Texas property tax deadlines are spread across the year. For most owners, the most important date is the property tax protest deadline, but appraisal notices, renditions, exemption applications, ARB hearings, post-ARB appeals, tax-rate adoption, tax bills, and payment deadlines can also affect your rights and final tax liability.
For most Texas property owners, the normal protest deadline is May 15 or the 30th day after the notice of appraised value is delivered under Tax Code §41.44, whichever is later. The Texas Comptroller's current taxpayer guidance says to count that 30-day period from the date the appraisal district mails the notice rather than the date you personally receive it. Because your notice should explain the applicable filing deadline, use the date shown on the notice and file early when possible.
| Date / Window | Important 2026 Property Tax Event | Who Should Pay Attention? |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | General valuation date and date many exemption qualifications are determined. | Most property owners |
| January 31 | Usual last day to pay the prior year's property taxes before delinquency, when the bill was timely mailed. | Property taxpayers |
| February 1 | Prior-year taxes generally become delinquent when the original bill was timely mailed. | Owners with unpaid taxes |
| April 1 or soon after | Appraisal notices for qualifying single-family residence homesteads. | Homeowners |
| April 15 | Renditions and property reports due for most property types. | Business personal property and other rendering owners |
| April 30 | General deadline for many exemption and special-appraisal applications; regulated-property rendition deadline. | Owners seeking exemptions/special appraisal; regulated property |
| May 1 or soon after | Appraisal notices for property other than qualifying single-family residence homesteads. | Commercial, industrial, multifamily and other owners |
| May 15 / 30-day rule | Normal deadline for most ARB protests; also extended rendition deadline when a proper written extension was requested. | Owners protesting appraisals; rendering owners with extension |
| May–July | Informal conferences and ARB hearings commonly occur. | Owners who filed protests |
| July 20 | General statutory date for ARB approval of appraisal records, subject to unresolved-protest limits and qualifying postponements. | Appraisal districts; owners with pending protests |
| August 30 | Possible postponed ARB approval date in qualifying counties with populations of 1 million or more. | Owners in large counties with pending matters |
| September 29 | General statutory tax-rate adoption deadline for taxing units, or 60 days after receipt of certified roll, whichever is later. | Owners tracking final tax rates |
| October 1 or soon after | Tax assessors generally begin mailing current-year property tax bills. | All taxpayers |
Weekend and holiday rule: Texas Tax Code §1.06 generally provides that when the last day for an act falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal state or national holiday, the act is timely if performed on the next regular business day. The Comptroller's statutory calendar warns that its displayed dates are not always adjusted for every possible extension, so confirm the actual date with the appraisal district or tax office.
January 1 is the general date on which taxable property is appraised for the tax year and qualification for many exemptions is determined. Evidence used in a 2026 value protest should therefore be relevant to the property's condition and market value as of the applicable appraisal date.
In most cases, the previous year's property taxes must be paid by January 31 and become delinquent February 1 if the tax bill was mailed on time. If the original bill was mailed after January 10, the delinquency date can be postponed, so use the date printed on the tax bill.
Tax Code §25.19 generally requires notices of appraised value for qualifying single-family residence homesteads by April 1 or as soon thereafter as practicable when a notice is required. Review the value, exemptions, appraisal limitations, property characteristics, and protest instructions as soon as the notice arrives.
Rendition statements and property reports for most property types are due April 15. A property owner can obtain an extension to May 15 by making the required written request, and an additional extension may be available for good cause. This is especially important for business personal property.
April 30 is the general deadline for many exemption and special-appraisal applications. However, Texas law allows late filing for several important exemptions, including certain residence-homestead and disabled-veteran exemptions. Do not assume an April 30 miss automatically eliminates every exemption claim. See our Texas Property Tax Exemptions guide.
Property regulated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, Railroad Commission of Texas, federal Surface Transportation Board, or Federal Energy Regulatory Commission generally has an April 30 rendition deadline, with a May 15 extension available upon written request.
For property other than qualifying single-family residence homesteads, §25.19 generally calls for required appraisal notices by May 1 or as soon thereafter as practicable. Commercial and industrial owners should immediately review market value, income assumptions, comparable sales, property classifications, exemptions, and the stated protest deadline.
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Normal rule: Tax Code §41.44 states that most protests must be filed no later than May 15 or the 30th day after the required notice of appraised value is delivered, whichever is later. The Comptroller's current taxpayer guidance also tells owners that the 30-day period is counted from the date the appraisal district mails the notice. To avoid a filing dispute, use the protest deadline printed on your notice and submit the protest before that date.
The deadline to protest property taxes in Texas is not necessarily May 15 for every owner. A later notice can create a later statutory filing window, and specialized protests can have different deadlines. If you are close to the deadline, file the notice of protest first; detailed evidence can usually be organized afterward.
For filing and protest strategy, visit our Texas Property Tax Protest guide.
Confirm the protest deadline shown on the 2026 appraisal notice.
Review market value, appraised value, taxable value, exemptions, and appraisal limitations separately.
Check the appraisal district's property record for factual errors.
Compare relevant sales and appraisal records for market-value and unequal-appraisal issues.
File before the deadline even if the evidence packet is not yet complete.
Save the filing confirmation, appraisal notice, evidence requests, and hearing notices.
After a protest is filed, many owners first have an informal conference and then, if unresolved, a formal Appraisal Review Board hearing. The exact hearing date is set locally. See our Texas ARB Hearing Guide.
For taxes that became delinquent February 1, total statutory penalty generally reaches 12% on July 1. Additional collection-related penalties may also apply when statutory requirements are met. This delinquency timeline is separate from the current-year appraisal protest process.
The ARB generally must approve the appraisal records by July 20, but it may not do so if more than 5% of the district's total appraised value remains under protest. In a county with a population of 1 million or more, the appraisal district board may postpone the deadline to August 30 or adjust the unresolved-protest threshold as allowed by statute.
After ARB review, the chief appraiser certifies the appraisal roll to taxing units. The Comptroller's statutory calendar lists July 25 as the general date for certification, subject to applicable weekend, holiday, and statutory rules.
In qualifying appraisal districts located in counties with populations of 1 million or more, the board of directors may postpone the usual July 20 appraisal-record approval deadline to August 30.
The Texas property tax appeal deadline is separate from the May protest deadline. Once the ARB issues its written order, different post-ARB remedies have different filing requirements.
| Post-ARB Option | General Filing Deadline | Important Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| District court | Generally within 60 days after receiving the ARB's written order. | Judicial appeal under Tax Code Chapter 42; tax-payment requirements also apply. |
| Regular Binding Arbitration (RBA) | Generally within 60 days after receiving the ARB order. | Available for qualifying market/appraised-value or unequal-appraisal disputes; residence homesteads have no value cap, while other property is generally limited to $5 million or less. |
| State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) | Notice of appeal generally within 30 days after receiving the ARB order; required deposit generally within 90 days. | Potentially available for qualifying property valued above $1 million; does not apply to industrial property. |
Do not wait for the tax bill to evaluate an ARB appeal. District-court, RBA, and SOAH deadlines run from the ARB order, not from October tax-bill mailing. Post-ARB remedies also have eligibility, payment, deposit, and procedural requirements.
For details, review our Texas Property Tax Appeal, Property Tax Arbitration, and Texas Property Tax Lawsuit guides.
After appraisal rolls are certified, cities, counties, school districts, and other taxing units move through their truth-in-taxation and tax-rate adoption process. The appraisal district determines property value; the local taxing units separately adopt tax rates.
The Comptroller's 2026 statutory calendar lists September 29 as the general deadline for taxing units to adopt the current year's tax rate, or before the 60th day after the taxing unit receives the certified appraisal roll, whichever is later.
Tax assessors generally mail property tax bills on October 1 or as soon thereafter as practicable. The bill reflects taxable value and the rates adopted by the taxing units.
In most cases, 2026 property taxes are due by January 31, 2027. A later-mailed tax bill can postpone the delinquency date, and weekend/holiday rules can affect the practical due date. Always use the delinquency date printed on the bill.
Missing the normal May 15 / 30-day filing window can limit the ordinary ARB protest right, but it does not mean every possible remedy disappears automatically.
A late protest may be available in qualifying circumstances when good cause is shown and the request is made before the ARB approves the appraisal records.
Texas law provides a separate protest route in certain cases when an owner did not receive a notice the appraisal district or ARB was required to send.
Tax Code §25.25 provides limited correction procedures for certain clerical, ownership, multiple-appraisal, and substantial overvaluation situations.
Current Comptroller guidance identifies special late-protest rights for qualifying full-time military service members and offshore workers, among other statutory situations.
Late remedies are fact-specific and may require taxes to be timely paid or other conditions to be met. If a deadline may have been missed, review the issue promptly rather than waiting until the end of the year.
This page should remain the annual 2026 Texas property tax deadlines calendar. County-specific filing practices, appraisal notice dates, hearing schedules, portals, and local guidance belong in the evergreen deadline hub and county pages.
Use our Texas Property Tax Protest and Appeal Deadlines by County hub for local deadline references.
For most owners, the normal deadline is May 15 or the 30th day after the required notice of appraised value is delivered, whichever is later. The Texas Comptroller's current taxpayer guidance says to count the 30-day period from the date the appraisal district mails the notice. Use the filing deadline stated on your notice and file early when possible.
No. May 15 is the standard calendar date for most protests, but a later notice can create a later 30-day filing window, and certain specialized or late protests follow different statutory deadlines.
For most property types, rendition statements and property reports are due April 15. A written request generally extends the deadline to May 15, and an additional extension may be available for good cause. Certain regulated property has an April 30 deadline.
April 30 is the general deadline for many exemption and special-appraisal applications. However, important late-filing rules apply to several exemptions, including certain residence-homestead and disabled-veteran exemptions.
Required appraisal notices for qualifying single-family residence homesteads are generally due by April 1 or as soon thereafter as practicable. For other property, the general date is May 1 or as soon thereafter as practicable.
ARB hearings commonly occur from late spring through summer after protests are filed. The exact date is set by the local ARB, which must provide advance hearing notice.
A petition for review in district court generally must be filed within 60 days after the property owner receives the ARB's written order. Separate tax-payment and procedural requirements also apply.
A qualifying RBA request generally must be filed within 60 days after receiving the ARB order. Property type, value, protest ground, tax-payment status, deposit, and other eligibility rules apply.
Tax assessors generally mail current-year property tax bills on October 1 or as soon thereafter as practicable. In most cases, payment is due by January 31 of the following year, subject to later-bill and weekend/holiday rules.
PropertyTaxes.Law can help review your appraisal notice, determine the applicable protest or appeal stage, organize evidence, and evaluate the next deadline before rights are lost.
Review Your Property Tax DeadlineThis article provides general educational information and is not legal, tax, or appraisal advice. Property tax deadlines can vary based on the type of property, notice, appraisal action, county procedures, weekend or holiday rules, late-filed remedies, and subsequent appeals. Confirm the deadline stated on your notice and with the applicable appraisal district, tax office, or official Texas source, and consult qualified counsel when legal advice is needed.
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