Key Texas Property Tax Deadlines Every Homeowner Should Know

Texas property taxes run on a yearly loop. The district values your home, you get a chance to argue, local governments set rates, and a bill shows up in the fall. Miss the wrong date and you either pay a penalty or wait a full year for another shot.

The good news is that most of what matters to a homeowner fits in four dates. The rest of the year mostly fills in around them.

What are the most important property tax dates in Texas?

If you only remember four, make it these. January 1 is the date your home is valued. January 31 is the last day to pay last year's taxes without penalty. April 30 is the deadline to apply for a homestead exemption. May 15, or 30 days after your appraisal notice is mailed if that's later, is the deadline to protest.

Put them on the fridge. Seriously.

When is the deadline to protest property taxes in Texas?

Texas Tax Code §41.44 sets it: May 15, or 30 days after your notice was mailed, whichever is later. The exact date is printed on your notice. If it falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, Tax Code §1.06 pushes it to the next business day.

Missed it? You aren't always out of luck. Under §41.44(b), the Appraisal Review Board can accept a late protest if you show good cause, as long as you file before the board approves the year's appraisal records. That usually happens by July 20, though districts in the largest counties can push it as late as August 30. "Good cause" is the board's call, though, so don't plan around it.

Once you've filed, hearings typically run from late spring into summer. You can ask for a phone or video hearing instead of going in person. Since a 2025 change to Tax Code §41.45, your written request is due at least 5 days before the hearing (10 days if you've hired an agent).

When do I have to apply for a homestead exemption?

The standard deadline is April 30, under Tax Code §11.43(d). That's the date that shows up on most appraisal district websites, and it's the one to aim for.

It's also more forgiving than it looks. Tax Code §11.431 lets you file a late homestead application up to two years after the date the taxes for that year became delinquent. If you bought after January 1 and the seller didn't have the exemption that year, apply before the first anniversary of your purchase. And if you turn 65, the over-65 exemption covers that entire year, as long as you apply within one year of your birthday.

What happens over the summer and fall?

The quiet months aren't totally quiet. By July 20 (as late as August 30 in some of the largest counties), the Appraisal Review Board has to approve the appraisal records (Tax Code §41.12). By July 25, the chief appraiser certifies the appraisal roll to each taxing unit, with properties still under protest listed separately (§26.01). Then cities, counties and school districts start proposing tax rates.

Rates have to be adopted by September 30 or within 60 days of receiving the certified values, whichever is later (§26.05). While that's happening, your county's property tax database (find it through Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes) shows the proposed rates and what your bill would look like at each one. If a rate hearing is going to make you mad, this is when to show up and be mad in person.

If you lost at your ARB hearing, the clock is running here too. You have 60 days after you receive the board's written order to request binding arbitration (§41A.03) or to appeal to district court (§42.21).

Tax bills go out by October 1 or as soon as practicable after that, under Tax Code §31.01.

When are Texas property taxes due?

They're due when you get the bill and become delinquent if they aren't paid before February 1, under Tax Code §31.02. In plain English: pay by January 31, or the next business day when that falls on a weekend or holiday (it's a Sunday in 2027). Penalties and interest start after that.

Homeowners with the over-65 or disability exemption on their homestead, and disabled veterans (or their unmarried surviving spouses) with a disabled-veteran exemption, have another option. Tax Code §31.031 lets you split the bill into four equal payments with no penalty or interest. The first one is due before February 1, and the rest are due before April 1, June 1 and August 1. You do have to let the tax office know you're using the installment plan when you make that first payment.

Two caveats. Deadlines shift: holidays move them, and a notice that's mailed late changes the 30-day math, so your notice and your appraisal district's website have the final word. And our free tool, which compares your appraisal to similar nearby homes, can tell you whether you have a case and build your evidence, but it can't file for you or watch the calendar. That part's yours. Our Texas protest guide links to each county we cover.

Quick answers

What is the deadline to protest property taxes in Texas? May 15, or 30 days after your Notice of Appraised Value is mailed, whichever is later. If the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day.

When is the homestead exemption deadline in Texas? The standard deadline is April 30. Texas Tax Code §11.431 also allows a late homestead application up to two years after the delinquency date for that tax year.

When are property taxes due in Texas? Property taxes become delinquent if they aren't paid before February 1, so the last day to pay without penalty is January 31, or the next business day if January 31 falls on a weekend or holiday.

Can seniors pay Texas property taxes in installments? Yes. Homeowners with the over-65 or disability exemption on their homestead, and disabled veterans with a disabled-veteran exemption, can pay in four equal installments under Texas Tax Code §31.031, with the first payment due before February 1.