Formal Collin County Appeals Saved Taxpayers $175 Million in 2024
Collin County taxpayers saw their total tax value cut by $8.35 billion in 2024 with formal appeals, resulting in $175.35 million in total savings. Appeals to the appraisal review board (ARB) have become more effective than informal appeals in the past decade. The Collin Central Appraisal District (CCAD) will not give up easily, but taxpayers are fighting back. Enroll with O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today and get the help you need to reduce your property taxes in one of the hottest markets in America. There are never upfront fees or hidden costs, and you only pay from your savings if your taxes are reduced. Enroll, relax, and save.
Protests with Written ARB DeterminationSource: 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 protests | 7.282 | 9.158 | 11.034 | 14.901 | 17.651 | 20.091 | 22.593 | 27.195 | 43.849 | 51.877 | 60.299 | |
| Protests single family residential | 6.192 | 8.150 | 10.107 | 13.391 | 15.054 | 16.827 | 15.603 | 18.111 | 31.251 | 40.282 | 41.416 | |
| Protests with all other | 1.090 | 1.009 | 0.927 | 1.510 | 2.597 | 3.264 | 6.990 | 9.084 | 12.598 | 11.595 | 18.883 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Hearing results depend on the appraiser assigned or the ARB; results vary widely. You do not know the appraiser or ARB panel prior to appealing.
CCAA Protests with Written ARB Determination
In 2024, 69.85% of informal appeals ended with a reduction for Collin County taxpayers. The Collin Central Appraisal District (CCAD) has become one of the stingier appraisal districts in Texas, and they will fight to keep every inflated tax dollar they can. If an informal appeal cannot end in an acceptable settlement, then a taxpayer will take their protest to the next level, the appraisal review board (ARB).
The struggle against CAD is real, but so are the people of O’Connor. One of the largest property tax consulting firms in the USA, O’Connor has been helping Texans protest their unfair property taxes for over 50 years. It is a right granted under the Texas Constitution, and O’Connor is a company that believes in protecting the rights of all taxpayers.
CCAD Protests by Property Type
As informal appeals have lost their luster, ARB hearings have filled the gap. Collin County taxpayers appealed to the ARB 60,299 times in 2024, a new record for the county. Formal appeals have been increasing every year for the past decade, with 2024 seeing a 728.06% increase from 2014. There have been more tax protests in the county than ever before, but most are now moving beyond formal appeals and are going to the ARB.
41,416 single family homeowners went before the ARB in 2024, up from 40,282 in 2023. Homeowners are at the forefront of the transition from informal appeals to formal dominance. This shows that taxpayers want to protect their homes at all costs, especially as property values continue to balloon. Commercial appeals also surged in 2024, with 18,883 businesses of all types disputing their taxable value.
Collin County ARB Decisions with a ReductionSource: 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 | 4.882 | 5.957 | 7.031 | 6.652 | 8.495 | 9.413 | 10.759 | 13.068 | 22.325 | 26.718 | 33.279 | |
| Single Family Residential | 4.342 | 5.496 | 6.649 | 5.744 | 6.993 | 8.425 | 6.468 | 8.193 | 15.063 | 19.616 | 21.629 | |
| Commercial / All Other | 0.540 | 0.461 | 0.382 | 0.908 | 1.502 | 0.988 | 4.291 | 4.875 | 7.262 | 7.102 | 11.650 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since An annual appeal is an insurance policy to avoid major increases.
Collin County ARB Decisions with a Reduction
The name of the game in property tax protests is to get a reduction, something that can be difficult in Collin County. It can be difficult to find a balance between what is an inflated price by CCAD and what is an honest evaluation due to the county being one of the hottest markets in America. 33,279 ARB hearings ended in a reduction for taxpayers. 21,629 homeowners saw their taxes cut, compared to 11,650 commercial and related properties.
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 Reduction | 67% | 65% | 64% | 45% | 48% | 47% | 48% | 48% | 51% | 52% | 55% | |
| Single Family Residential | 70% | 67% | 66% | 43% | 46% | 50% | 41% | 45% | 48% | 49% | 52% | |
| Commercial / All Other | 50% | 46% | 41% | 60% | 58% | 30% | 61% | 54% | 58% | 61% | 62% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since To ensure their property taxes are at the lowest possible level.
Percent That Resulted in A Reduction
While ARB hearings are at an all-time high, the same cannot be said for those getting reductions. The percentage of formal victories has been slowly climbing since the nadir of 2017, especially for businesses. In 2024, 55% of all ARB hearings ended in a reduction for plaintiffs, a very slight improvement from 2022 and 2023. Homeowners took the brunt of the failed efforts, winning reductions in only 52% of hearings. Commercial properties fared better, with 62% of contests ending in a reduction.
Value Reduction From Written ARB DeterminationsSource: 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 $ Reduction | 0.335 | 0.312 | 0.616 | 2.000 | 1.730 | 1.872 | 3.836 | 5.210 | 6.585 | 7.748 | 8.350 | |
| Single Family Residential | 0.044 | 0.036 | 0.147 | 0.177 | 0.168 | 0.144 | 0.111 | 0.253 | 0.395 | 0.548 | 0.566 | |
| Commercial / All Other | 0.292 | 0.275 | 0.469 | 1.823 | 1.562 | 1.728 | 3.725 | 4.957 | 6.190 | 7.200 | 7.784 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Unequal appraisal allows protests based on neighbors having a better tax assessment.
Collin CAD Dollar Value Reduction from ARB Hearings
Collin County boasts some of the most in-demand and expensive properties in Texas. Even though property tax reductions were down as far as cases go, this cannot be said for the value reduced. $8.35 billion in total value was reduced in 2024, the most to ever be cut. Of this, $7.78 billion was for commercial or related properties. Homeowners saw a cut of $566 million in value. To put it all together, 55% of ARB cases were successful, for a total reduction of $8.35 billion in value.