Fort Bend County Appraisal District’s property tax protest deadline is May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal district mails the notice of 2020 assessed value. Fort Bend County Appraisal District reports they mailed notices of assessed value on April 11, 2020 and April 18, 2020. All Fort Bend County property tax protests are due by May 15th.
The protest deadline is the same whether you are protesting or hiring a property tax consultant to protest for you. The protest is your opportunity to review and correct the computer-generated estimate of value from Fort Bend County Appraisal District.
2020 notices of assessed value are available on Fort Bend County Appraisal District’s website on April 25, 2020. Fort Bend County property owners are strongly encouraged to file a protest NOW or at least prior to the May 15th protest deadline. However, if Fort Bend County Appraisal District does not send you a notice, or it gets lost in the mail, you lose your right to appeal unless you have filed a protest by May 15th. No exceptions; Covid-19 or not.
Property tax protests by May 15th are relevant for all types of Fort Bend County property: residential, commercial and business personal property.
Fort Bend County Appraisal District advises:
Once a property owner has filed a protest, they are provided an opportunity to meet informally with an FBCAD Appraiser.
Traditionally this process was handled through the online protest process or face-to-face in the appraisal district office.
Due to restrictions and health concerns related to COVID-19, face-to-face informal meetings may not be offered. “In an effort to protect our community and team, FBCAD is implementing phone and e-mail informal meetings,” Fort Bend County Chief Appraiser Wise said.
Your best option in Fort Bend County is to protest each year, for each property, prior to May 15th. This applies to all types of property. If the Fort Bend County Appraisal District does not send a notice of assessed value to you, the deadline is May 15th. Do not wait to receive a notice of assessed value from Fort Bend County Appraisal District; you lose your rights to protest if you delay and the appraisal district does not send a notice of assessed value.
FREE Fort Bend County Appraisal District Hearing Evidence Package: this valuable package has information on your property and includes any information the appraisal district may use at the property tax protest hearing. YOU MUST FILE A PROPERTY TAX PROTEST TO OBTAIN THE FREE HEARING EVIDENCE PACKAGE. There are no exceptions.
The Hearing Evidence Package includes information on the size, quality and condition of your property (as recorded by Fort Bend County Appraisal District), comparable sales and an unequal appraisal analysis.
The Hearing Evidence Package routinely includes information supporting a reduction in your property taxes, and it is FREE. That is correct; the invaluable Hearing Evidence Package is FREE upon request. However, to receive it you must: 1) timely file a protest and 2) ask the Fort Bend County Appraisal District to provide it to you.
How to File a Fort Bend County Appraisal District Protest
File a protest based on: 1) value over market value (41.41 a1), 2) unequal appraisal (41.41 a2) and 3) any other actions of the appraisal district or appraisal review board that apply to and negatively affect the property owner (41.41 a9). Also include a copy of your request for the FREE Hearing Evidence Package with your request. At a minimum, protest market value and unequal appraisal and request the free hearing evidence package by May 15th. About 60 to 70% of property tax protests by owners and property tax consultants are successful.
The protest must be mailed by May 15th to be timely or filed on the appraisal district’s website by May 15th. Fort Bend County Appraisal District’s mailing address is: 2801 B.F. Terry Blvd., Rosenberg, Texas 77471.
Why Protest Fort Bend Property Taxes Annually?
The linked page contains over 20 reasons for Fort Bend County owners to protest annually, starting with:
Appealing property taxes annually is one of the responsibilities of Fort Bend County property owners. Property taxes are a large and growing expense. Like an untended garden, property taxes grow out of control if not reviewed and maintained. An annual property tax appeal is like lawn care, annual HVAC check, cleaning the gutters or changing the oil in your car. You can neglect these tasks, but the total cost will be higher if you do.
Fort Bend County Appraisal District uses computers to generate estimates of market value for hundreds of thousands of properties. These computer-generated estimates of value are the basis for assessing property taxes in Fort Bend County for the county, city, school districts and other tax entities.
Like any analysis prepared by a computer, GIGO (garbage in; garbage out). The quality of the computer-estimated property tax value depends on the accuracy of information on your property, factors for cost and depreciation and the model.
See how much tax revenue Fort Bend County Appraisal District supported.
Additional information on Fort Bend County Appraisal District
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