Tax Valuations Require Transparency

Patel says abolishing appraisal districts and using sales prices to set values may lead to higher tax valuations.

DALLAS—It’s pretty much a fact that property taxes go up annually in Texas. Proposals such as caps on annual increases and sales price disclosure on commercial properties ignore the root of the problem of the annual increases, GlobeSt.com learns.

When a property owner isn’t satisfied with the appraised value and hasn’t been able to negotiate an acceptable amount with the appraisal district, the review board is the next step. However, the underlying problem is the appraisal review board within the appraisal system, says Rahul Patel, managing partner of Patel Gaines, a Texas-based law firm specializing in property tax issues.