Appeal guide · Texas
How to appeal a commercial assessment in Tarrant County
7 steps from the notice to the Tarrant 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 delivered, whichever is later (Tex. Tax Code §41.44(a)(1))
Where to file
TAD online Dashboard for electronic protest and value negotiation, or protest by mail or in person
Statute
Tex. Tax Code §41.41 and §41.44 (protest); Chapter 42 (judicial review)
The process, in order
Informal settlement talks happen with TAD's appraisal staff, not the ARB, and TARB does not schedule informal meetings. Formal hearings are held by panels of at least three members (or a single member on request), generally Monday through Saturday during protest season. Agents can ask under §41.66(j), at least 10 days ahead, for same-day hearings on up to 20 properties. Because Tarrant County exceeds the population threshold in §6.41(b-2), owners of commercial, industrial, utility and multifamily accounts at or above the Comptroller's indexed minimum ($50 million for 2020) can request a special panel under §6.425.
Forms you will need
- +Form 50-132, Property Owner's Notice of Protest
- +Form 50-162, Appointment of Agent for Property Tax Matters
- +Form 50-283, Property Owner's Affidavit of Evidence
- 1
April to May, when notices are delivered
Review the notice and TAD records
Check building area, class, year built and land size in TAD's records, and compare the new appraised value with the prior year and the circuit breaker cap where it applies.
- 2
Before filing, if a consultant handles the protest
Appoint the agent
File Form 50-162 so TAD sends notices, evidence and settlement communications to the agent.
- 3
By May 15 or 30 days after notice delivery, whichever is later
File the protest
File through the TAD online Dashboard or on Form 50-132, selecting both incorrect market value and unequal appraisal.
- 4
As soon as the hearing notice arrives
Request TAD's hearing evidence
Ask for the data, schedules and formulas TAD will introduce under §41.461; anything not delivered at least 14 days before the hearing is excluded from TAD's case in chief.
- 5
Before the formal hearing
Informal negotiation with TAD
Present the normalized income analysis and the uniformity grid to TAD's commercial appraisers; a signed agreement ends the protest for the year.
- 6
Protest season, generally May through summer
Formal TARB hearing
Present to the panel in person, remotely with an affidavit, or by Form 50-283. Request a special panel or same-day scheduling in advance where it applies.
- 7
Within 60 days of receiving the ARB order; §42.08 payment before delinquency
Choose the next forum and protect it
File in district court or request binding arbitration with the Comptroller, or pursue SOAH for qualifying property, and pay the amount §42.08 requires before the delinquency date.
Mistakes that lose Tarrant County appeals
- Protesting on market value only and giving up the unequal appraisal argument, which district staff and the ARB will not consider if it is not on the notice.
- Assuming the residential reappraisal pause also froze commercial values.
- Skipping the §41.461 evidence request, which forfeits the chance to exclude TAD data delivered late.
- Appearing by phone or video without filing all evidence by affidavit.
- Filing in district court and then trying to request arbitration; a Chapter 42 appeal on value waives that route.
Evidence rules
- 1.Ask TAD for the evidence it intends to use at the hearing (§41.461); anything not provided at least 14 days before the hearing cannot be used except to rebut the owner's evidence (§41.67(d)).
- 2.TAD must prove the appraised value by a preponderance of the evidence (§41.43(a)), and the standard rises to clear and convincing evidence when the prior year's value was lowered in a protest not resolved by written agreement and the owner delivered income data or comparable sales at least 14 days before the hearing (§41.43(a-3)).
- 3.Owners and agents appearing by telephone or videoconference must give all evidence by affidavit, and must request the remote hearing in writing by the deadline in §41.45(b-1).
- 4.Income and expense information given to TAD is confidential under §22.27 and may be disclosed only to the owner, an authorized representative, or in a proceeding involving the owner.
Frequently asked
Did TAD stop reappraising commercial property?
No. The 2025-2026 reappraisal plan moved residential property to an odd-year cycle, but TAD mass reappraises commercial, industrial, mineral and business personal property in both 2025 and 2026.
What is the protest deadline in Tarrant County?
May 15 or the 30th day after the notice of appraised value is delivered, whichever is later, under §41.44(a)(1). Commercial notices that arrive later than residential notices carry a later deadline, which is printed on the notice.
Can a large commercial account get a specialized ARB panel?
Yes. Tarrant County meets the population test for special panels under §6.425, which hear commercial, industrial, utility and multifamily property at or above the Comptroller's indexed minimum value. Panel members must hold professional credentials.
File a stronger Tarrant County appeal this cycle.
ATALI ELECTRIC builds the income, sales and uniformity exhibits, fills the county forms and tracks every deadline.