After the ARB: how to appeal your appraisal (DRAFT – not published)

In short

If you lose or partly lose your protest, you can appeal. You have three paths: district court, regular binding arbitration (RBA), or the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH). Deadlines are short and start when you get the ARB’s written order.¹ Pay the part of the tax you don’t dispute before it goes late.¹

The 30-second version

• District court: file within 60 days of getting the ARB order. Talk to a lawyer first.¹
• Binding arbitration: for any homestead, or property worth $5 million or less. Ask the Comptroller within 60 days.¹
• SOAH: only if the ARB value is over $1 million. File within 30 days; deposit due within 90 days.¹
• Keep paying: pay the undisputed tax before the delinquency date.¹

Compare the three paths

Path	Who can use it	Deadline after you get the ARB order	Notes
District court (Williamson County)	Anyone	Petition within 60 days1	Can be decided by judge, jury or arbitration. Lawyer advised.1
Regular binding arbitration (RBA)	Homesteads of any value; other property $5 million or less1	Request to Comptroller within 60 days1	An outside arbitrator decides. Deposit required, based on value.1
SOAH	ARB value over $1 million (not industrial)1	Notice within 30 days; $1,500 deposit within 90 days1	Decision is final; no further appeal.2

The average homestead in the county had a taxable value of about $410,000 in the 2025-26 budget, well under $1 million. So most homeowners choose between court and arbitration.³

Missed the protest deadline?

Some late fixes exist. For a homestead valued at least one-fourth too high, you can file a motion to correct. You must pay the undisputed tax before it goes late.¹ See how to protest your appraisal.

The other side (counterweight)

• For appeals: they keep the appraisal district honest, and arbitration is cheaper than court.
• Against: appeals cost time and deposits, and the district’s own costs for arbitrations and lawsuits are paid by local taxpayers.⁴

Questions to ask

• Where does the review board post its appeal deadlines after a hearing?
• What records does the appraisal district share with owners before an appeal?

What you can do next

• Mark the date you got your ARB order. Count 30 and 60 days.
• Read the Comptroller’s arbitration page before choosing.¹
• See the year at a glance: property tax calendar. New words: glossary.

Your property tax, step by step

1. Start: how your bill works → 2. Key dates → 3. Exemptions → 4. Protest your value → 5. Paying and getting help → 6. Appeals after the ARB → 7. Who does what → 8. Rate limits

Short reference pages: Where your tax bill goes · A 2026 bill, worked out · Estimated-tax website · Exemption checklist · Glossary

Changes to this page

• Nov. 2, 2026: We removed a claim about how most owners settle that no source on this page supports.
• Nov. 2, 2026: We re-checked every figure and date against our sources.
• Nov. 2, 2026: Rewrote the questions to ask so each is open, neutral and addressed to the public body.
• Nov. 2, 2026: Added questions to ask.

Footnotes

1. Texas Comptroller, “Appraisal Protests and Appeals” (district court petition within 60 days; RBA for homesteads or ≤$5 million, request within 60 days; SOAH over $1 million, notice within 30 days and $1,500 deposit within 90 days; pay undisputed taxes; motion to correct). https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/protests/ (saved copy, retrieved Nov 2026) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵

2. Texas Comptroller, “Property Tax Basics” (SOAH decisions final). saved copy, retrieved Nov 2026 ↩

3. Williamson County FY2025-26 adopted budget book (average homestead taxable value $410,249), https://www.wilcotx.gov/DocumentCenter/View/17712/FY26-GFOA-Final . Taxable value can be lower than market value. ↩

4. WCAD 2026 budget overview (consulting/professional services up, citing more binding arbitrations and lawsuits). saved copy ↩