How to protest your property taxes in Harris County

May is right around the corner and home appraisals have been sent out for many Harris County homeowners. As property taxes rise, it's a frequent topic of discussion on this sub of whether it's worth it to protest your property taxes at all, and how to do it if so.

Here's what to know if you want more details.

Protesting an appraisal isn't hard, but it can be confusing if it's your first time. Homeowners can file online, via phone, or in person, but you can also hire a firm to do the work for you.

The deadline to file a protest is May 15 or 30 days after the notice of appraised value was delivered to the property owner, whichever is later, according to the Texas Comptroller's website.

In Harris County, the easiest way to file a protest is through the Harris Central Appraisal District's iFile system at hcad.org/ifile. You must sign up for an owner account using your account number and iFile number, which is in the upper right corner of the property value notice sent by mail.

From there you can click on iFile a Protest, upload or view files, and even view an iSettle Offer, usually sent by the district a few weeks after the initial protest, lowering the appraised value.

If you don't accept, your case can go to an informal, virtual or in-person hearing. And if the parties still don't agree the case is then sent to an in-person formal hearing with the appraisal review board, consisting of three local citizens.

"Appraisal districts aren't going to get it right every time," Vice President at Advaloremtax.net Jenna Faulkner said. "That's why it's so important to protest to try to get your value reduced."