Appraisal District Public Information Packet 2012
The Comptroller's Appraisal District Public Information packet for 2012 is now available. As a new service, radio announcements that can be printed and used by local announcers or that can be downloaded for local radio stations are available. We hope these materials will help appraisal districts with their public relations and customer service activities. Please note that most of the information is required by law to be published in local newspapers.
Tax Code Section 41.70 requires the publication of a notice of protest and appeals procedures in a newspaper having general circulation in the county. The notice may not be smaller than one-quarter page of a standard-size or tabloid-size newspaper and may not be published in the part of the paper in which legal notices and classified advertisements appear. The Comptroller is required to adopt minimum standards for the form and content of the notice. Rule 9.3064 requires the headline of the published notice be in 18-point type or larger and the body copy be in 10-point type or larger. This notice is Comptroller Form 50-195 Property Tax Protest and Appeal Procedures and is also available in Spanish.
The following are draft releases of information for use by local newspapers.
| Title of Sample Newspaper Releases or Articles | Tax Code Sections |
|---|---|
| Property Taxpayer Remedies Available | 5.06 |
| Homestead Exemptions | 11.44 |
| Disabled Veterans Exemptions | 11.44 |
| Non-Profits, Some Business Exemptions | 11.44 |
| Agricultural Use — Productivity Appraisal | 23.43, 23.54, 23.75, 23.9804 |
| Deferral of Taxes on Appreciating Residence Homesteads | 33.065 |
| Deferral of Taxes by Elderly & Disabled Homeowners | 33.06 |
| Renditions | 22.21 |
| Notice of Availability of Electronic Communication | 1.085 |
| Notice in Spanish | |
| Property Owner Protest Hearings | 41.41 |
| Appraisal Notices for Tax Year 2012 |
New! - The following are radio public service announcements (PSAs):
Property Taxpayer Remedies Available - Audio or Text
Homestead Exemptions - Audio or Text
Agricultural Use — Productivity Appraisal - Audio or Text
Renditions - Audio or Text
In addition, the following PSAs may be used by the print media.
| Form | Title of PSA | |
|---|---|---|
| 98-465 | Remedies | (also in Spanish) |
| 98-466 | Rendering Property | (also in Spanish) |
| 98-467 | Homestead Exemptions | (also in Spanish) |
| 98-468 | Productivity Appraisal | (also in Spanish) |
Please feel free to modify the materials to fit local needs.
The Comptroller is also required by Tax Code Section 22.21 to publicize in a manner reasonably designed to notify all property owners the requirements of the rendition law. We will send our statewide news release to the media on April 4, 2012. The release will be available on our News page.
The two-page Property Taxpayer Remedies — 2012 required by Tax Code Section 5.06 informs taxpayers about how to protest their property value. Appraisal districts may include this two-sided page with notices of appraised value, or they may include a copy of the newspaper notice that the chief appraiser must publish under Section 41.70 with the notices of appraised value.
If you have any questions about this packet, please e-mail us at ptad.cpa@cpa.state.tx.us or call Comptroller's Property Tax Assistance Division at 1-800-252-9121 and press "2" to access the menu and then press "1" to contact the Information Services Team.