Before you protest, know the real numbers — what it costs, what it could save, and when hiring an attorney actually pays for itself.
Every commercial property owner asks the same question before protesting: is this worth the time and cost? The honest answer depends on your assessed value, how overvalued your property likely is, and what fee structure you're comparing. This page walks through the real math — not just the general process, which we cover in our commercial property tax protest guide.
PropertyTaxes.Law handles commercial protests on a no win, no fee basis, so there is no upfront cost. Fees are only owed as a percentage of the tax savings actually achieved. For most commercial properties with a reasonable basis for overvaluation, the potential savings — which can compound across multiple years until the next reappraisal — outweigh the fee.
Important: Because fees are contingent on results, the real decision isn't "can I afford to protest" — it's "how much of the savings do I keep." Use the calculator below to see estimated numbers for your property.
Estimate your potential savings and see what you'd keep after fees. This is an estimate for planning purposes only — see the disclaimer below.
This calculator provides a rough estimate based on the figures you enter — it is not a guarantee of results, savings, or case outcome. Estimated fee shown uses PropertyTaxes.Law's standard 30% commercial contingency rate. Actual results depend on your property's specific facts, evidence, and appraisal district review. Contact us for a case-specific evaluation.
| Assessed Value | 10% Overvaluation | Est. Annual Tax Savings* | Multi-Year Value (3 yrs)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | $50,000 reduction | ~$1,100/yr | ~$3,300 |
| $1,000,000 | $100,000 reduction | ~$2,200/yr | ~$6,600 |
| $2,500,000 | $250,000 reduction | ~$5,500/yr | ~$16,500 |
| $5,000,000 | $500,000 reduction | ~$11,000/yr | ~$33,000 |
| $10,000,000 | $1,000,000 reduction | ~$22,000/yr | ~$66,000 |
*Estimates use a 2.2% combined tax rate for illustration. Your actual rate depends on your county and taxing units. Since a corrected value typically applies until the next reappraisal, savings often compound across multiple years, not just one.
You pay nothing upfront. If the protest reduces your value, a percentage of the savings covers the fee. If it doesn't, you owe nothing. This aligns the incentive directly with your outcome, and gives you legal representation if the case escalates to arbitration or district court.
Many commercial protest firms also work on contingency, but are not licensed attorneys. If your case needs to escalate beyond the initial protest, you may need to separately retain legal counsel, adding a second engagement and a second learning curve.
No fee to a third party, but the time cost of researching comparable sales, preparing evidence, and presenting your case can be significant, particularly for commercial properties where income, expense, and vacancy data are central to the argument.
Your assessed value exceeds $1,000,000, where percentage-based savings become substantial in dollar terms.
Your case may need to escalate to arbitration or district court if the informal/ARB stage doesn't resolve it.
Your property has complex income, vacancy, or expense data that needs to be presented persuasively.
You own a portfolio of commercial properties and want coordinated strategy across multiple counties.
You've already tried an informal protest and the result still seems unsupported.
You want representation at every stage without a hand-off to outside counsel.
The calculator above gives you a planning estimate. For a real evaluation of your commercial property's assessment, review our full commercial property tax protest guide or contact us directly.
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