How it works & disclaimer
Effective date: April 26, 2026 · Version 1.0
What we are
Optionality Protest is a self-service software tool. We help residential property owners in supported Texas counties (currently Travis, Williamson, Harris, Tarrant, Dallas, and Bexar) generate a written protest of their property tax assessment, which the owner then files with their county appraisal district (such as TCAD, WCAD, HCAD, TAD, DCAD, or BCAD) and its Appraisal Review Board ("ARB").
What we are not
- We are not your attorney. Nothing on this site or in our generated documents is legal advice.
- We are not a registered Texas Property Tax Consultant under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1152, and we do not represent property owners before the ARB.
- We are not a certified appraiser. Our fair-market estimate is informational and is generated by AI from public data; it is not a USPAP-compliant appraisal.
- We are not a tax preparer and provide no tax advice.
How the process works
- You enter your property information. Address, the assessed value from your appraisal notice, and a few details about the home.
- We generate a free fair-market estimate. Our AI looks at comparable properties near you and produces a fair-value range and estimated overassessment, plus your projected annual savings if a protest succeeds.
- You decide whether to file. If the estimate is small or you simply choose not to proceed, you owe nothing.
- You purchase a Protest Packet. $50 generates a finalized PDF: a polite cover letter, the comparable properties, the fair-market estimate with reasoning, and the requested adjustment.
- You file it. You sign and submit the document to your county appraisal district by the May 15 deadline (or 30 days after your appraisal notice was delivered, whichever is later).
- You handle the hearing. If the appraisal district schedules an informal review or formal ARB hearing, you appear and represent yourself.
About the AI estimate
Our fair-market estimate is generated by a large language model using comparable property information. AI is imperfect. The estimate may overstate or understate fair market value. Comparable properties shown may be approximate. Always review the Protest Packet carefully before signing or filing it. If anything looks wrong, do not file.
About outcomes
We do not guarantee an outcome. Whether a protest succeeds, and by how much your assessment is reduced, is entirely at the discretion of the county appraisal district staff and the Appraisal Review Board. Statistics and savings figures shown in marketing are illustrative.
About the May 15 deadline
Texas Tax Code § 41.44 sets the standard protest deadline at May 15 of the relevant tax year (or 30 days after your appraisal notice was delivered, whichever is later). It is your responsibility to file on time. Filing late typically forfeits your right to protest for that tax year.
Limitations
- We currently support Travis, Williamson, Harris, Tarrant, Dallas, and Bexar counties in Texas. Other counties are not yet supported.
- We currently support residential properties (single-family, condos, townhomes). Commercial, agricultural, and special-use parcels are out of scope.
- One Protest Packet is for one property in one tax year.
Questions
Email protest@optionalityhq.com.