Taxpayers for Equal Appraisal Access Information!
Taxation must be equal and uniform!

Property taxes must be equal and uniform.
Protesting taxes must be a fair and equitable process.
All property must be valued and taxed equally and uniformly.
If you live in the United States of America, and want to learn about Property Taxes, this is the site for you!

Welcome to Taxpayers for equal appraisal!
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Harris County Appraisal District
Taxpayers for equal appraisal.

Wherever you live, email us!

HCADTEA.ORG is a non-profit organization established to help you understand how to protest your property taxes, both real property and business property, so that you can save money.  In a perfect world, your property would be taxed fairly and uniformly.  We are here to help you understand how property taxes are set, both in Houston and Harris County, Texas, and, in fact, all over the taxed world. 

Also, we are here to help you know the facts about how the taxing authorities would like you to know very little about your rights as a taxpayer.

All property must be valued and taxed equally and uniformly.  This applies to similar types of property. Consider, for example, all residential homes!  This applies to different types of property.  Consider, for example, commercial properties and utility properties.  No single property should pay more than its fair share of taxes.  Are you paying more than is fair because you are over appraised or unequally appraised?

How do the main parts of the system work?

An appraisal district in each county sets the value of your property each year. An appraisal review board (known as "ARB") settles disagreements between you and the appraisal district. Learn and understand your court remedies after ARB (appraisal review board). You have the right to protest the valuation set on your property.  It is the valuation of your property that determines how much tax you pay.  Once you have protested the value of your property, and have it valued correctly, then your taxes will be lower. Your property taxes have increased over the past decade a lot. The reason is that prosperity has blinded people to the facts. You can access the current tax rates for all the Harris County and Houston area taxing authorities by visiting: Note: the page is very slow to load, so be patient: http://www.hcad.org/cgi-bin/Help/JurList.asp In 1984, the City of Houston tax rate on property was .30%. In 2006, the City of Houston tax rate on property was .645%. In 1984, the Houston Independent School District tax rate was 0.44%. In 2006, the Houston Independent School District tax rate was 1.4757.% In l984, the Houston Community College tax rate was .0138%. In 2006, the Houston Community College tax rate was .095175%. In 1984, the Harris County tax rate was .29%. In 2006, the Harris County tax rate was .40239%. ^^Top of Page

What is the taxpayer's role? You can play an effective role in the process..... if you know your rights, understand the remedies available to you, and fulfill your responsibilities. Paul Bettencourt, Harris County Tax Assessor Collector :  "If you don't complain, you will never know if your value is correct or not.  This property tax system is just like the voting system in Florida:  It's not perfect!"

Want your property taxes reduced? What can you do? Protest your appraisal like the taxpayers that Wayne Dolcefino, 13 undercover, reports about! Shara Fryer:  Are your neighbors paying less in taxes than you are? Dave Ward:  Well, they may be just because they complained while you didn't!  If you are tired of rising property taxes, then 13 undercover reporter Wayne Dolcefino may have a way to save you money. [Start of excerpt from the Hollywood movie, "Network"] I want all of you to get up from your chair and go to the window and put your head out and yell -- I'm as mad as h... and I am not going to take it any more. [End of excerpt from the movie, "Network"] Paul Bettencourt, Harris County Tax Assessor- Collector:  I think that people are getting close to being that mad! Wayne Dolcefino:  Are you that mad? First Taxpayer:  It's a bunch of c--p! Wayne Dolcefino:  Mad about raising property taxes? Second Taxpayer:  It is a mad scramble for everybody! Third Taxpayer:  I want my tax bill lowered! Wayne Dolcefino:  120,000 Harris County Homeowners were made enough this year to formally protest their tax bill. Paul Bettencourt, Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector:  If you don't complain, you will never know if your value is correct or not. Debbie Stone:  [Cypresswood resident]:  My son fell on his bicycle, thank God there was not a car -- because they would have run over him.  Nobody wants to live on a freeway.  And, now we have 60 mph traffic Wayne Dolcefino:  Debbie Stone and her neighbors all complain about speeding cars on Cypresswood.  Now, she is wondering if she is paying more taxes than she should be. Debbie Stone:  I'm sure if people watch you (on TV) tonight, they will be wondering if they are, too. (paying more taxes than they should be....) Wayne Dolcefino:  The value of her house is up 10 percent this year -- the maximum.  She did not protest.  her neighbor did, though, and got his value lowered $12,000.00. Debbie Stone:  How nice!  [laughter] Wayne Dolcefino:  Lower taxes in part because of the traffic on Cypresswood. Paul Bettencourt:  Does everybody who lives on Cypresswood know that?  No, they will, hopefully, after this (TV show) runs. Wayne Dolcefino:  Same street - different taxes! [Video changes scenes to Kingwood, Texas] Wayne Dolcefino:  Kingwood, the livable forest!  Let's drive down Lofty Maple (Street).  The appraised values went up 10 percent here to -- up to $20,000.00 more per house, except for this house.  It went down nearly $19,000.00 from what appraisers originally said.  Why?  The homeowner protested, claiming that houses in the neighborhood simply don't sell for as much as the Taxman claims.  He won!  Did his neighbors benefit?  No!  Same street - different taxes. Paul Bettencourt, Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector:  This property tax system is just like the voting system in Florida.  It's not perfect! Wayne Dolcefino:  Or fair -- if you don't complain, everyone else on your street could get their taxes lowered but you. Bill Crum:  Hypothetically, that could be true.  Sure! Wayne Dolcefino:  Bill Crum is chairman of the Appraisal Review Board.  Don't know what that is?  Maybe you should!  They decide the fate of your tax bill that can raise or lower the appraised value on your house.  People are getting mad! Bill Crum:  Yes, Sir, they are!  Yes, Sir, they are! Wayne Dolcefino:  Gene Bastin is also on the ARB (Appraisal Review Board).  Remember that house on Lofty Maple that got its value lowered?  He owns it, and the house on Cypresswood ....  ARB member, Richard Kregel, owns it. Bill Crum:  They are treated the same as everybody else? Wayne Dolcefino:  Fact!  Every ARB (Appraisal Review Board) member who complained about their tax bill this year got it lowered. Bill Crum:  So, they may get treated more different, or, - ah - , more differently -  ah -  in a sense - ah - It would be harder for them to get a value change. Wayne Dolcefino:  It certainly didn't hurt them this year, and they are not alone.  Overall, the average homeowner who protested got a 9 percent reduction in their property values.  If they held out for a formal hearing, they got 13.5 percent slashed. Jim Robinson, Chief Appraiser of HCAD (Harris County Appraisal District):   Only about half of the people who come in get a reduction. Paul Bettencourt, Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector:  So, if you reduce your appraised value, you get a lower tax bill and that makes everybody happy. Wayne Dolcefino:  Does that mean the rest of us should be protesting too? Debbie Stone:  Well! I guess I should try protesting then! Paul Bettencourt, Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector:  Because if you do, you're probably going to get a reduction, and if you get a reduction, it's the quickest way to a tax cut in this town. Wayne Dolcefino:  You can find out how your subdivision is faring in the property tax spiral by going to our web site, KTRK.com.  Wonder if your neighbors are paying what you are?  Go to KTRK.com, and you can link directly to the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD), and remember what the Tax Assessor told you:  if you don't complain, you will never know if the Taxman is taking more of your money than he should, and, by the way, folks, protesting costs you not a single penny. Taxpayers for equal appraisal. Property Taxation must be equal and uniform. Email : CoachDanHart@msn.com Contact the Web Master.    Hosted by PCNetCom  Copyright 2001-2002 by hcadtea.org . All rights reserved. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. 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