Property Taxes                     Americans love to hate property taxes although local governments depend upon this levy to provide key services and programs to local residents.  Discover what property taxes are used for, how to appeal property taxes/tax rates and how property taxes impact property value below.

GO TO OUR PROTEST PAGE  OR YOUTUBE FOR EACH VIDEO ON FILING PROTEST AND OUR EXPERIENCE AT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT THIS YEAR.

Video below is from Travis County, again information applies to most of us.
The video below is from Carrollton but the information applies to most of us.

 

Your questions answered:

Why do we have property taxes in Texas?
Since Texas doesn't have a state income or property tax it's not the Comptroller's office that collects the property tax or set tax rates it's the local taxing units, which use. Property taxes are local taxes that provide the largest source of money local governments use to pay for schools, streets, roads, police, fire protection and many other services. 

How does Collin County tax rates compare to other states? See map here.

 Who collects the property taxes?

It is the duty of the Tax Assessor-Collector to assess and collect for the County all taxes imposed on property within the county and distributes the funds to the local taxing units 

 When are taxes due?

Property Tax Statements are mailed out in October, and are due upon receipt.

To avoid penalties pay your taxes by January 31. More information from Collin County here.

 Where do I pay?

Tax Payers can pay online with an eCheck, or a Credit/Debit Card by visiting Certified Payments.  You can still choose to mail in your taxes in the envelope provided with your statement.You may also review property information by visiting the Collin County Appraisal District or view the recent tax statement by using the Tax Account Lookup feature.View tax rates for cities and schools in Collin County. (other counties at end of page)

What are the two main tax exemptions I can apply for?

Homestead Exemption: 
New Home Owner  as of 2022 you do not need to wait to file for your homestead exemption, it's free and saves you money on your property tax bill at the end of the year.     
File Homestead Exemption Online (all counties sites listed here)   http://www.collincad.org/downloads/viewdownload/13-residential-exemptions/54-residential-homestead-exemption-application

Over 65:
You may apply at any time during the year of your 65th birth date. You would receive the exemption for the full year. Remember Your local appraisal district will require proof of age to grant an over 65 exemption.T he amount of the exemptions that are granted by each taxing unit is subtracted from the market value of your residence and the taxes are calculated on that “lower value”. In addition, when you turn 65, you may receive a tax ceiling for your total school taxes; that is, the school taxes on you residence cannot increase as long as you own and live in that home. The ceiling is set at the amount you pay in the year that you qualify for the aged 65 or older exemption.

For many senior homeowners, rising property taxes can be a threat to their financial stability, even though their mortgages may be paid off.The Texas Tax Code, Section 33.06, allows taxpayers 65 years of age or older to defer their property taxes until their estates are settled after death. You can contact the Comptroller of Public Accounts and your county tax assessor/collector's office for information about property tax deferment and exemptions on homesteads for elderly homeowners.
Should you defer? Click here for a good article from Super Lawyers. Speak to a qualified Texas tax attorney regarding the ramifications of the deferment.
The tax deferment, like a homestead exemption, is available to qualified homeowners free of charge. You don't need to pay anyone to help you get these tax breaks. And if there is any question of your owing delinquent taxes, don't take anyone's word for it other than your local tax assessor/collector. Go directly to your tax office, and also be aware that a wealth of information is available on the Comptroller's website.

Exemption forms can be found here:

• Dallas County Exemption Forms
• Denton County Exemption Forms
• Collin County Exemption Forms

 

2023 Collin County changes here

2023 School Tax Freeze Ceiling Reduction

What is my tax based on?
Tax is based on the value of the property. For example the property tax on land valued at $10,000 will be ten times higher than land valued at $1,000.

What are the rates and  exemptions? 
Exemptions https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/exemptions/index.php   

Click here to view this years plus previous years tax rates and exemptions.  http://www.collincad.org/ccad/reports/rates_exemptions.php

Ad valorem taxes are paid at the end of the year in which they are due (they can be paid as early as October 1 or as late as January 31 of the next calendar year without penalty in most Texas counties), any closing taking place before October 1 will generally show a charge to the seller from January 1 to the closing date and a credit to the buyer for the same period. Unless negotiated otherwise, this allows the seller to pay taxes for the time that he or she actually had ownership, use and enjoyment of the property. Around October 1, tax notices will be sent to the new owners for the year. They will be expected to pay taxes (usually through their mortgage company escrow account) for the full year. Taking into account the credit that they received at closing, the new owners actually pay taxes only for the time during which they had ownership, use and enjoyment of the property. Title companies use the best information available when prorating taxes prior to October 1 (when official figures are released by the tax authorities). This best-available information is usually the tax amount paid for the prior year continue reading

Where's my e-file number?   If it's blue look in the top right corner for your e-file pin this will allow you to protest online. Otherwise, you'll need to either mail or file in person.

How is my property appraised? Click here for Texas Comptroller explanation

Where is my county spending that money?  In 2019, the Texas Legislature passed legislation to help Texans better understand tax rates in their home county. You can access timely information about how local tax rate decisions affect your tax bill on your county’s Truth in Taxation website. Find your county's website here https://www.texas.gov/living-in-texas/property-tax-directory/

Click link below to go to our Protest page 

How Do I Get Comparable Homes? If you have been receiving our Your Neighborhood yearly updates you will already have all the sold comparable prices you need to protest.
If you haven't enrolled click here then contact Alicia to get last year's sold comparable homes sent to you!  Some neighborhoods we are very active in are listed every year on their home page (clck Your Neighborhood top of this page then Neighborhood Information).

 
EVERYONE should at least do an initial filing every year to protest taxes if they feel they are too high AND write to officials or attend hearing to discuss the tax rate and budget.

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              FIND OUT MORE ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES INCLUDING HOW TO LOWER AND PROTEST VALUE
                           
   

          Deadline is 30 days after you recieved your property tax value.  

     

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TAX RATES 
(click below to see current year and your city)

In case you'd like to compare previous years....
Has the percentage used changed over the years see below and Collin county since 2005?