How to Read Your Texas Property Tax Bill (and Why It Went Up)

Your property tax bill has come, or it is waiting on the county website. Either way, the total is probably higher than last year. And the page is crowded: a list of offices you may not recognize, several values for the same house, and rates that run to several decimal places.

It looks complicated. It is not. Every Texas property tax bill follows the same pattern, in every county. Once you can see it, you can read any line on yours and tell what changed.

Below, the same $350,000 home is taxed in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties, using real published rates. After that come the four reasons property taxes go up, so you know which one hit yours and who can fix it if something is wrong.

Start with your question:

• Why are so many offices listed on my bill?
• Why is my taxable value lower than my home's value?
• How was the total figured?
• What does a $350,000 home pay in each county?
• Why did my bill go up?
• Why did my mortgage payment go up?
• When is it due, and what does paying late cost?

What is on a Texas property tax bill

Why several offices are listed

Each name on your bill is a taxing unit: a local government that taxes your home and sets its own rate. Most homes have three to six. That usually means your county, your city and your school district, often with a hospital district and a community college. Some addresses add a municipal utility district, a public improvement district or an emergency services district. Many counties print all of them on one statement. In some places a city or school district bills separately, so check which offices send yours.

Each unit charges its own tax, and the bill adds them up. In all four examples below, the school district and the city together make up about 70% of the bill or more. The county is one of the smaller lines.

Why there is more than one value

A bill can show three or four values for the same house. Each is a step from what your home is worth to what each unit taxes.

• Market value. What the appraisal district estimates your home would have sold for on January 1.
• Appraised value. For most homes, the same as market value. Some bills call it assessed value. For a homestead, state law caps how fast it can grow, at 10% a year, so it can sit below market value. How the appraisal district sets it.
• Exemptions. Amounts or percentages taken off the value before the rate applies. The homestead exemption is the common one. The state takes $140,000 off the value your school district taxes. Counties, cities, hospital districts and colleges can add their own, and each decides for itself. Owners 65 or older and disabled owners qualify for more.
• Taxable value. Appraised value minus exemptions. It is not the same for every unit, because each unit has its own exemptions. That is why the school district line usually shows a much lower taxable value than the city line.

How the total is figured

• Rate. Dollars of tax per $100 of taxable value. A rate of 0.2155 means 21.55 cents on every $100, or $2.155 on every $1,000.
• Tax. Taxable value, divided by 100, times the rate. One line, one tax.
• Total. The lines added together. That is what you owe.

The arithmetic fits on one line. A taxable value of $280,000 at a rate of 0.2155 is 2,800 times 0.2155, or $603.40. Every line works that way.

State law tells the tax office what the bill must show. That includes the appraised, assessed and taxable value, the exemptions applied, the total tax rate for the unit, the amount due, the due date and the delinquency date, and the penalty and interest rates for paying late. For real property it must also show the appraised and taxable value, the rate and the tax for each of the five preceding years. That history is the fastest way to see what moved.

Who does what matters when you want to question a number. The appraisal district sets the value. Each taxing unit sets its own rate. The tax office sends the bill and collects the money. The tax office cannot change your value, and the appraisal district cannot change your rate. See how the whole system fits together.

A worked bill: a $350,000 homestead in each county

Same house, same value, four counties. Each example is a homestead whose appraised and market value are both $350,000, so the 10% cap is not in play. Each stack is the county, one city, that city's school district, and the college and hospital district where one taxes the address. None includes a utility district, improvement district or emergency district, which would add more.

Every rate carries its year. The Tarrant example uses 2026 rates throughout, from the county tax office's published rate table. Elsewhere, most lines use 2025 adopted rates, with a 2026 rate where we have checked it against the unit's own notice, and the table says which. The other units have adopted 2026 rates too, but they stay at 2025 here until we have checked them. Exemptions are the 2025 exemptions. These are examples, not your bill.

Across the four examples the bill runs from about $4,100 to $5,500. That is roughly 1.2% to 1.6% of the home's value, lower than the combined rate on a rate sheet suggests, because the exemptions come off before any rate applies.

Dallas County: City of Dallas and Dallas ISD

The county line is about 13% of this bill. The city and the school district are about 70%. The City of Dallas adopted 69.78 cents per $100 for 2026, down from 69.88 cents. Dallas ISD adds a 10% local exemption on top of the state's $140,000.

Dallas County has already adopted its 2026 rate, and voters decide on November 3 whether it stands. Our Dallas County guide has the details. The next table puts the same house at each county rate, with every other line held at the rate shown above.

The county line alone rises $92.82 over 2025, but the City of Dallas rate fell 0.1 cent, which takes $2.80 back. That puts the whole example $90.02 above the 2025 bill. The gap between the two 2026 county rates is $67.20 on this house. The vote moves that one line and nothing else. This page takes no side on the vote and does not predict it.

Tarrant County: City of Fort Worth and Fort Worth ISD

Fort Worth ISD is about 39% of this bill. Tarrant County College gives only a $5,000 exemption, because 1% of $350,000 is $3,500 and the minimum is $5,000. Almost the whole value is taxed for that line. Fort Worth's own page shows 70.565 cents per $100 for 2026, up from 67 cents in 2025, which adds $99.82. The other lines net to about $9 more, so the same house paid $5,407.84 at 2025 rates, $109.09 less. Every line in this example uses a 2026 rate.

Collin County: Collin College, City of Plano and Plano ISD

Plano ISD is about 53% of this bill, and the county line is about 12%. Collin County gives a 5% homestead exemption where Dallas and Tarrant counties give 20%, so more of the value is taxed for the county line.

Denton County: City of Denton and Denton ISD

Denton ISD is about 48% of this bill and the city is about 39%. The city and the county give only the $5,000 minimum, because their percentage exemptions come to less than that. There is no college or hospital district line in this stack.

Why your property taxes went up

Often two apply at once. Find yours in this order.

1. A rate went up

Each taxing unit sets its own rate, and rates move both ways. Dallas County's 2026 rate of 0.248650 per $100, which is on the November 3 ballot, is up from 0.215500. On the $280,000 taxable value in the Dallas example, that one line rises $92.82. On $100,000 of taxable value, the same change is $33.15.

To find it on yours, compare each unit's rate with last year's. The one that rose is the one that raised your bill.

2. Your appraised value went up

If the appraisal district raised your value, every line that uses it rises. And the rise can be bigger than it looks. In the Dallas example at 2025 rates, an 8% jump in appraised value, from $350,000 to $378,000, lifts the whole bill 10.1%, from $5,191.26 to $5,717.87. The reason is the flat $140,000 school exemption. It does not grow with your value, so the school district's taxable value goes from $175,000 to $200,200, a 14.4% rise.

Your appraised value is on the Notice of Appraised Value mailed in April. The bill uses the final number, after protests and hearings are done.

3. The 10% cap is catching up

The homestead cap slows your appraised value. It does not slow the market. If the market runs ahead, your appraised value follows at up to 10% a year until the two meet.

Say a house was appraised at $300,000 last year, and the market now says $400,000. This year the appraised value can go to $330,000. Next year, up to $363,000. Then up to $399,300. Then it meets the market. Each of those years brings a higher value, even if prices go flat.

The cap starts on January 1 of the year after you first qualify for the homestead exemption, so your first year is taxed at full appraised value. New improvements, such as an added room or a pool, come on top of the cap.

4. An exemption changed, or never applied

An exemption lowers taxable value, so a missing one raises the bill. Look for the homestead exemption on every line that offers one. Cities, counties and districts can change their own percentages. The state school exemption already moved. It rose from $100,000 to $140,000, and the additional school exemption for owners 65 or older and disabled owners rose to $60,000, both beginning with the 2025 tax year. Last year's bill already reflects both. No new state exemption offsets a higher rate or a higher value in 2026, so the increase shows.

If you qualify for a homestead exemption and it is missing, tell the appraisal district. Texas law accepts a late homestead application up to two years after the taxes become delinquent, and refunds any overpayment.

Why two similar homes get different bills

Two houses on the same street, same size, same age. One bill is much higher. It happens, and the cause is usually one of these.

• A school district boundary, a utility district or an improvement district can run between neighbors. A special district at 0.70 per $100 adds $2,450 on $350,000 of taxable value, before any exemption that district allows.
• One home may have an exemption the other lacks. The Dallas house above with no homestead exemption at all, at 2025 rates for every unit, pays $7,793.48 instead of $5,191.26. Owners 65 or older and disabled owners get more exemptions, and their school taxes stop rising above the amount from the first year they qualified, apart from new improvements.
• The cap may have done more work on one home. It builds on last year's appraised value. A home that has been a homestead for years can sit well below market. A neighbor in a first homestead year, or one that added a room, may not.
• The appraisal district's record for each home, including square footage, condition and year built, drives its value. A wrong detail on one record shows up on that bill.

The last cause is the one you can do something about. A bill is not the place to find it, because by now the protest window has closed. The notice in April is.

If you pay through escrow

If your lender pays your property tax, you may never see the bill. Your servicer collects one-twelfth of the expected tax with each mortgage payment and pays the county for you. Once a year it runs an escrow analysis, and that is where a higher tax bill reaches your payment.

Take round numbers. Last year's tax was $6,000, so the servicer collected $500 a month. This year's bill is $6,900, so the account is $900 short. Federal rules let the servicer require a shortage of one month's payment or more to be repaid in equal payments over at least 12 months. That adds $75 a month. The tax part of your payment rises from $500 to $650 for a year, then settles at $575 once the shortage is paid. Your servicer's analysis sets the real numbers.

Ask your servicer for the escrow analysis. It shows the tax figure they used and how they will collect any shortage. If the figure differs from your bill, tell them. A higher payment is a symptom. The cause is on the bill. Find the line that moved. For the federal rules, see 12 CFR 1024.17.

When it is due, and what late costs

A Texas property tax bill is due when you receive it. It becomes delinquent if it is not paid before February 1 of the next year. For the 2026 tax year, the deadline is January 31, 2027. That date is a Sunday, so a payment on Monday, February 1 is on time under Tax Code 1.06. Penalties start the day after. Tarrant County moved its 2025 deadline to February 2, 2026 for the same weekend reason. Confirm the date on your county's notice.

In February, a late payment adds a 6% penalty plus 1% interest. The total climbs each month and reaches 18% in July. On a $5,000 bill, paying in April adds $550. The month-by-month table, payment options and installment rules for homeowners 65 or older are in the Dallas County property taxes guide. The penalty schedule is state law, so it applies in every county. A missing bill changes none of that, so look yours up online if it has not come.

Mailing differs by county this year. Dallas County told KRLD its bills would not be mailed in October as usual and would wait for the November 3 rate election. No mailing date has been announced. Collin County's page says statements are mailed in October. We could not confirm 2026 mailing dates for Tarrant or Denton counties. Check your county directly: Collin County Tax Assessor, Denton County property tax, Tarrant County payment deadline notice.

Rates and assessments for each county are on our county pages: Dallas County, Tarrant County, Collin County and Denton County. For the city, see Dallas.

Questions homeowners ask

How much are property taxes on a $350,000 house in Texas?

It depends on your city, school district and exemptions. In the four worked bills above, a $350,000 homestead pays about $4,100 to $5,500 a year, or 1.2% to 1.6% of value. The same house with no homestead exemption pays more. Your bill shows your exact figure.

Why did my property taxes go up in Texas?

A bill rises when a taxing unit raises its rate, when your appraised value rises, when the 10% homestead cap catches up to market value, or when an exemption changes. Often two happen at once. Compare each line to last year's bill. The line that moved most points to the cause.

Why did my property taxes go up even though I have a homestead exemption?

A homestead exemption lowers your taxable value. It does not stop the value or the rate from rising. The state raised the school exemption to $140,000 beginning with the 2025 tax year, so it is already in last year's bill. A bigger bill in 2026 comes from a higher rate, a higher value, the cap catching up, or a change in a local exemption.

Why are my property taxes so high compared to my neighbors?

Look for a different taxing unit, a missing exemption, or a different appraised value. A school district boundary or a utility district can separate two houses. A neighbor may also have an over-65 exemption, or a value held down by the 10% cap. Your appraisal notice, mailed each April, is the place to compare values.

When should I receive my property tax bill in Texas?

State law has the tax office mail bills by October 1, or as soon after as practicable. In 2026, Dallas County said its bills would wait for the November 3 rate election, as KRLD reported. Not receiving a bill does not change the due date or stop penalties, so look yours up online if it has not come.

What is the deadline to pay property taxes in Texas?

Taxes are due when you receive the bill and become delinquent if unpaid before February 1. For the 2026 tax year, that means January 31, 2027, which is a Sunday, so Monday, February 1 is on time. Penalty and interest then grow each month through July. The penalty table, the same in every county, is in our Dallas County guide.

Why is my mortgage payment going up because of escrow?

Your servicer collects one-twelfth of your property tax with each payment. When the tax bill rises, the annual escrow analysis raises the monthly amount to match, and a shortage is often collected over at least 12 months. Ask your servicer for the analysis. It shows the tax figure they used.

Can I protest my property taxes after I receive my bill?

Not in the ordinary way for 2026. That window closed May 15, or 30 days after your notice arrived, whichever was later. Narrow exceptions exist. The appraisal review board can correct a clerical error, including one from an earlier year. Before the taxes become delinquent, a homestead owner can also ask it to fix a value more than 25% above the correct value, and pay a late-correction penalty of 10% of the tax saved, unless a protest hearing already decided that value. Ask the appraisal district or a property tax professional whether one fits. Otherwise, your next chance is the 2027 notice in April.

Can I pay my property taxes in installments in Texas?

Homeowners who are 65 or older, disabled, or disabled veterans can pay a homestead bill in four equal installments without penalty or interest. The first must be paid before the delinquency date, with notice that you are paying this way. After the deadline, an owner with a homestead exemption can ask for a payment agreement, unless they had one with that office in the past 24 months. Details are in our Dallas County guide.

Do property taxes ever go down?

Yes. A bill falls when a taxing unit lowers its rate, when your appraised value drops, or when you add an exemption. The 10% cap only slows increases, so it does not push a bill down. Check each line against last year's bill to see which one moved.

Where these numbers come from

• Rates: 2025 adopted rates and exemptions from each county's published rate tables, as collected in housegeek's rate registry. The Dallas County 2026 rate and the November 3 election are from the Dallas County tax rate election page. The City of Dallas 2026 rate is from the city's budget bulletin. The Fort Worth 2026 rate is from the city's FY27 budget page, and the other Tarrant 2026 rates are from the Tarrant County Tax Office rate table.
• Exemptions: the Texas Comptroller's exemptions page.
• Penalty and interest: the Texas Comptroller's penalty and interest page.
• Escrow: 12 CFR 1024.17.

What to do with your bill now

Do three things while the bill is in front of you.

• Pay it on time, or confirm your lender will. For the 2026 tax year, a payment by Monday, February 1, 2027 is on time.
• Check every exemption you qualify for. A missing homestead exemption can still be fixed for this bill, and the overpayment comes back to you.
• Write down anything wrong in your home's record, such as the square footage or the condition. The bill cannot fix it. Your next protest can.

The 2026 protest window has closed, and a bill does not reopen it. Your next chance to question the value is the notice that arrives in April 2027. By then you want one answer: is your value out of line with your neighbors? That is where a protest starts, whether you file it yourself or hand it to a professional. You can see where your home's 2026 value stands against its neighbors below, for free.