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The Primary Duty Of The Taxpayer Liaison Officer (TLO) Is To Resolve Conflicts Between The Appraisal District And The Taxpayers. Important responsibilities associated with the Taxpayer Liaison Officer are: PROFESSIONAL TREATMENT TO CLIENTS/PARTIES The Taxpayer Liaison Officer reports directly to the appraisal district’s board of directors and not to the chief appraiser. Their primary role is to resolve problems not addressed through the normal channels. RESEARCHING AND ENHANCING COMPLAINTS IN DETAIL After getting adequate information from the complainant, the Taxpayer Liaison Officer researches the complaint with an objective of resolving any legitimate complaints. Subsequently, a report is submitted along with comments and suggestions to the appraisal district’s board of directors at their next meeting. The TLO is required to report on all complaints and whether or not they have been resolved. INVESTIGATION AND ERROR MANAGEMENT The Taxpayer Liaison Officer is resp...

As a property owner, it is essential to understand how to read a property tax bill.  Doing so will help you learn more about the way your property taxes are calculated and will ensure that you pay the  correct amount on time. LOOK CLOSELY AT YOUR TAX BILL AND CHECK FOR A NUMBER REFERRED TO AS THE PROPERTY INDEX NUMBER It is usually listed towards the top portion of the bill and refers to the type and legal description of your property.  Make sure that this information is correct before proceeding with paying your property tax bill. LOCATE THE OFFICIAL AMOUNT OF THE ASSESSED VALUE OF YOUR PROPERTY ON YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL. This amount is calculated by your local government, usually at the county level, and is based on the estimated value of both the building itself and the site or plot of land where the building is located.  This amount reflects the value that the assessor believes your property would sell for if put up for sale on the open market on t...

If you are a business owner in Texas, you must appeal business personal property tax every year. Business personal property values are reassessed each year in Texas. “Collecting more taxes than is necessary is legalized robbery.” These words of wisdom, spoken by the 13th president of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, still ring true in today’s society for homeowners and business owners. Robbery may seem like a harsh word, but what would you say if someone tried to sell you one-year-old motel sheets for 90% of the original cost? Based on the appraisal district’s depreciation schedule, this is a fair deal. Most people would not consider this a fair deal and either reject the offer or request a lower price. This should be the same thought process when the appraisal district overassesses your business personal property (BPP). Texas law requires business owners to report BPP, personal property used for the production of income, to the appraisal district for assessment and ta...

DO YOU KNOW WHAT UNEQUAL APPRAISAL IS AND HOW IT CAN HELP YOU IN YOUR FIGHT FOR FAIR TAXES? *Its ok! We didn’t either at first! 🙂 BACKGROUND OF UNEQUAL APPRAISAL During the 1997 legislative session, major changes were made to the Texas Property Tax Code. One of the reforms was the right to appeal property taxes based on unequal appraisal. Harris County Appraisal District chose to  VIGOROUSLY OPPOSE  this provision of the tax code.  (SHOCKER!) Appealing based on unequal appraisal is  BENEFICIAL  because it allows an owner to reduce the taxes even if the property is assessed for much less than the market value. In the past, appraisal districts wanted a  VERY COMPLICATED  process to hear cases of unequal appraisal which was  EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE  to prepare. The new approach also made judicial appeals financially  feasible  and  effective . WHY AREN’T PROPERTIES ASSESSED EQUALLY TO BEGIN WITH? You may be won...