The Texas property tax cycle runs the full year. Most homeowners only think about it in April when the Notice of Appraised Value lands and again in October when the bill arrives — but the dates between those two moments determine whether a protest succeeds and whether you pay too much. Here's the full calendar for the 2026 tax year.
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January 1 — assessment lien date. Texas TaxTax Code §23.01 fixes value as of January 1 each year. Whatever condition your property is in on that date is the condition the appraisal district is supposed to value. If you finished a major renovation on January 2, the post-renovation value doesn't apply until next year. Appraisal districts begin their mass-appraisal valuation process now, working neighborhood by neighborhood.
January 31 — last year's tax payment due. 2025 taxes (i.e., the bills that landed in October) come due. Penalties and interest start accruing February 1. If you have an escrow account through your mortgage, your servicer handles this — but check your statement so you know it actually happened.
Quiet period. Appraisal districts are deep in mass-appraisal model runs and aren't taking protests yet. This is the right time to: file a homestead exemption if you bought a property in 2025 or recently turned 65, gather any condition documentation you'll want to use later (photos of foundation issues, roof estimates, contractor quotes), and review last year's NOAV to see where your appraised value started.
For exemptions, file Comptroller Form 50-114 with your CAD any time during the year you qualify — the legislature relaxed the deadline in 2022 — but applying early ensures the exemption appears on this year's NOAV.
Late April — Notice of Appraised Value mailed. Most CADs mail the NOAV between April 15 and May 1. The notice lists this year's appraised value, last year's appraised value, the assessed (capped) value if you have a homestead exemption, and the deadline by which you must file a protest. The mailing date printed on the notice is what triggers the 30-day extension to the May 15 deadline (Tax Code §41.44) — not the postmark, not the day you received it.
April 30 — exemption filing deadline (statutory, but soft). Tax Code §11.43 sets April 30 as the deadline to file most exemption applications, but Tax Code §11.431 lets you file a late residence-homestead exemption for up to two years' retroactive coverage. For other exemptions (over-65, disabled, disabled-veteran), file by April 30 or risk losing a year of relief.
May 15 (or 30 days after NOAV mailed) — protest deadline. The single most important date on the calendar. Texas Tax Code §41.44 sets the protest deadline at May 15 of the tax year OR 30 days after your NOAV was mailed, whichever is later. Two homeowners in the same county may have different deadlines. If May 15 falls on a weekend or state holiday, the deadline rolls to the next business day. Miss it and you generally lose the right to protest for the year. More on the deadline rule.
Late May through July — informal reviews. Once your protest is filed, the appraisal district schedules an informal review with a CAD appraiser, who looks at your evidence and often offers a settlement. Most successful protests are settled here without ever reaching the formal ARB hearing. If the offer is fair, sign and you're done. If not, escalate.
Formal ARB hearings. The Appraisal Review Board hears protests that didn't settle informally. Each panel is three private Texas citizens (independent of the CAD per Tax Code §6.41) who hear both sides for 5-7 minutes each, then rule and issue a written Final Order of Determination. Bring evidence, not feelings. The panel rules on what's in front of them; emotional appeals don't move the needle.
July 25 — appraisal roll certification. Most appraisal districts certify the appraisal roll by the July 25 deadline (the chief appraiser sends the certified values to each taxing entity so they can start setting rates). After certification, late protests are limited and require statutory grounds — usually a §25.25(d) motion claiming the value exceeds market by more than 25% (or 33% for non-homestead).
August — taxing entities adopt rates. School districts, cities, counties, and special districts hold public hearings and adopt their 2026 tax rates. Watch for the "no-new-revenue rate" published by each entity — that's the rate that would generate the same revenue as last year. Adopted rates above the 3.5% voter-approval rate (Senate Bill 2, 2019) automatically trigger a November election to ratify or roll back.
Tax bills mailed. County tax assessor- collectors typically mail bills in October. If you escrow through your mortgage, your lender pays the bill on your behalf and your monthly payment may adjust. If you pay directly, the next big date is January 31 of the following year.
Post-protest options if you're still unhappy. If the ARB ruled against you and you believe there's still room for a reduction, Texas Tax Code provides three escalation paths with different cost / formality / value-limit tradeoffs:
| Path | Statute | Deadline | Value limit | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Informal review | CAD policy (pre-§41) | Same as protest deadline | None | Free |
| ARB hearing | Texas Tax Code §41 | Set by ARB after protest filed | None | Free |
| Binding arbitration | Texas Tax Code §41A | 60 days after ARB order | Homestead: none. Non-homestead: ≤ $5M | $450–$1,550 deposit, refunded if you win |
| District court | Texas Tax Code Chapter 42 | 60 days after ARB order | None | Filing fee + attorney fees (typically $5k+) |
Most residential homeowners stop at the ARB hearing. Binding arbitration is the next step up if you can document a clearly stronger case than the ARB credited — the arbitrator's award is final and not appealable. District court is rare for residential cases because the attorney-fee cost exceeds the realistic tax savings in most scenarios.
Property tax election day (when triggered). If any taxing entity adopted a rate above the 3.5% voter- approval threshold, voters in that jurisdiction get to decide on the November ballot whether to ratify the higher rate or roll it back to 3.5%. Constitutional amendments affecting property taxes (the 2025 Proposition 13 raising the homestead exemption to $140,000 was the most recent example) also typically appear on the November ballot.
December — early-payment discount window. Some Texas taxing entities offer a small discount (1-3%) for paying in October or November rather than waiting until January. Check your bill for the discount schedule; it's usually printed on the back.
January 1 is the next assessment lien date — the appraisal district is already starting next year's mass-appraisal process before you've finished paying this year's bill. January 31 is the payment deadline for the current bill. If you're going to protest in 2027, the condition documentation and comparable-sales research you start now will be far more useful than anything you scramble for in May.
The statistics on this page are best-effort aggregates compiled from public county appraisal-district records as of the data extract date noted above. We update them periodically; we cannot guarantee they reflect the most recent appraisal-roll certifications, post-extract value changes, or supplemental records.
Always verify deadlines, portal availability, and contact details with your county's central appraisal district before filing — the links to each county's official site are provided above.
The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes only. It is not property-tax advice, legal advice, or financial advice. Property tax law and appraisal-district procedures change; for guidance specific to your situation you should consult a qualified professional.
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