Bexar Property Tax Appeals Save $293+ Million Per Year
The Bexar Appraisal District (BCAD) may be handing out more inflated appraisals and taxes than ever before, but taxpayers are protesting and winning at record rates. In 2024, Bexar County taxpayers won a total of $293 million in taxes from the greedy paws of BCAD, on top of billions of dollars in reduced property value. Wielding both informal and formal hearings with equal proficiency, residents of the county are standing strong for their rights. Enroll in O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today and go even further with your property tax protest. You are never charged a dime in hidden fees or upfront costs and only pay from your savings if you win. Enroll, relax, and save.
Total Value Reduction, Informal HearingsSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Millions of $ | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| $ Total Value Reduction | 970.80 | 1,598.86 | 1,740.44 | 1,649.40 | 1,866.93 | 2,499.08 | 2,557.73 | 2,713.13 | 4,361.44 | 4,856.39 | 4,581.17 |
| Single Family Residential Reduction | 260.61 | 524.63 | 540.73 | 590.52 | 665.89 | 835.73 | 1,147.59 | 1,244.90 | 2,509.19 | 2,654.65 | 2,439.04 |
| Commercial / Other | 710.19 | 1,074.23 | 1,199.71 | 1,058.88 | 1,201.03 | 1,663.35 | 1,410.15 | 1,468.23 | 1,852.25 | 2,201.74 | 2,142.13 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since The value cannot be raised during the protest, based on 2019 legislation.
Bexar County Property Tax Savings from Administrative Appeals
Administrative appeals are a free way to protest Bexar County property taxes and can produce a bounty of savings. Few Texans know that they have a right to protest taxes, but as property taxes increase, more and more people are starting to investigate how to protect themselves from unfair valuations. Informal hearings and formal hearings are a potent one-two punch that can get the average taxpayer some much-needed relief.
From informal protests to formal hearings, to lawsuits and judicial appeals, O’Connor has been a Texas favorite for decades when it comes to fighting property taxes. One of the bigger property tax consulting companies in the United States, O’Connor has the skilled people, resources, and experience to go toe-to-toe with the Bexar Appraisal District (BCAD).
BCAD Informal Hearings
Those trying to protest their Bexar County property taxes begin at the informal level. This is the easiest step on the journey and can bring a solid settlement. Informal hearings alone resulted in settlements that saved $4.56 billion of appraised value in 2024. That is an amazing number for such little effort. $2.44 billion of the total was for single family homes, while $2.14 billion was for commercial properties. If a taxpayer refuses an informal settlement, they can take it to the formal stage, which may bring a more favorable outcome.
Total Value Reduction, Formal ARB HearingsSource: 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 Value Reduction | 0.787 | 1.949 | 1.846 | 1.769 | 2.335 | 1.980 | 1.610 | 1.283 | 3.363 | 5.502 | 6.974 |
| Single Family Residential Reduction | 0.034 | 0.105 | 0.098 | 0.114 | 0.108 | 0.120 | 0.115 | 0.136 | 0.564 | 0.639 | 0.406 |
| Commercial / Other | 0.753 | 1.844 | 1.748 | 1.655 | 2.227 | 1.860 | 1.495 | 1.148 | 2.799 | 4.862 | 6.569 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since You can’t evaluate the strength of your appeal until you obtain the hearing evidence file. You have to protest to obtain the hearing evidence file (available free upon request via U.S. mail).
BCAD Formal ARB Hearings
Formal hearings take place with the appraisal review board (ARB), an impartial body that acts as an intermediary between taxpayers and BCAD. If taxpayers reject an informal settlement or are unable to get one, then ARB hearings are the next option. $6.97 billion in value reductions were handed out by the ARB in 2024. Value savings from formal protests have risen 786.15% since 2014, establishing them as the top administrative appeal. ARB hearings produced a jump of 107.37% more savings between 2022 and 2024 alone. Commercial properties saved $6.57 billion, while single family homes were awarded $406 million.
Tax Savings, Informal HearingsSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Millions of $ | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| $ Total Value Reduction | 20.39 | 33.58 | 36.55 | 34.64 | 39.21 | 52.48 | 53.71 | 56.98 | 91.59 | 101.98 | 96.20 |
| Single Family Residential Reduction | 5.47 | 11.02 | 11.36 | 12.40 | 13.98 | 17.55 | 24.10 | 26.14 | 52.69 | 55.75 | 51.22 |
| Commercial / Other | 14.91 | 22.56 | 25.19 | 22.24 | 25.22 | 34.93 | 29.61 | 30.83 | 38.90 | 46.24 | 44.98 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Not appealing is used against property owners in the subsequent years since “you agreed to the value” (by not protesting).
Estimated Total Property Tax Informal Savings
Bexar County has an unusual dynamic, which goes against the average in Texas. Usually, commercial properties will dominate tax savings for both kinds of administrative appeals. This is because commercial and related properties are extremely valuable at an individual level. In Bexar County, the recent trend is for single family properties to beat out businesses in both value reduction and tax savings in the informal setting. Single family homes overtook other properties in 2022 and grew their lead in 2024.
Of the total $96.20 million saved in 2024, 51.22 million was for single family homes. The ascension of single family homes have two reasons for occurring. Firstly, housing values and the corresponding taxes have been on a rapid rise, encouraging more protests. Second, more commercial properties are rejecting informal settlements and are going for ARB appeals instead. The $44.98 million saved by businesses informally is respectable in its own right.
Tax Savings, Formal ARB HearingsSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Millions of $ | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| $ Total Value Reduction | 16.54 | 40.93 | 38.77 | 37.15 | 49.04 | 41.59 | 33.81 | 26.95 | 70.61 | 115.53 | 146.46 |
| Single Family Residential Reduction | 0.72 | 2.20 | 2.07 | 2.39 | 2.28 | 2.53 | 2.42 | 2.86 | 11.84 | 13.43 | 8.52 |
| Commercial / Other | 15.82 | 38.73 | 36.70 | 34.75 | 46.76 | 39.06 | 31.38 | 24.10 | 58.77 | 102.11 | 137.94 |
Tax Savings, Formal ARB Hearings
Commercial properties reclaimed their throne when it came to formal appeals. ARB hearings resulted in tax savings of $146.46 million in 2024. $137.94 million, or 94.18% of all savings were for commercial property and related types. There was a massive increase of 66.60% between 2022 and 2023 in total formal savings, with a grand total of $148.53 million. The jump between 2023 and 2024 was even bigger. While it may look small on a chart, the $8.52 million for single family homes was still impressive.
Total Tax Savings (Informal & Formal)Source: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Millions of $ | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| $ Total Value Reduction | 36.93 | 74.51 | 75.32 | 71.79 | 88.25 | 94.07 | 87.52 | 83.93 | 162.20 | 217.51 | 242.66 |
| Single Family Residential Reduction | 6.19 | 13.22 | 13.43 | 14.79 | 16.26 | 20.08 | 26.52 | 29.00 | 64.53 | 69.18 | 59.74 |
| Commercial / Other | 30.73 | 61.29 | 61.89 | 56.99 | 71.98 | 73.99 | 60.99 | 54.93 | 97.67 | 148.35 | 182.92 |
Administrative Appeals Total Tax Savings
Informal and formal appeals are quite balanced in Bexar County, another outlier when compared to all of Texas. In most counties, one type of appeal or another is favored. In Travis County, for instance, ARB appeals are 11 times more successful than informal ones. While the county is currently favoring formal appeals, it is not by a large margin, and informal appeals sometimes become the dominant strain, such as in 2022.
Administrative appeals combined for a total of $242.66 million in tax cuts in 2024, an 11.56% increase from 2023. The total savings for administrative appeals have almost quintupled in the past decade, up 557.08% from 2014. As is normal, commercial properties nabbed $182.92 million in savings, against $59.74 million for homeowners. Taxpayers are getting a huge boon, no matter what route they take to protest.