Fort Bend Property Taxes Cut in 88% of Informal Hearings
Fort Bend County launched some of the most successful informal appeals in Texas during 2024. 88.41% of all informal hearings ended in a reduction settlement across all property types, while 94.81% of homes got a profitable settlement. These combined settlements reduced taxable value by $1.91 billion. The Fort Bend Central Appraisal District (FBCAD) admitted to overcharging in these appeals, meaning there is much more aggressive taxation out there to find and cut. Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today and get the best tax reduction you can receive. There are no hidden fees or upfront costs to fret about, and you will not pay a dime unless your property taxes are lowered. Enroll, relax, and save.
Resolved Informally Fort Bend 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 | 27.861 | 31.051 | 45.529 | 45.458 | 39.091 | 35.012 | 54.813 | 55.778 | 59.434 | 59.633 | 67.522 | |
| Single Family | 20.136 | 24.288 | 33.989 | 31.727 | 24.710 | 19.982 | 41.102 | 43.013 | 43.892 | 44.766 | 53.151 | |
| Commercial / Other | 7.725 | 6.763 | 11.540 | 13.731 | 14.381 | 15.030 | 13.711 | 12.765 | 15.542 | 14.867 | 14.371 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Most appeals are resolved with a reduction at the informal level.
FBCAD Property Tax Protests Resolved Informally
Fort Bend County has one of the most unique relationships in Texas when it comes to property tax protests. Having dealt with oppressive taxes for years before the rest of Texas, Fort Bend residents appeal their taxes more than almost any other county. These appeals are strongly divided between informal and formal appeals, with each specialized in a different property type. O’Connor is here to get you the best reduction on your property values and taxes, no matter what property or appeal type you need. With over 50 years of fighting for reduced taxes, O’Connor is one of the biggest and most experienced property tax consulting firms in the United States.
FBCAD Informal Settlements
Informal settlements are vital for any property tax protest. They are a free way for any type of property owner to try and get a reduction, while also opening up more avenues for appeal in the future. If a taxpayer and the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District (FBCAD) can agree on a settlement, then the protest ends with a reduction. If they cannot, then things will move on to a formal appeal.
It is traditional in Texas for single family homes to be decided more in informal settings, while businesses are dealt with in formal hearings. Fort Bend County played this trope to perfection in 2024, with 53,151 single family homes being settled for a reduction, compared to 14,371 business properties. Of the total of 67,522 initial appeals settled, 78.72% were for single family homes.
Resulted in Reduction Through Informal Process Fort Bend 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 | 21.259 | 22.176 | 30.388 | 29.008 | 24.863 | 22.278 | 45.698 | 48.959 | 51.408 | 50.483 | 59.696 | |
| Single Family | 15.516 | 16.482 | 22.587 | 24.232 | 18.101 | 13.813 | 36.218 | 40.737 | 42.374 | 43.428 | 50.391 | |
| Commercial / Other | 5.743 | 5.694 | 7.801 | 4.776 | 6.762 | 8.465 | 9.480 | 8.222 | 9.034 | 7.055 | 9.305 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is the world’s safest wager. No cost and a 60% chance of savings annually.
FBCAD Informal Hearing Reductions
Informal appeals can have a scattershot nature of success across Texas, with some appraisal districts being true misers when it comes to settling protests. FBCAD is one of the more generous, at least when it comes to giving a reduction of some sort. A total of 59,696 initial appeals were settled with a reduction in 2024. Single family homes were able to land 50,391 reductions, while businesses netted a reserved 9,305. This was the highest number of homes settled to date, while being the second highest for businesses.
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 | 76.300% | 71.420% | 66.740% | 63.810% | 63.600% | 63.630% | 83.370% | 87.770% | 86.500% | 84.660% | 88.410% | |
| Single Family | 77.060% | 67.860% | 66.450% | 76.380% | 73.250% | 69.130% | 88.120% | 94.710% | 96.540% | 97.010% | 94.810% | |
| Commercial / Other | 74.340% | 84.190% | 67.600% | 34.780% | 47.020% | 56.320% | 69.140% | 64.410% | 58.130% | 47.450% | 64.750% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Errors in the appraisal districts records for your property often artificially inflate YOUR property taxes.
FBCAD Percent of Informal Hearings with a Reduction
The average informal appeal that results in a reduction across Texas is 74.98%. Fort Bend County was able to land 88.41% in total reductions. Thanks to stalwart property tax protests, Fort Bend County has seen success rates of over 80% every year since 2020. This type of success is rare in high-value counties and the people of Denton, Travis, and Collin are certainly envious of the informal reductions that the people of Fort Bend have been able to achieve.
This impressive total has been buoyed by massive success for single family homeowners. 2024 witnessed 94.81% of all homeowners getting reductions on their informal settlements. The statewide average is 87.05%, and that number is much lower in similar counties like Denton. This ease of victory implies that overtaxing is rampant in Fort Bend County and that even a cursory second look makes it clear that homes are overvalued. Businesses, on the other hand, were only successful 64.75% of the type, well above the Texas average of 54.90%.
$ 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 | 1.2528 | 1.7997 | 2.3466 | 1.4598 | 1.4793 | 2.1656 | 2.2558 | 1.2280 | 1.3419 | 1.8495 | 1.9147 | |
| $ Reduction Single Family | 0.0787 | 0.2450 | 0.4112 | 0.5212 | 0.3978 | 0.4059 | 0.5246 | 0.5706 | 0.7276 | 0.9541 | 1.1071 | |
| $ Value Commercial / Other | 1.1741 | 1.5547 | 1.9353 | 0.9386 | 1.0815 | 1.7597 | 1.7312 | 0.6574 | 0.6143 | 0.8954 | 0.8075 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Property taxes are the only type that can be negotiated based on subjective factors and judgment.
FBCAD Value of Reduction from Informal Process
Fort Bend County informal appeals had their most bountiful year since 2020 with an excellent 2023. $1.91 billion in total value was reduced thanks to informal settlements. Homeowners reaped the most rewards with $1.11 billion, while various business properties combined to save $895.40 million. 2024 was the third year in a row that single family home values exceeded commercial reductions. Prior to 2022, single family homes had never beaten businesses when it came to reductions in value totals.