Travis County (TCAD) Property Tax Protest Guide
Travis Central Appraisal District is one of the highest-volume appraisal districts in Texas, appraising approximately 483,000 accounts with a total 2025 appraisal roll of $482 billion. Here's everything you need to know to successfully protest your TCAD valuation.
TCAD Quick Reference
TCAD does not calculate tax bills, set tax rates, or accept tax payments. Tax payments go to the Travis County Tax Office (512-854-9473).
How to File Your TCAD Protest
Online (Recommended)
Log in at traviscad.org/portal using the Property Owner ID and PIN from your Notice of Appraised Value. Processing takes approximately 2 hours. In 2025, roughly 72% of protests were filed electronically. The portal lets you upload evidence, review TCAD's evidence packet, accept or decline settlement offers, and schedule informal meetings.
By Mail
Send Form 50-132 or a written letter to P.O. Box 149012, Austin, TX 78714. Use certified mail with return receipt. Processing takes about 5 business days.
In Person
Drop off at 850 East Anderson Lane during business hours. Request a date-stamped receipt. Lines grow long near the deadline.
Note: TCAD has discontinued fax communications entirely.
How TCAD Resolves Protests
TCAD resolves protests through three main channels:
Joint motions where every participating owner receives a reduction
One-on-one with a TCAD appraiser
Independent citizen panel
Approximately 150,000 protests were filed in 2025, with 90% filed by agents and only 10% by individual homeowners — a ratio that represents enormous untapped opportunity for DIY filers. Learn why doing it yourself achieves better results.
Get in Line Online
TCAD's “Get in Line Online” system is unique among the three Central Texas counties. Property owners can either schedule a specific date and time for their informal meeting through the portal, or join a same-day queue that provides text message updates on wait times. Only one informal meeting is allowed per property per year.
Virtual and phone hearings are available for both informal meetings and formal ARB hearings. TCAD provides specific instructions in the hearing notice letter and has a PDF guide at traviscad.org for attending virtual ARB hearings.
Get your TCAD protest evidence ready
Our tool pulls comparable sales directly from TCAD records and generates a complete evidence packet.
Check My Travis County PropertyTCAD Timeline
TCAD Practical Tips
The most effective evidence at TCAD is comparable sales data — recently sold homes similar to yours in size, age, condition, and location. After filing your protest, review TCAD's evidence packet through the portal to see exactly which comps they are using, then identify weaknesses in their comparisons.
Use TCAD's property search at traviscad.org/propertysearch to find nearby homes assessed for less than yours on a per-square-foot basis — this supports the unequal appraisal argument.
Always verify your property description accuracy. TCAD's records may contain incorrect square footage, room counts, or condition ratings that inflate your value. Incorrect data is a standalone basis for reduction.
One critical quirk: Texas does not require disclosure of sale prices. TCAD has historically struggled to obtain complete sales data — they lost access to Austin Board of Realtors MLS data in 2019. This means TCAD's comps may have gaps you can exploit with your own research using sites like Zillow or Redfin.