Denton Property Taxes Cut in 71% of Informal Hearings
The Denton Central Appraisal District (DCAD) has been throwing out some of the most outlandish property values and taxes in all of Texas, but taxpayers are taking the power back. Using the power of the informal appeal, 56,561Denton County residents were able to lower their tax burden by $3.05 billion in 2024. While 89.59% of homeowners got reductions, 51.38% of business owners were able to land epic savings. Get the best result you can out of your property tax protest when you enroll in O’Conner’s Property Tax Protection Program™. There are no hidden fees to dread, no upfront costs to engage with, and you will only pay if you lower your taxes. Enroll, relax, and save.
Resolved Informally Denton CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 32.233 | 35.151 | 45.754 | 60.033 | 62.959 | 65.885 | 89.819 | 77.980 | 66.141 | 57.846 | 56.561 | |
| Single Family | 20.178 | 21.298 | 28.657 | 37.547 | 40.410 | 43.273 | 57.582 | 49.840 | 42.097 | 33.793 | 30.141 | |
| Commercial / Other | 12.055 | 13.853 | 17.097 | 22.486 | 22.549 | 22.612 | 32.237 | 28.141 | 24.044 | 24.053 | 26.420 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Most appeals are resolved with a reduction at the informal level.
Denton County Property Tax Protests Resolved Informally
Informal appeals are the backbone of the Texas property tax protest process. They allow taxpayers the first chance to defend themselves against the aggressive taxes of the Denton Central Appraisal District (DCAD) and open the road to further appeals ahead. O’Conner is here to guide you through the entire property tax adventure. One of the largest firms in America that specializes in property tax disputes, O’Connor is Texas-based and knows how to get the best deal on your informal, formal, or judicial appeal.
Denton CAD Informal Settlements
Denton County saw 56,561 resolved informal protests in 2024. This was a small retreat from the 57,846 hearings from 2023. This is not an indictment of the initial appeal but demonstrates its use as a gateway. With the rising property values across Denton County, taxpayers are looking for more relief than ever. These simple appeals are great to get a quick reduction, but to get a larger one, taxpayers must typically go for formal appeals. The majority of tax savings would come from formal hearings instead, but formal appeals were a good starting point.
30,141 family homes were protested informally in 2024. Across Texas, these protests are typically geared toward single family homes, while later stages are set towards Commercial properties and the like. These simple protests are great for common people, as it is an easy way to get a reduction without spending a great deal of time. There were also 26,426 protests settled for commercial, industrial, and other properties.
Resulted in Reduction Through Informal Process Denton CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 26.135 | 27.000 | 42.680 | 52.900 | 58.546 | 64.192 | 65.476 | 55.184 | 44.892 | 36.534 | 40.579 | |
| Single Family | 18.696 | 18.716 | 27.621 | 35.907 | 39.250 | 42.593 | 43.445 | 35.566 | 27.687 | 20.295 | 27.004 | |
| Commercial / Other | 7.439 | 8.284 | 15.059 | 16.993 | 19.296 | 21.599 | 22.031 | 19.618 | 17.205 | 16.239 | 13.575 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is the world’s safest wager. No cost and a 60% chance of savings annually.
Denton CAD Informal Hearing Reductions
The effectiveness of informal appeals can range wildly between counties and years, but they remain a solid option to reduce taxes. In 2024, 40,579 protests resulted in a reduction in value. Homeowners were able to strike quickly, netting 27,004 reductions, while businesses landed 13,575. These wins are incredibly important, as they represent a victory for the little guy. Major homeowners or businesses might be able to take things further up the chain, but working people and small businesses can gain a great deal with a simple protest.
Percent That Resulted in A ReductionSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Percent | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 81.080% | 76.810% | 93.280% | 88.120% | 92.990% | 97.430% | 72.900% | 70.770% | 67.870% | 63.160% | 71.740% | |
| Single Family | 92.660% | 87.880% | 96.380% | 95.630% | 97.130% | 98.430% | 75.450% | 71.360% | 65.770% | 60.060% | 89.590% | |
| Commercial / Other | 61.710% | 59.800% | 88.080% | 75.570% | 85.570% | 95.520% | 68.340% | 69.710% | 71.560% | 67.510% | 51.380% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Errors in the appraisal districts records for your property often artificially inflate YOUR property taxes.
Denton CAD Percent of Informal Hearings with Reduction
71.74% of all Denton County informal appeals ended in a reduction. This was the best result since 2021. This number indicates that not only did many taxpayers get their argument rejected, but that many more refused the settlement offered and took their chances with formal appeals. This has been a common trend for Denton County homeowners in the past decade.
Commercial properties were more successful at informal hearing than single family houses, an anomaly that seems almost exclusive to Denton County in 2023. Homes rebounded in 2024, with over 89.59% of them landing a reduction, the best outcome since 2020. Conversely, businesses saw their win rate plumet, falling from 67.51% to 51.38%. Home won slightly more than is average in Texas, while businesses fell below the statewide average of 54.90%.
$ Value Reduction From Informal ProcessSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| $ Reduction Total | 2.6972 | 1.4252 | 0.7764 | 0.1275 | 0.1165 | 0.6229 | 1.1292 | 2.0377 | 4.2421 | 4.7829 | 3.0480 | |
| $ Reduction Single Family | 0.4636 | 0.2873 | 0.1919 | 0.0965 | 0.0977 | 0.2170 | 0.3363 | 0.5500 | 0.9279 | 1.0522 | 0.7166 | |
| $ Value Commercial / Other | 2.2336 | 1.1379 | 0.5845 | 0.0311 | 0.0189 | 0.4059 | 0.7929 | 1.4877 | 3.3142 | 3.7307 | 2.3314 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Property taxes are the only type that can be negotiated based on subjective factors and judgment.
Denton Central Appraisal District Value of Reduction from Informal Process
While the number of filed and settled appeals in 2024 was similar to 2023, their value certainly is not. $3.05 billion in property value was lowered thanks to informal appeals, compared to 2023’s record-setting $4.78 billion. This huge fall was primarily driven by dropping numbers for commercial and other business properties, which had previously buoyed the total number. $2.33 billion in commercial real estate value was cut, down from $3.73 billion in 2023. Single family homes were still able to land a respectable $716.60 million in reductions, though this was also below 2023 or even 2022.