Tarrant County property tax protest timeline.

Start with the 2026 TAD notice

TAD announced that it mailed 2026 Notices of Appraised Value on April 17, 2026, and says property owners should review the new notice format carefully. The notice is the first timeline document because it shows the property value, account details, and protest deadline for that property.

For deadline timing, keep both official wordings in mind. TAD's 2026 article says May 15, 2026, or 30 days after the date the notice was delivered, and says the deadline is marked on the notice. The Texas Comptroller describes the usual rule as May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal district mails the notice, whichever is later.

• Save the notice, deadline line, account number, Owner ID, and E-FILE PIN.
• Compare the appraised value with the property facts TAD lists for the account.
• Do not assume every Tarrant property has the same deadline if the notice date or notice type differs.
• As of June 20, 2026, the general May 15 date has passed for many owners, so notice-specific or late-protest rules should be checked directly with official sources.

File through the official TAD paths

TAD's 2026 notice article recommends filing electronically through the dashboard, while also saying property owners may file by mail or in person. TAD's new portal page says property-owner features now available in the new portal include Submit Protest, limited online form submissions, and new property search.

TAD's protest procedures page also says owners can file online through a dashboard account or create an account. If you use a paper route, keep the submitted Notice of Protest, proof of mailing or delivery, and any confirmation you receive.

Use value negotiation or informal review carefully

TAD says it offers a value negotiation tool for residential taxpayers and that value negotiation remains on the legacy website. TAD also says if no agreement is reached, the owner is pushed to the new website to file a protest.

The Texas Comptroller says a property owner may request an informal conference with the appraisal district before the formal ARB hearing. Treat negotiation or informal review as a chance to resolve the issue, not as a reason to ignore the protest filing deadline.

Watch for the TARB hearing notice

If the protest is not resolved informally, the Tarrant Appraisal Review Board is the separate board that hears testimony and reviews evidence for property owner protests. TAD's procedures say the ARB sets the case for hearing and sends written notice of the time, date, place, and subject of the hearing when a written protest is filed before the deadline.

The Texas Comptroller says the ARB must send the hearing notice at least 15 days before the hearing, and that the appraisal district must send the taxpayer assistance pamphlet, adopted ARB hearing procedures, and information about requesting the appraisal district's evidence at least 14 days before the hearing.

Exchange and present evidence correctly

TAD's procedures say that before a protest hearing or immediately after the hearing begins, the owner or authorized representative and the appraisal district must provide each other copies of evidence intended for the ARB. The procedures also say evidence can be submitted in paper form or on a small portable electronic device that the ARB keeps, and warn not to bring evidence on a smart phone.

TAD's procedures also say a property owner may appear in person, by telephone conference, videoconference, or written affidavit, but must indicate the requested hearing type on the written protest by the 10th day before the hearing date and provide evidence and any written affidavit before the ARB hearing begins.

After the ARB order

TAD's procedures say that after the ARB decides the case, it sends a copy of the order by certified mail. The Texas Comptroller says that once the ARB rules, the owner receives a written order by email or certified mail, and if the ARB rules in the owner's favor, the chief appraiser notifies the taxing units.

Post-ARB options are deadline-sensitive and qualification-specific. TAD's procedures describe district court, regular binding arbitration, and SOAH as possible paths, with 60 days for district court petitions, 60 days for regular binding arbitration requests, and 30 days for SOAH appeals if the owner qualifies.

Payment reminders are separate

The protest timeline is not the same as the tax-bill payment timeline. The Tarrant County Tax Office important dates page says the current collection period begins October 1 and tax bills are mailed October 1 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The Tax Office says January 31 is the last day to pay taxes before delinquency and February 1 is when penalty and interest begin to accrue. Its payment information page says mailed payments must be postmarked by January 31, or by the half-payment or quarter-payment due date if eligible, to avoid penalty and interest.

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