Ellis County property taxes are protested with the Ellis Central Appraisal District. File by May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal district delivers your notice of appraised value, whichever is later. TaxDrop One is a self-guided evidence package at $129 per property per tax year, refunded if there is no reduction. TaxDrop Pro, our full-service option, is not currently offered in Ellis County.
✔ Free to file yourself - the district cannot charge a filing fee
✔ TaxDrop One - $129 per property per tax year, refunded if no reduction
✔ Licensed Texas consultants - review every TaxDrop One case
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Ellis County property taxes are protested with the Ellis Central Appraisal District. File by May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal district delivers your notice of appraised value, whichever is later. TaxDrop One is a self-guided evidence package at $129 per property per tax year, refunded if there is no reduction. TaxDrop Pro, our full-service option, is not currently offered in Ellis County.
✔ Free to file yourself - the district cannot charge a filing fee
✔ TaxDrop One - $129 per property per tax year, refunded if no reduction
✔ Licensed Texas consultants - review every TaxDrop One case
To protest your property taxes in Ellis County, file a notice of protest with the Ellis Central Appraisal District (Ellis CAD) by the deadline: May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal district delivers your notice of appraised value, whichever is later. You can do it yourself for free, hire a protest company, or use TaxDrop. TaxDrop One is a self-guided evidence package at $129 per property per tax year, refunded if there is no reduction. TaxDrop Pro, our full-service option, is not currently offered in Ellis County.
This page covers the Ellis County deadline, how the process works, what evidence counts, what each option costs and where to file. Facts about Texas protest rules come from the Texas Comptroller and the Texas Tax Code, and district details come from the Comptroller's county directory and Ellis CAD's own site. We checked them on September 30, 2026.
The Comptroller says the deadline to protest is, in most cases, May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal district delivers your notice of appraised value, whichever is later (Tax Code §41.44). Read the date on your notice rather than relying on a calendar. If the last day falls on a weekend, the deadline moves to the next business day (Tax Code §1.06), which matters in 2027 because May 15 is a Saturday. Confirm the exact date with Ellis CAD when your notice arrives.
Late protests are possible only for narrow reasons, such as good cause shown before the ARB approves the appraisal records, so do not plan around them. See our Texas protest deadline guide.
The Comptroller's protest page explains each stage and the forms.
Ellis CAD accepts protests online with the account number and e-file PIN printed on your notice of appraised value. The mailing address is P.O. Box 878, Waxahachie, TX 75168. Note that the district is at 400 Ferris Ave. in Waxahachie, not in Red Oak. The Comptroller's Ellis County directory listing shows the current district contact details.
A property owner can protest the value of the property, unequal appraisal, and the denial of an exemption, among other matters (Tax Code §41.41). The ARB decides on evidence, and the Comptroller notes the board cannot take your personal economic situation into account, and a protest must be about value, not the size of the tax bill. Bring recent sales of similar homes in your subdivision, equity comparisons with similarly valued properties, and photos and estimates for anything that lowers your home's market value, such as foundation or roof problems.
One limit to know: if your homestead is already under the 10% appraisal cap (Tax Code §23.23), a lower market value may not change your taxable value this year. See the 10% homestead cap explained and the Comptroller's valuation page.
| Option | Fee | Who does the work |
|---|---|---|
| File it yourself | Free | You file, gather evidence and present at informal review or the ARB |
| TaxDrop One | $129 per property per tax year, refunded if there is no reduction | You file and present using TaxDrop's pre-filled forms, sales and assessment data, and negotiation and hearing scripts; a tax consultant reviews your case. Enter your address to confirm it covers your property |
| Other protest companies | Varies by firm; many charge a percentage of tax savings | Check each firm's own terms and whether it serves Ellis County; we compare them on our property tax protest companies page |
TaxDrop Pro, our full-service option at 1% of the assessment reduction, currently covers Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Travis, Collin, Denton, Fort Bend, Williamson, Montgomery, Brazoria, Galveston, Hays, Comal, El Paso, Grayson and McLennan. Ellis County is not on that list, so in Ellis County the choices are filing yourself, TaxDrop One, or another firm that serves the county.
Texas property tax consultants are licensed and regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). You can look up any firm on tdlr.texas.gov before you sign an agent authorization. Full pricing is on the TaxDrop pricing page.
Here is an illustration with stated assumptions, not a prediction. Say a protest lowers your value by $30,000. At the county's median effective tax rate of 1.46% (U.S. Census Bureau data; your actual rate depends on your taxing units), that is about $438 in tax savings for the year.
A percentage-of-savings firm would take its share of the $438 instead, so the comparison depends on the size of your win. A flat fee is relatively cheaper the bigger the reduction.
According to U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data, compiled in the TaxDrop data center, Ellis County homeowners pay a median property tax of $4,472 on a median home value of $306,400, an effective rate of 1.46%. These are survey medians, not Ellis CAD figures, and your own bill depends on your value, exemptions and taxing units.
TaxDrop serves property owners across Ellis County, including Waxahachie, Midlothian, Red Oak, Ennis and Ovilla.
Step 1: Read your notice.
Find the protest deadline and your market and appraised values.
Step 2: File a notice of protest.
File with Ellis CAD before the deadline, online or on Form 50-132.
Step 3: Build your evidence.
Gather comparable sales, equity comparisons and condition documentation.
Step 4: Informal review.
Meet or exchange evidence with a district appraiser; many protests settle here.
Step 5: ARB hearing.
If you do not settle, present to the Appraisal Review Board. You get at least 15 days' notice.
Step 6: Decision.
The ARB issues a written order. You can appeal to district court within 60 days of receiving it.
Filing deadline:
What to bring:
Where to file:
Ellis Central Appraisal District
400 Ferris Ave., Waxahachie, TX 75165
Phone: 972-937-3552
elliscad.org
Official resources:
The deadline is generally May 15, or 30 days after Ellis CAD delivers your notice of appraised value, whichever is later, according to the Texas Comptroller and Tax Code §41.44. If that day is a weekend, it moves to the next business day. Check the date on your own notice.
There is no single best company for every owner, because the right choice depends on how much you expect to save and how much of the work you want to do. Filing yourself is free. Percentage-of-savings firms charge a share of what you save. TaxDrop One is a flat $129 per property per tax year, refunded if there is no reduction. Check each firm's own terms, confirm it serves Ellis County, and verify its license with TDLR. Our property tax protest companies page compares the Texas options.
It varies by firm. TaxDrop One is $129 per property per tax year, refunded if there is no reduction. TaxDrop Pro is not currently offered in Ellis County. Other companies set their own fees, often a percentage of tax savings. Ellis CAD cannot charge you to file a protest.
Not currently. TaxDrop Pro covers Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Travis, Collin, Denton, Fort Bend, Williamson, Montgomery, Brazoria, Galveston, Hays, Comal, El Paso, Grayson and McLennan. TaxDrop One is offered in 43 Texas counties; enter your address to confirm it covers your property.
Yes. Any owner can file a notice of protest with the appraisal district for free and present at informal review or the ARB. The work is gathering comparable sales and equity evidence, filing on time and making your case.
File with the Ellis Central Appraisal District, 400 Ferris Ave., Waxahachie, TX 75165, phone 972-937-3552, website elliscad.org. The protest goes to the appraisal district, not the county tax office.
The Appraisal Review Board hears your evidence and the district's evidence and issues an order. You must receive at least 15 days' notice of the hearing. If you disagree with the order, you can appeal to district court within 60 days, and some properties can request binding arbitration.
Not necessarily. The 10% homestead cap limits how much your appraised value can rise each year. If your capped value is already below your market value, a lower market value may not change your taxable value this year.
Yes. Owners of rentals and other non-homestead property can protest value and unequal appraisal. The homestead cap does not apply to them, but non-homestead property valued at or under $5.32 million in 2026 can have a separate 20% limit on yearly value increases, called the circuit breaker, which the Comptroller says expires December 31, 2026.