El Paso Property Taxes Cut in 85% of Informal Hearings
Informal hearings have always been a tool for the average Texan to stand up to the aggressive taxation of their local appraisal district. El Paso County informal protests are some of the most effective in the state, with a general rate of 85.84% of all protests ending in a reduction for the taxpayer. 92.05% of single family homes saw their taxable value reduced thanks to informal appeals, one of the best opportunities in Texas. Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today and ensure that you are able to protest your taxes every year. There are no fees to join, and you will only need to pay if your property taxes are lowered. Enroll, relax, and save.
Resolved Informally El Paso CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 7.004 | 7.959 | 8.505 | 7.782 | 11.113 | 9.691 | 12.178 | 14.665 | 13.587 | 17.603 | 21.617 | |
| Single Family | 3.022 | 3.616 | 3.459 | 3.122 | 6.808 | 5.915 | 7.809 | 9.703 | 9.370 | 12.573 | 16.385 | |
| Commercial / Other | 3.982 | 4.343 | 5.046 | 4.660 | 4.305 | 3.776 | 4.369 | 4.962 | 4.217 | 5.030 | 5.232 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Most appeals are resolved with a reduction at the informal level.
El Paso County Property Tax Protests Resolved Informally
The people of El Paso County are standing up for their rights like never before. Thanks to overvalued and unfair taxes levied by the El Paso Central Appraisal District (EPCAD), taxpayers need to fight to protect their homes, businesses, and wallets. O’Connor is here to help. As one of the largest firms in the nation that specializes in property tax protests, O’Connor has the manpower and experience to deal with anything that EPCAD can muster. Based in Texas, O’Connor knows how every appraisal district thinks and can put together the perfect case to get the win.
EPCAD Informal Settlements
Informal hearings are the primary way that the citizens of El Paso County have to dispute their taxes. While they require legwork on the taxpayer’s end, informal appeals are free, which makes them useful for working people who may not have the resources to go with more complex appeals further up the chain. When armed with strong evidence and a will to get things done, a taxpayer can often reason with EPCAD or at least buffalo them into a settlement.
There were 17,603 informal appeals resolved in 2023, with 12,573 of them being for single family homes. Making up 71.43% of all informal settlements, homes have been the No. 1 type of property protested in this manner since 2018. The remainder of informal settlements were made up of various business types, including commercial properties, utilities, and oil/gas. 2023 saw the most informal settlements on record, a record that will surely be broken in the following years.
Resulted in Reduction Through Informal Process El Paso CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 4.765 | 5.646 | 5.364 | 4.417 | 7.720 | 7.100 | 9.728 | 12.356 | 11.364 | 15.111 | 18.504 | |
| Single Family | 2.015 | 2.656 | 2.270 | 1.817 | 5.403 | 4.793 | 6.954 | 9.115 | 8.313 | 11.574 | 14.989 | |
| Commercial / Other | 2.750 | 2.990 | 3.094 | 2.600 | 2.317 | 2.307 | 2.774 | 3.241 | 3.051 | 3.537 | 3.515 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is the world’s safest wager. No cost and a 60% chance of savings annually.
El Paso County Informal Hearing Reductions
El Paso County informal appeals are not only free and relatively easy, but they are very successful when done correctly. 15,111 informal appeals resulted in a reduction in 2023, the most ever seen. As stated above, this was driven by single family homes, which managed to win a reduction in 11,574 cases. Commercial and related properties notched a strong number of wins as well, boasting 3,537 reductions. This success could mean that EPCAD is willing to deal, or it could mean that their numbers are so ridiculous that any second glance can get them reduced.
<Percent That Resulted in A ReductionSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Percent | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 68.030% | 70.940% | 63.070% | 56.760% | 69.470% | 73.260% | 79.880% | 84.260% | 83.640% | 85.840% | 85.600% | |
| Single Family | 66.680% | 73.450% | 65.630% | 58.200% | 79.360% | 81.030% | 89.050% | 93.940% | 88.720% | 92.050% | 91.480% | |
| Commercial / Other | 69.060% | 68.850% | 61.320% | 55.790% | 53.820% | 61.100% | 63.490% | 65.320% | 72.350% | 70.320% | 67.180% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Errors in the appraisal districts records for your property often artificially inflate YOUR property taxes.
El Paso County Percentage of Informal Hearings with Reduction
EPCAD gives reductions to informal appeals at a higher average than most of Texas. While the statewide average is 73.66%, EPCAD granted 85.84%, as of 2023. This is a significant jump and puts EPCAD near the top when it comes to giving out reductions. Many appraisal districts refuse to give back anything, so this paints EPCAD as being generous, or at least compliant, with the wishes of taxpayers. This means that reductions are there for the taking, but a taxpayer has to jump through a few hoops to achieve it.
92.05% of single family homes that had an informal settlement got a reduction. This is one of the highest in Texas and should encourage other homeowners to protest as well. Coupled with the growing number of homeowners protesting, this seems to imply that homes are blatantly overvalued and EPCAD will instantly cave if called on it. Commercial properties won reductions 70.32% of the time, which is higher than the statewide average as well.
$ Value Reduction From Informal ProcessSource: 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 | ||
| $ Reduction Total | 0.4442 | 0.6748 | 0.6640 | 0.6648 | 0.5646 | 0.5597 | 0.5031 | 0.7544 | 0.7260 | 1.1662 | 1.4115 | |
| $ Reduction Single Family | 0.0424 | 0.0486 | 0.0512 | 0.0408 | 0.0899 | 0.0901 | 0.0200 | 0.1858 | 0.1983 | 0.3352 | 0.4241 | |
| $ Value Commercial / Other | 0.4018 | 0.6262 | 0.6129 | 0.6240 | 0.4748 | 0.4696 | 0.4830 | 0.5686 | 0.5276 | 0.8310 | 0.9874 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Property taxes are the only type that can be negotiated based on subjective factors and judgment.
El Paso Central Appraisal District Value Reduction from the Informal Process
When it all comes down to brass tacks, informal appeals can save homeowners and business owners a large chunk of money. In 2023, taxable value was reduced by $1.17 billion, a new high for El Paso County and 62.25% higher than in 2022. $831 million of the value reductions came from commercial properties, which is in keeping with their individual worth. Single family homes saw their valuations reduced by $335.20 million.