Bexar County, TX Property Tax Protest Guide for 2027

2027 Bexar County property tax protest guide

For the 2027 protest cycle, Bexar County property owners generally protest the appraisal district’s value as of January 1, 2027. Bexar Central Appraisal District explains market value as what the property would sell for as of January 1, and the Texas Comptroller explains that taxable property is generally appraised at market value as of January 1 under Texas property tax rules (BCAD protest process, Texas Comptroller valuing property).

The general 2027 regular protest deadline is May 17, 2027. The usual deadline is May 15 or 30 days after the date on the notice of appraised value, whichever is later. Because May 15, 2027 is a Saturday, the regular May 15 deadline moves to the next regular business day under the weekend and holiday rule described by BCAD (BCAD protest process, BCAD How to File a Protest).

BCAD’s 2025 annual report shows how common this process is: the district reported 187,238 protests received in 2025, including 61,823 online protests. That volume does not predict an individual result, but it shows that formal protest activity is a regular part of the Bexar County appraisal cycle (BCAD Annual Report 2025).

Key dates for tax year 2027

Item	Date or window	What it means
Valuation date	January 1, 2027	The market value question is generally tied to this date.
TaxSauce comparable-sale screening window	January 1, 2024 through January 1, 2027	For residential property in a county with population greater than 150,000, Texas Tax Code Section 23.013 uses a 36-month sale timing rule for comparability.
Regular protest cycle start used for this page	April 15, 2027	Notices are generally expected around the spring protest cycle.
General regular protest deadline	May 17, 2027	May 15, 2027 falls on a Saturday, so the general deadline moves to the next business day.

Later-mailed notices can create a later property-specific deadline. Check the date on the notice of appraised value before relying on the county-wide May 17 date (BCAD How to File a Protest).

Official protest reasons listed for Bexar County

BCAD’s protest procedures list the concerns a property owner may protest, including value, unequal appraisal, exemptions, ownership, taxing units, and other adverse actions. For TaxSauce intake, choose the official reason that matches the issue you want to raise (BCAD Property Tax Protest and Appeal Procedures).

• Appraised (market) value: use when recent adjusted comparable sales indicate a lower January 1, 2027 market value than the appraisal district’s value.
• Unequal value compared with other properties: use when comparable properties with similar characteristics are appraised at lower levels after appropriate adjustments.
• Property's inclusion on the appraisal records: use when the property should not be included on the appraisal records or is not located in the appraisal district.
• Exemptions that may apply: use when an exemption was denied, modified, canceled, omitted, or not reflected correctly.
• Qualification for agricultural or timber appraisal: use for agricultural, open-space, timber, wildlife, or other special appraisal treatment disputes.
• Taxing units taxing the property: use when a taxing unit is listed even though the property is not in that unit’s jurisdiction.
• Property ownership: use when the appraisal records show incorrect owner information.
• Change of use of land receiving special appraisal: use when a change-of-use determination for specially appraised land is disputed.
• Failure to send required notice: use when the chief appraiser or ARB failed to send a notice required by law.
• Denial, modification, or cancellation of the circuit breaker limitation: use for disputes about the circuit breaker limitation on appraised value.
• Any other action that applies to and adversely affects the property owner: use for another permitted action by the appraisal district or ARB that applies to and adversely affects the owner.

Comparable sales for an Appraised (market) value protest

For a market value protest, TaxSauce screens for arm’s-length sales that best indicate the property’s January 1, 2027 market value. Texas defines market value using open-market exposure, a knowledgeable buyer and seller, and neither side taking advantage of the other’s need or demand (Texas Comptroller valuing property).

For residential property in a county with population greater than 150,000, Texas Tax Code Section 23.013 says a sale is not considered comparable unless it occurred within 36 months of the valuation date. For this page’s 2027 valuation setup, that means TaxSauce uses a conservative pre-valuation sale window of January 1, 2024 through January 1, 2027 (Texas Tax Code Section 23.013).

TaxSauce’s standard Bexar County screening uses the five strongest arm’s-length comparable sales within about one mile when available. That one-mile radius and five-sale presentation are conservative organization defaults, not a BCAD-published legal cap. The best sales are usually in the same subdivision, neighborhood, school-area market, or competitive submarket, with adjustments for location, lot size, building area, age, condition, access, amenities, views, income or occupancy when relevant, easements, deed restrictions, and other legal burdens affecting marketability (Texas Tax Code Section 23.013).

Informal review and ARB hearing

BCAD offers informal review options before a formal ARB hearing. BCAD describes informal review with an appraiser online, by Zoom, or over the phone at a date and time selected by the property owner when available. If the protest is not resolved informally, it proceeds to a formal hearing before the Bexar Appraisal Review Board (BCAD Property Tax Protest and Appeal Procedures).

Before a hearing on a protest, or immediately after the hearing begins, the owner or authorized representative and the appraisal district must provide each other with copies of the materials intended to be offered or submitted to the ARB. BCAD also states that evidence may be submitted on paper or an approved portable electronic device, but not on a smartphone (BCAD Property Tax Protest and Appeal Procedures, BCAD residential protest scheduling article).

Filing options

BCAD says the most convenient way to file is through its Online Services Portal. Filing online requires the Owner/Agent ID and PIN from the appraisal notice. BCAD also states that a property owner can still submit a protest even if they do not receive a notice of appraised value, and that waiting for a PIN does not extend the deadline (BCAD How to File a Protest).

If the owner does not use the Online Services Portal, BCAD says a completed protest may be submitted through the Help Center or by mail, fax, or in person. BCAD identifies Form 50-132 Notice of Protest as the protest form available under the ARB - Appraisal Review Board section on the Forms page (BCAD How to File a Protest).

Estimated tax impact

TaxSauce uses 1.55% as a county-wide median effective tax rate estimate for Bexar County. This is a planning estimate, not a property-specific rate. Actual tax burden varies by school district, city, county, special districts, exemptions, and other taxing units (Ownwell Bexar County property tax trends).

At a 1.55% effective rate estimate, a $10,000 value difference is roughly $155 in estimated annual tax impact before property-specific adjustments. A lower appraised value does not guarantee that a tax bill will decrease by that exact amount because exemptions, tax ceilings, caps, and overlapping taxing units can change the final bill.

How TaxSauce helps

TaxSauce helps organize the Bexar County protest record around the official reason selected by the owner. For Appraised (market) value, TaxSauce can estimate value support from comparable sales, organize adjustments, prepare a concise evidence packet, and help the owner review materials before choosing whether to download, share, or submit them.

TaxSauce does not decide the protest, guarantee a reduction, or replace the owner’s judgment. The owner should review the protest reason, evidence, deadlines, and filing method before submitting anything to BCAD or presenting evidence to the Bexar Appraisal Review Board.