Appeal guide · Texas
How to appeal a commercial assessment in Travis County
8 steps from the notice to the Travis Appraisal Review Board (TARB) and beyond, with the forms, exchange deadlines and mistakes that decide commercial cases here.
Deadline
May 15 or the 30th day after the Notice of Appraised Value is mailed, whichever is later (Tex. Tax Code §41.44(a)(1))
Where to file
TCAD online portal (traviscad.org/portal), using the owner ID and PIN printed on the Notice of Appraised Value
Statute
Tex. Tax Code §41.41 and §41.44 (protest); §42.21 (district court); Chapter 41A (binding arbitration)
The process, in order
Three-member TARB panels by default, or a single-member panel if requested in writing by the 10th day before the hearing (Tax Code §41.45(b-4)). Hearings are held in person at TCAD's 850 East Anderson Lane office, by telephone, by videoconference through the portal, or on affidavit. The target is about 15 minutes per property, split equally between owner and TCAD and including deliberation. Agent dockets are scheduled date- and time-specific, about 300 properties a week, and owners may request a special panel for a complex property under §41.66(k-1). The Final Order arrives by certified mail, email or the portal.
Forms you will need
- +Form 50-132, Property Owner's Notice of Protest (or an online protest in the TCAD portal)
- +Form 50-162, Appointment of Agent for Property Tax Matters
- +Property Owner's Affidavit of Evidence to the TARB (or Property Owner's Unsworn Declaration)
- +Form AP-219, Request for Binding Arbitration
- 1
Late March to April, when notices mail
Review the notice and the account
Confirm improvement area, land size, class, year built and the prior year value in TCAD's records, and note the owner ID and PIN printed on the notice for portal access.
- 2
Before filing
File the agent appointment
File Form 50-162 with TCAD so notices, settlement offers and hearing letters route to the consultant.
- 3
By May 15 or 30 days after the notice is mailed, whichever is later
File the protest in the portal
Protest market value and unequal appraisal, choose the hearing type, and upload the income analysis, rent roll, operating statements and comparables.
- 4
From early April (April 6 in 2026)
Informal settlement with a TCAD appraiser
Review TCAD's value support with the appraiser and accept or decline the settlement offer in the portal. Close out negotiations before the ARB date.
- 5
At least 14 days before the hearing
Download TCAD's hearing evidence
Pull the district's evidence from the portal and rebut its rent, vacancy, expense and cap rate inputs directly. Request a single-member panel or remote hearing in writing at least 10 days out if needed.
- 6
Hearings generally run June through August
Present to the TARB
Bring the required evidence sets or upload in advance, keep the case inside the 15-minute window, and state an opinion of value for each issue.
- 7
Within 30 days after the full TARB approves the panel's determination
Receive the Final Order
The order arrives by certified mail, email or the portal, and its receipt starts the appeal clocks.
- 8
30 days for a SOAH notice; 60 days for arbitration or district court
Arbitrate, go to SOAH or sue
File Form AP-219 with the Comptroller, file a SOAH notice with the chief appraiser, or petition district court and pay the undisputed taxes before the delinquency date.
Mistakes that lose Travis County appeals
- Asking for a telephone or video hearing without filing the affidavit or unsworn declaration, which leaves the panel nothing to consider.
- Arriving with a laptop presentation and no copies the TARB can keep for the record.
- Basing the income approach on asking rents when Austin office leases carry heavy free rent and improvement allowances.
- Negotiating with TCAD on the hearing day; the TARB will not pause a docket, and incomplete protests are dismissed after the carryover window.
- Ignoring TCAD's portal evidence until the hearing instead of rebutting its specific assumptions.
Evidence rules
- 1.TCAD publishes the evidence it intends to use to the owner's or agent's portal account at least 14 days before the formal hearing.
- 2.Paper evidence comes in sets: three for a three-member panel (one for a single-member panel), one for TCAD staff, and one to keep. Electronic evidence is accepted in Word, Excel, JPG, PNG or PDF on a USB drive that stays with the TARB, or uploaded to the portal before the hearing.
- 3.A presentation shown on a phone or laptop is not considered unless a copy is left for the record.
- 4.For a telephone or videoconference hearing, the request must be made in writing at least 10 days before the hearing when an agent is involved (5 days for an unrepresented owner), and the evidence must arrive by notarized affidavit or unsworn declaration.
- 5.Proprietary operating data can be heard in a closed hearing on a joint motion of the owner and chief appraiser; operating statements given to TCAD are confidential under Tax Code §22.27.
Frequently asked
What is the protest deadline in Travis County?
May 15 or 30 days after TCAD mails the Notice of Appraised Value, whichever is later. A protest filed in the TCAD portal is confirmed immediately.
How long is a Travis ARB hearing?
About 15 minutes per property, including both presentations, panel questions, deliberation and the decision, with the time split equally between the owner and TCAD.
Can a commercial owner appear by video?
Yes. The TARB hears protests in person, by affidavit, by telephone or by videoconference. A remote hearing must be requested in writing (10 days ahead when an agent is involved) and the evidence must be submitted by affidavit or unsworn declaration.
When does TCAD release its evidence?
TCAD posts the evidence it plans to use to the portal at least 14 days before the formal hearing.
File a stronger Travis County appeal this cycle.
ATALI ELECTRIC builds the income, sales and uniformity exhibits, fills the county forms and tracks every deadline.