
- January 1: the valuation date. Everything is judged as of this day.
- Mid April: notices mailed. In 2026, April 14.
- May 15, or 30 days after the notice, whichever is later: protest deadline, moved to the next business day when it falls on a weekend. In 2026, May 15; in 2027, Monday, May 17.
- May through September: informal reviews and Appraisal Review Board hearings (in 2026 DCAD said hearings would likely run through September).
- August to September: taxing units adopt rates. October: bills. January 31: payment due, moved to the next business day on a weekend (February 1 in 2027).
Filing the protest
Use uFile at dallascad.org. Log in with the PIN on your notice, pick the property, and check both reasons: value is over market value, and value is unequal compared with other properties. Write a short note with the number you believe is right. You can upload evidence at filing or later. You do not need to pay anyone to file this; it is a ten minute form.
Evidence that works, in order
- Closed sales of comparable homes from roughly October through March around the January 1 date, same neighborhood, similar size and age, adjusted for condition. Three to five is enough. This is what we send for free.
- Unequal appraisal. DCAD's own appraised values per square foot on the similar houses on your street. If yours is higher, the board can lower it even if the market value argument is weak. Pull them from the DCAD property search.
- Condition. Photos and written estimates for the roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical, anything a buyer would deduct. Dated and specific.
- A recent purchase or appraisal. If you bought in the last year or refinanced with an appraisal, that document is strong.
What does not work: your tax bill being too high, the neighbor's house selling for less in 2021, or an online estimate screenshot. The board rules on value as of January 1, with sales.
The informal review
After filing, DCAD will usually make a settlement offer in uFile or an appraiser will call. Most protests end here. If the offer is within a few percent of your number, take it; the hearing is a coin flip on small gaps. If the offer ignores your evidence, decline and go to the board.
The ARB hearing
About fifteen minutes, usually in front of one board member and one DCAD appraiser. You can ask for a three member panel when your hearing starts. Bring one printed copy of your evidence, or the files on a USB drive (DCAD protest guide, April 2026). Say your number in the first sentence, walk through the three best comparable sales, show the unequal appraisal table, show the condition photos, and ask for the number again. Do not argue about taxes, rates or fairness; the board can only rule on value. You will hear the panel's recommendation before you leave, and the written Notice of Final Order follows by certified mail once the full board approves it.
After the decision
If you lose and the gap is large, you can appeal to binding arbitration for a deposit of a few hundred dollars, or to district court. For most homesteads the arithmetic does not justify it. Protest again next year; a flat market is the best time. And make sure the homestead exemption is on file, because it is worth more than most protests.
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Want the comparable sales?
Text the address and we send the closed sales that match your home, free. Use them for the protest or to find out what the house is actually worth.
See also: Dallas County property tax, Collin County, Rockwall County, appraised value vs market value.