Property Tax Today features content regarding upcoming deadlines, action items and information releases.

Please let us know what you would like to see in future editions by sending property tax questions and/or suggested topics to Property Tax Communications. We will gladly address property tax matters under our authority.

Message from the Comptroller

In October, I released the Certification Revenue Estimate (CRE) for the fiscal 2024-25 biennium. After each legislative session, the agency releases the CRE to provide the detailed basis by which my office certified the budget and any other bills making appropriations to revise estimates in the biennial revenue estimate, reflect legislative activity and current economic information, and consider final revenue numbers for the recently ended fiscal year.

As a result of legislative actions and an updated economic forecast, I now expect revenue available for general spending in 2024-25 to total about $194.57 billion, up 24.8 percent from the 2022-23 biennium.

Due to uncertainty and potential risks to the economic outlook, the 2024-25 revenue estimate is conservative. While economic and revenue growth may continue unabated, we cannot simply assume that will be the case. I will continue to monitor the Texas economy and state revenues closely and will keep the public informed of significant events as they arise.

In December, I had the pleasure of addressing attendees of the Property Tax Institute (PTI), co-hosted by the Property Tax Assistance Division (PTAD) and the V.G. Young Institute of County Government. PTI always provides informative property tax industry content, and I would like to thank everyone who participated or attended.

PTAD also released pre-preliminary information for the 2023 School District Property Value Study (SDPVS) to chief appraisers, school superintendents and appraisal firms. This allows them to review the information and notify our office of any clerical errors in their information before PTAD issues the preliminary SDPVS findings at the end of January.

PTAD continues working diligently to update property tax information published through our website, publications, forms and videos to reflect changes from the 88th Legislature. In the interim, our office will continue working closely with both chambers by offering property tax information and counsel, as requested.

SDPVS Pre-Preliminary Information Release

Each December, our office releases local data and values for the sampled properties in the SDPVS to chief appraisers, appraisal firms and school superintendents for review. The local data is as reported to our office, does not include values as determined by PTAD and is not posted on our website.

Throughout the year, our field appraisers send clerical error reports to chief appraisers to verify the data received from their offices that are specific to the sample properties studied in the current SDPVS.

On Dec. 14, 2023, our office sent the following pre-preliminary data in separate emails:

• pre-preliminary self-report data to chief appraisers and superintendents (not specific to individual accounts in the SDPVS sample);
• pre-preliminary Category G data (if sampled) to chief appraisers and appraisal firms; and
• pre-preliminary Category J data (if sampled) to chief appraisers and appraisal firms.

We requested that chief appraisers, superintendents and appraisal firms carefully review the local value information for accuracy and report any clerical errors to our office by Jan. 5, 2024, so we can add, delete or correct reported sample data before we release the preliminary SDPVS findings at the end of January. The 2023 SDPVS has not been finalized and is subject to change.

SDPVS Preliminary Findings Certification and Appeal

Our office will certify the 2023 SDPVS preliminary findings to the commissioner of education before Feb. 1.

School districts, eligible property owners and their agents can file a petition protesting the preliminary findings after they are released at the end of January. The petition must be filed within 40 calendar days after the date our office certifies preliminary findings of school district taxable value to the commissioner of education. Our SDPVS webpage provides information regarding the protest process, and our staff is available until an appeal is filed to help answer questions about what to include in an appeal.

Data Release for SDPVS Preliminary Invalid Findings

To assist in the preparation of a protest of the SDPVS preliminary findings, school superintendents or their authorized agents can request information for school districts with invalid local value. The data release contains standard, commonly requested SDPVS information and is part of the protest prehearing exchanges under Comptroller Rule 9.4311.

To request the data release, school superintendents or their authorized agents can submit the Data Release Request for School District Property Value Study Preliminary Findings – Invalid Findings form (PDF) to Property Tax Open Records. The information included in the data release is listed under the Important Information section of the request form. To request the data release for multiple school districts, agents must submit the Data Release School District Listing Template (XLSX) along with a single request form.

Appraisal District Ratio Study (ADRS)

Tax Code Section 5.10 requires the Comptroller's office to conduct a ratio study to measure the performance of each appraisal district in Texas at least once every two years and to publish the results.

The purpose of the ADRS is to measure the uniformity and median level of appraisals performed by an appraisal district within each major property category.

To conduct the ADRS, the Comptroller's office applies appropriate standard statistical analysis techniques to data collected through the SDPVS required by Government Code Section 403.302.

We recently released the Report on Appraisal District Ratio Study Results for Tax Year 2022 (XLSX). The published report provides ratio study results for each appraisal district studied that year and includes:

• the median levels of appraisal for each major property category
• the coefficient of dispersion around the median level of appraisal for each major property category; and
• other appropriate statistical measures.

Complete results are available on our Appraisal District Ratio Study Results webpage.

Electronic Property Transaction Submission (EPTS)

Tax Code Section 5.07(c) requires appraisal districts to maintain property sales information collected as part of their uniform record keeping systems. Appraisal districts must submit the data to our office by Feb. 1 and by Aug. 1, when we compile the data into a statewide database. The EPTS Manual (PDF) gives an overview of the prescribed electronic format and provides information regarding submission procedures.

Remember to use the Texas Property Tax Assistance Property Classification Guide (PDF) when classifying property for value analysis and in reporting valuations for the biennial SDPVS.

The companion Texas Property Tax Assistance Property Classification Guide video (VIDEO) allows for continuing education credit for property tax professionals registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).

Rendition Statements and Property Reports

Rendition statements and property report deadlines depend on property type. The statements and reports are due to chief appraisers after Jan. 1 and no later than the deadline indicated below. Allowed extensions vary by property type as referenced below.

Rendition Statements and Reports	Deadline	Allowed Extension(s)
Property generally	April 15	May 15 upon written request Additional 15 days for good cause shown
Property regulated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Railroad Commission of Texas, the federal Surface Transportation Board or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Tax Code Section 22.23(d).	April 30	May 15 upon written request Additional 15 days for good cause shown

Operations Survey

Tax Code Section 5.03(b) authorizes our office to require an annual report on the administration and operation of each appraisal office, and the operations survey provides data for that report.

We sent electronic surveys to appraisal districts for collection of their operations data for the 2023 tax year on Jan. 17, 2024. Appraisal districts must submit responses directly in the online survey by March 31, 2024. Paper copies are not accepted, but you can request a non-fillable PDF version of the survey from our Education and Communications team for use as a working copy only.

Survey data from previous years and a data visualization tool are available on PTAD's Property Tax Data Reports and Surveys webpage.

Constitutional Amendments

On Nov. 7, 2023, Texas voters approved the following property tax-related amendments to the Texas Constitution:

• A property tax exemption of real property used to operate a child-care facility.
• A property tax exemption of certain tangible personal property held by a manufacturer of medical or biomedical products.
• A temporary limit on the maximum appraised value of real property other than a residence homestead; to increase the residence homestead exemption for school districts from $40,000 to $100,000; to adjust the amount of the limitation on school district taxes imposed on the residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled to reflect increases in certain exemption amounts; to except certain appropriations to pay for property tax relief from the constitutional limitation on the rate of growth of appropriations; and to authorize the Legislature to provide for a four-year term of office for a member of the board of directors of certain appraisal districts.

For more information on the election results, please refer to the Texas Secretary of State's website.

Methods and Assistance Program (MAP) Reviews

The MAP review cycle begins in January for appraisal districts scheduled to receive a MAP review in 2024. MAP reviewers will use the adopted 2024-25 MAP review questions, guidelines and data collected to review appraisal district governance; taxpayer assistance; operations and appraisal standards; procedures and methodology used; and compliance with generally accepted standards, procedures and methodology. MAP reviewers will work with appraisal districts through August to develop preliminary recommendations.

Our Methods and Assistance Program webpage provides the 2024-25 MAP review questions and guidelines.

Local Government Relief Applications

The application period for a qualified city or county to apply for state assistance for a local government disproportionately affected by the 100 percent disabled veteran exemption under Local Government Code Section 140.011 is Feb. 1 through April 1.

To apply, a city or county must submit Form 50-833, Local Governments Disproportionately Affected by Disabled Veteran Exemption (PDF), together with the required documentation during the application period. The application period cannot be extended.

Our Local Government Relief webpage provides further information regarding the application process and required documentation.

Tax Bills and Delinquency

In most cases, the deadline for paying your property taxes is Jan. 31. Taxes that remain unpaid on Feb. 1 are delinquent. Penalty and interest charges are added to the original amount.

If taxes become delinquent, the tax collector adds a 6 percent penalty and 1 percent interest on Feb. 1. The penalty continues to accrue at 1 percent per month until July 1. On July 1, the penalty becomes 12 percent. Interest is charged at the rate of 1 percent per month, with no maximum. PTAD offers a 2023-24 Penalty and Interest Chart for use in calculating the total amount due on delinquent property tax bills.

Private attorneys hired by taxing units to collect delinquent accounts can charge an additional penalty of up to 20 percent to cover their fees. If the delinquency date is postponed, penalties and interest begin accruing on the postponed delinquency date.

Failure to receive a tax bill does not affect the validity of the tax, penalty or interest due, the delinquency date, the existence of a tax lien or any procedure the taxing unit institutes to collect the tax.

Check with the tax collection office on local payment options that may be available, such as credit card payments, deferrals, discounts, escrow accounts, installment payments, split payments, partial payments and work contracts.

Information regarding property tax payments is available on PTAD's Property Tax Bills webpage.

Proposed Rules

The following Property Tax Administration proposals were submitted for filing with the Secretary of State on Dec. 21, 2023, and published in the Jan. 5, 2024, Texas Register.

Repeal of Rules §9.4252 through §9.4266.

The proposed new rules are divided into four divisions:

• Division 1 – General Rules: §9.4201 – §9.4213.
• Division 2 – Limited Binding Arbitration for Procedural Violations: §9.4220 – §9.4226.
• Division 3 – Regular Binding Arbitration of Appraisal Review Board Determinations: §9.4240 – §9.4247.
• Division 4 – Comptroller's Registry of Arbitrators: §9.4260 – §9.4265.

The proposed rules and proposed revisions to the Application for Regular Binding Arbitration (PDF) and to the Regular Binding Arbitration Award Form (PDF) are available on the Property Tax Rules webpage.

The comment period ends 30 days after publication on Feb. 4, 2024. You may review these rules as published in the Texas Register on the Texas Secretary of State's website.

Action Items

Below is a list of action items for the first quarter of 2024. A full list of important property tax law deadlines for appraisal districts, taxing units and property owners is available on our website.

• Jan. 1 – Chief appraiser eligibility forms due.
• Jan. 5 – Deadline to review and report clerical errors on local value information provided in the SDPVS pre-preliminary information release.
• Feb. 1 – EPTS due for all appraisal districts.
• March 31 – Operations survey responses due.
• April 1 – Deadline for qualified local governments to file applications for 100 percent disabled veteran exemption assistance payments.

If the last day for any of the deadlines is on Saturday, Sunday or a legal or state holiday, the act is timely if performed on the next regular business day.