Protest your DCAD value with licensed Texas consultants, or file it yourself with a $129 packet.
β TaxDrop Pro - full service for 1% of the assessment reduction
β TaxDrop One - $129 per property, per tax year
β No reduction, no Pro fee
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Protest your DCAD value with licensed Texas consultants, or file it yourself with a $129 packet.
β TaxDrop Pro - full service for 1% of the assessment reduction
β TaxDrop One - $129 per property, per tax year
β No reduction, no Pro fee
A Dallas County property tax protest is a formal challenge to the value DCAD (Dallas Central Appraisal District) placed on your property as of January 1. You are not arguing that your tax bill is too high. You are showing that the appraised value is wrong, because it is above market value or above what comparable properties are appraised at.
The 2026 protest deadline for Dallas County was May 15, 2026 (or 30 days after DCAD mailed your Notice of Appraised Value, whichever was later). That window has closed. A late protest is only heard if the Appraisal Review Board (ARB) finds good cause, and only before it approves the appraisal records, so for tax year 2026 it is effectively over for most owners. Your 2026 tax bill is still due by January 31, 2027.
What you can do now is get ready for tax year 2027, which is when the next value notice arrives:
You do not need your full evidence packet on the day you file. You need to file on time and then build the case before the informal review or hearing.
DCAD and the ARB have adopted Standards of Documentation that list what to bring for residential property. Read them on dallascad.org under Forms before you build your packet.
Most protests are settled before a formal hearing. In Dallas County, DCAD staff handle informal reviews by phone or through uFile before your ARB hearing date, and they will reach out if your evidence supports a change. If you do not settle, your protest goes to a three-member ARB panel. The panel hears your evidence and the appraiser's, then issues a written order. You can attend in person, by telephone or videoconference, or file a written affidavit instead of appearing. Bring organized copies of your evidence, and keep it short and documented. Opinions without data rarely move the panel.
You can file a petition for review in state district court within 60 days of receiving the ARB's written order. Depending on the property, you may also be able to use State Office of Administrative Hearings review or binding arbitration. Talk to a qualified professional before choosing that route. For the rules, see the Texas Comptroller's protest guide.
TaxDrop Pro is full service: licensed Texas consultants file the protest, build the evidence, and represent you at the informal review and, if needed, the ARB hearing. The fee is 1% of the assessment reduction we win (a $50,000 reduction is a $500 fee) and nothing if we do not lower your value. TaxDrop One is the do-it-yourself filing packet: comparable evidence, a recommended value and the county forms for $129 per property per tax year. Dallas County is covered by both. TaxDrop Pro is available in 17 Texas counties and TaxDrop One in 43; we do not file in all 254.
Not sure which fits? Start with your estimate. The Texas property tax consultant page explains how we work statewide.
Actual 2026 outcomes from Dallas County properties we protested. Figures are the appraisal district's own recorded values; owner names and addresses are withheld.
Estimated savings apply each county's combined tax rate to the value reduction and are rounded down. Individual results vary.
Sign up and TaxDrop handles the paperwork, the evidence, and the filing. It takes less than 3 minutes to enroll.
Step 1: Read your notice
Find the value, your exemptions and the deadline printed on it.
Step 2: File your protest
File before the deadline. Filing is free and you do not need your full evidence yet.
Step 3: Build your evidence
Comparable sales, unequal appraisal comparables, photos, estimates and your opinion of value.
Step 4: Informal review
Settle with the appraisal district if the offer matches your evidence.
Step 5: ARB hearing
A three-member panel hears both sides if you do not settle.
Step 6: Order and your bill
A lower value flows into your tax bill, which is due by January 31.
2027 filing deadline:
What to have ready:
Where to file:
Dallas Central Appraisal District, 2949 N Stemmons Fwy, Dallas, TX 75247. Online: uFile at dallascad.org.
Official resources:
May 15, or 30 days after DCAD mailed your Notice of Appraised Value, whichever is later. If the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day. Use the date printed on your notice.
Source: dallascad.org, comptroller.texas.gov
DCAD's preferred method is uFile, its online protest and settlement system, which opens April 15 for residential and commercial property. You can also mail a written protest or deliver it to 2949 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75247. The ARB does not accept protests by fax or email.
Source: dallascad.org
DCAD staff do an informal review of your evidence and may offer a settlement through uFile or by phone. If you don't settle, the ARB hears your protest. If you disagree with the ARB's order, you can appeal to district court within 60 days of receiving it, or use binding arbitration or SOAH if your property qualifies.
Source: dallascad.org, comptroller.texas.gov
A residence homestead gets a $140,000 school district exemption. Owners 65 or older or disabled get an additional $60,000 school exemption, and other taxing units may offer local options. Apply with DCAD on Form 50-114; the general deadline is before May 1. An exemption is separate from a protest, and you can have both.
Source: comptroller.texas.gov
Yes. TaxDrop Pro is full service in Dallas County at 1% of the assessment reduction, and you pay only if we win. TaxDrop One is $129 per property per tax year, refunded if there's no reduction.