Denton Property Tax Protest ARB Tax Savings over $226 MM in 2024
Informal appeals were a bust for Denton County taxpayers in 2023, with only 71.74% of them meeting any kind of success. Traditionally, taxpayers have fought the tyranny of the Denton Central Appraisal District (DCAD) with formal hearings in front of the Appraisal Review Board (ARB), finding much more success. 2024, however, saw a reversal of fortunes, and only 56% of ARB cases went in favor of the taxpayer. Improve your chances for success when you join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today. Get the best Property Tax Help you can with no hidden fees or upfront costs. You will only pay if your taxes are lower. Enroll, relax, and save.
Protests with Written ARB DeterminationSource: 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 protests | 3.453 | 3.654 | 4.332 | 5.178 | 7.682 | 8.450 | 8.619 | 30.437 | 38.630 | 56.198 | 66.471 | |
| Protests single family residential | 1.866 | 1.773 | 2.342 | 2.528 | 3.620 | 3.462 | 3.531 | 21.641 | 29.564 | 43.798 | 52.241 | |
| Protests with all other | 1.587 | 1.881 | 1.990 | 2.650 | 4.062 | 4.988 | 5.088 | 8.796 | 9.066 | 12.400 | 14.230 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Hearing results depend on the appraiser assigned or the ARB; results vary widely. You do not know the appraiser or ARB panel prior to appealing.
Denton County Protests with Written ARB Determination
Putting it in line with other high-value counties like Collin and Travis, Denton County’s property tax appeals see most of the value returned in formal appeals with the appraisal review board (ARB), instead of the common informal appeal. ARB appeals require stronger evidence to get a reduction and certainly require more effort. But, with some of the steepest property taxes and values in Texas, plenty of Denton County taxpayers find the trouble worth it.
You need every advantage you can when going up against the Denton Central Appraisal District (DCAD) in the formal appeal process. You need an experienced warrior on your side in the struggle to protect your property. Fortunately, O’Conner is a homegrown Texas firm that also happens to be one of the biggest property tax specialists in America. With over 50 years of experience fighting for fair property taxes, O’Connor has the people and skills needed to land you the best tax cut ever.
Denton CAD Protests by Property Type
While informal settlements have fallen out of favor, ARB hearings have risen to take their place. There were 66,471 formal protests in 2024, the most ever recorded, and an improvement over 2023’s 56,198. In fact, ARB hearings have increased 1825.02% since 2014, with the first huge jump in 2021. The main cause for this is DCAD issuing inflated property values and refusing to back down in informal appeals.
Single family homes are the main cause of the increase in ARB appeals. 52,241 homeowners appealed formally in 2024, easily eclipsing the 2022 total of 43,798. Denton County has some of the highest protest rates in Texas for a reason, and the main one is that previously held properties are being rendered unaffordable by climbing property values. While homes are certainly under threat, businesses can suffer a huge blow with excessive taxes. 14,230 business properties formally appealed their taxes as well.
Denton County ARB Decisions with a ReductionSource: 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 | 2.930 | 2.811 | 3.445 | 4.111 | 5.971 | 7.209 | 7.353 | 29.691 | 32.671 | 50.076 | 37.479 | |
| Single Family Residential | 1.477 | 1.393 | 1.916 | 1.953 | 2.896 | 3.083 | 3.145 | 20.895 | 25.916 | 40.076 | 30.189 | |
| Commercial / All Other | 1.453 | 1.418 | 1.529 | 2.158 | 3.075 | 4.126 | 4.209 | 8.796 | 6.755 | 10.000 | 9.290 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since An annual appeal is an insurance policy to avoid major increases.
Denton County ARB Decisions with a Reduction
37,479 total formal appeals achieved a reduction in 2024, which was the first time that success at this level has retreated in a decade. 30,189 homes were successful in getting a reduction, making up 80.55% of the total. 9,290 businesses managed to land reductions as well. Despite being down, both homes and businesses scored the second-most reductions in county history.
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 Reduction | 85% | 77% | 80% | 79% | 78% | 85% | 85% | 98% | 85% | 89% | 56% | |
| Single Family Residential | 79% | 79% | 82% | 77% | 80% | 89% | 89% | 97% | 88% | 92% | 58% | |
| Commercial / All Other | 92% | 75% | 77% | 81% | 76% | 83% | 83% | 100% | 75% | 81% | 65% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since To ensure their property taxes are at the lowest possible level.
Percent That Resulted in A Reduction
The success rate for Denton County formal appeals was astounding in 2023, with a combined 89% of appellants seeing reductions. This was the highest achieved since the 2021 breakout year of 98%. 2024, in contrast, was the worst performance for taxpayers in the past decade. 56% of taxpayers were able to secure a reduction, below even the state average. 58% of homeowners saw success, while 65% of businesses did the same. The primary reason for the reversal may be the high number of taxpayers going before the board. It takes a good deal of evidence to impress this impartial organization, and many appellants were underequipped.
Value Reduction From Written ARB DeterminationsSource: 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 | ||
| Total $ Reduction | 0.944 | 1.170 | 1.422 | 3.039 | 3.622 | 4.003 | 4.084 | 6.703 | 11.661 | 16.027 | 10.783 | |
| Single Family Residential | 0.027 | 0.031 | 0.054 | 0.047 | 0.075 | 0.080 | 0.087 | 0.470 | 0.695 | 1.679 | 0.050 | |
| Commercial / All Other | 0.917 | 1.139 | 1.368 | 2.992 | 3.547 | 3.923 | 3.997 | 6.233 | 10.967 | 14.348 | 10.733 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Unequal appraisal allows protests based on neighbors having a better tax assessment.
Denton CAD Dollar Value Reduction from ARB Hearings
Thanks to decreases in victories, the total reduction in taxable value also fell. $10.78 billion in value was sliced off thanks to these hearings. While impressive, it was far behind 2023’s $16.03 billion. However, it still represented a solid improvement over informal appeals, which only managed to reduce $3.05 billion in value. Formal hearings are still king in the county and 2024 could be an outlier after years of growth. Businesses saved $10.73 billion in taxable value, while homes saved $50 million. These value cuts translated into a real savings of $290.45 million.