El Paso Property Tax: EPCAD Rates, Deadlines & Appeals (2026)

The 2026 regular residential protest deadline in El Paso County was May 15, 2026, unless your Notice of Appraised Value was dated after April 15—in that case, you had 30 days from the notice date. File with the El Paso Central Appraisal District (EPCAD), 5801 Trowbridge Drive, El Paso, TX 79925, using the EPCAD protest portal/digital protest form when open, in person, or by U.S. mail; EPCAD says the online service is free.

How assessments work in El Paso

El Paso County property values are set by the El Paso Central Appraisal District, not by the County Tax Office or the City tax collector. EPCAD’s job is to appraise taxable property and administer exemptions for taxing units in El Paso County. Tax bills are then collected through the consolidated tax office; bills are mailed in October and are due by January 31.

For 2026, EPCAD’s reappraisal plan says all residential classes will be reappraised. The plan also lists targeted 2026 residential review areas, including parts of Upper Valley, Central, East, Lower Valley, Clint, Horizon City, multifamily properties, and all subdivisions within Socorro ISD. EPCAD’s calendar shows residential model analysis and depreciation analysis in February, residential neighborhood market adjustments beginning in February, residential values finalized in March, and the first batch of 2026 residential homestead notices mailed in March.

The value date is January 1, 2026. EPCAD uses mass appraisal: sales/ration studies, neighborhood market areas, cost schedules, depreciation tables, aerial imagery, permits, property sketches, and field/office reviews. Texas is a non-disclosure state, so EPCAD does not automatically receive every private sale price; that makes your closing statement, recent appraisal, photos, and repair bids especially important if EPCAD’s model missed something.

If you have a residence homestead exemption, remember the 10% appraisal cap: the appraised value generally cannot increase by more than 10% over the prior year’s appraised value, plus new improvements. That cap is not the same as market value—the notice may show a higher market value and a lower capped appraised value.

Whether you should appeal

Appeal if you can prove either market value is too high or unequal appraisal. In El Paso, the best first checks are:

• Notice details: living area, year built, quality/class, condition, pool, additions, land size, and exemptions.
• Comparable sales: homes in the same EPCAD neighborhood or a very similar subdivision that sold before January 1, 2026.
• Condition evidence: roof, HVAC, foundation, drainage, electrical, settlement cracks, fire/water damage, or unfinished work. Use dated photos and contractor bids.
• Unequal value: similar nearby homes appraised lower per square foot, after adjusting for size, age, and condition.
• Exemptions: EPCAD’s forms page says homestead applications are started from Property Search → Property Services → Apply for Homestead. If the button is missing, EPCAD says you may already have an exemption on file; call Deeds and Exemptions at 915-780-2136.

For 2026, Texas school district homestead relief is significant: the general school homestead exemption is $140,000, and age-65-or-older or disabled homeowners receive an additional $60,000 school exemption if qualified. Disabled veterans and certain surviving spouses may qualify for partial or total exemptions.

Do not appeal just because the tax bill feels high. EPCAD cannot lower tax rates. For a savings estimate, use the relevant tax rates. The County’s FY2026 adopted budget lists the El Paso County adopted rate at $0.458889 per $100 of value. A $25,000 taxable value reduction saves about $114.72 on the county portion alone: $25,000 ÷ 100 × 0.458889. If the home is also in the City of El Paso, EPISD/YISD/SISD/Canutillo/Clint, UMC, EPCC, or a MUD/ESD, the total savings will be higher because those rates also apply.

Step-by-step how to file

1. Find your account. Search EPCAD by address, owner, or property ID. Download the 2026 Notice of Appraised Value and save your property record.

2. Calendar the correct deadline. For 2026, the usual deadline was May 15, 2026, or 30 days after EPCAD mailed your notice, whichever was later. EPCAD’s portal states that if you did not receive a notice, May 15 was still the deadline. If a deadline falls on a weekend or legal holiday, it moves to the next business day. The next regular May 15 deadline after the 2026 season falls on Saturday, so the next countdown date is May 17, 2027.

3. Use the right form. The official form is Comptroller Form 50-132, Property Appraisal – Notice of Protest. EPCAD also offers a digital protest/QR option from the property record, and the portal routes online protests when the season is open. For a non-oral evidence submission, use EPCAD’s unsworn declaration option when available or Comptroller Form 50-283, Property Owner’s Affidavit of Evidence; EPCAD notes Form 50-283 must be notarized.

4. Choose your filing method. EPCAD lists these options: Online Portal, Digital Protest Form / QR, in person or kiosk, and U.S. mail. The mailing and drop-off address is:

   El Paso Central Appraisal District
   5801 Trowbridge Drive
   El Paso, TX 79925

   EPCAD publishes a general email address, but its 2026 protest instructions do not list email as an official protest filing method. Use the portal/digital form, mail, or in-person delivery instead. There is no EPCAD fee to file a protest or use the online portal.

5. State your value. On Form 50-132, do not just write “too high.” Check the reason—market value, unequal appraisal, exemption denial, ownership, etc.—and write the value you believe is correct.

6. Upload or prepare evidence. EPCAD accepts evidence through Property Services after a protest is processed. For hearings, evidence may be submitted in paper form or on a small portable device such as a CD or USB drive; EPCAD says not to bring evidence on a smartphone.

What happens after

EPCAD’s portal says an online protest counts as your informal hearing; all communications are by email only, and you cannot switch protest method after submitting online. The e-file process may send you CAD evidence, an appointment letter, rights-and-remedies documents, and either a settlement/change-of-value offer or notice that no offer is made. If you reject an offer, you remain scheduled for the formal ARB hearing and must attend or the protest may be dismissed.

The formal appeal authority is the El Paso County Appraisal Review Board (ARB). The ARB is an independent citizen board that hears evidence and can order EPCAD to change the appraisal roll. EPCAD’s homeowner handout says a hearing typically includes: both sides presenting evidence, rebuttal, closing arguments, ARB panel deliberation, a vote, and announcement of the determination.

You may appear in person, by telephone conference, by videoconference, or by written affidavit. EPCAD’s 2026 procedures say you must indicate the hearing type on your written notice and file that notice with the ARB no later than the fifth day before the hearing date. If you want an evening or Saturday hearing, request it.

The ARB must send written notice of the hearing time, date, place, and subject. After the ARB decides, it sends a copy of its order by certified mail or electronically if you elected electronic delivery. If you disagree, you may appeal to district court or regular binding arbitration within 60 days after receiving the ARB order, or to SOAH within 30 days where eligible; those later appeals involve fees or deposits.

EPCAD’s 2026 calendar projected ARB informal/formal hearings continuing into August and appraisal records approval on July 20, 2026, with certification to taxing units on July 25, 2026. Actual hearing dates depend on your case notice.

Local tips

• Use El Paso neighborhoods, not random Zillow comps. EPCAD values residential property by market area and neighborhood. A Northeast comp usually will not help a Lower Valley house.
• If your notice was dated May 14, 2026, your deadline was later than May 15. EPCAD examples in Property Services show some 2026 notices uploaded in May; those owners generally had 30 days from the notice date.
• Check the homestead status line in Property Services. Several EPCAD property pages show “Homestead Status | On File” when active. If yours is blank and this is your principal residence, investigate before fighting only the value.
• Bring El Paso-specific repair proof. Contractor bids for roof, HVAC, evaporative cooling conversion, foundation settlement, stucco, or water intrusion are more persuasive than general statements about condition.
• No published success-rate shortcut. I did not find an official EPCAD aggregate success rate or median reduction for 2026 residential protests. Texas law requires protest-hearing database information, but EPCAD’s public materials I found do not publish a simple homeowner win rate. Do not assume an average reduction; build your own evidence file.

El Paso Property Tax Rate

El Paso County FY2026 adopted county property tax rate: $0.458889 per $100 valuation, consisting of $0.395292 Maintenance & Operations and $0.063597 Interest & Sinking. For the county’s FY2026 median-valued homestead property of $194,879, the current fiscal year county tax shown in the official taxpayer impact statement is $894.28.

Source: https://www.epcounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/5334/FY-2026-Adopted-Budget-PDF

When Are Property Taxes Due in El Paso?

Property tax bills are mailed every October; payment is due by January 31, and unpaid amounts become delinquent on February 1. Quarterly payment plan for current-year taxes is available to homeowners with an Over-65, Disability, or Disabled Veteran exemption; installment deadlines are January 31, March 31, May 31, and July 31, with the first 1/4 payment due by January 31 to enroll.

This is not the same as the assessment appeal deadline above. The appeal deadline is your window to contest your assessed value; the payment due date is when the resulting tax bill must be paid. Missing one does not affect the other, but missing either has real consequences — one forfeits your right to appeal for the year, the other can trigger penalties and interest.

Source: https://www.elpasotexas.gov/tax-office

Property Tax Exemptions in El Paso

• Residence Homestead Exemption — Homeowners who own and occupy the property as their principal residence and do not claim another residence homestead exemption.. Texas school districts must provide a $140,000 residence homestead exemption; other taxing units may adopt a local-option homestead exemption up to 20% of appraised value, not less than $5,000. El Paso County-specific local-option dollar/percentage amount was not confirmed on a policy page beyond property-record examples, so it is not stated here. Yes, application filed with the El Paso Central Appraisal District; EPCAD says there is no fee and online filing starts from the Property Search/Property Services page. Apply by Before May 1 generally; late-file rules may apply under Texas law.. (Source: https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/exemptions/)
• Age 65 or Older Residence Homestead Exemption — A homeowner age 65 or older who owns and occupies the property as a principal residence; EPCAD states eligibility begins as soon as the person turns 65.. Texas school districts must provide an additional $60,000 residence homestead exemption for age 65 or older homeowners; other taxing units may offer a local-option exemption that cannot be less than $3,000. Yes, application filed with EPCAD; EPCAD says if the owner turns 65 in the upcoming year, the owner is eligible for the exemption on January 1 of that year. Apply by Before May 1 generally; contact EPCAD for age-65 filing details.. (Source: https://epcad.org/Home/Forms/Homestead)
• Disabled Persons Residence Homestead Exemption — Homeowners who meet the disability definition for federal Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance benefits and occupy the home as their principal residence.. Texas school districts must provide an additional $60,000 residence homestead exemption for disabled persons; other taxing units may offer a local-option exemption that cannot be less than $3,000. Yes, application filed with EPCAD, with supporting disability documentation as required. Apply by Before May 1 generally.. (Source: https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/exemptions/)
• Disabled Veteran / Surviving Spouse Exemption — Veterans with a service-connected disability rating, and qualifying surviving spouses or children; EPCAD states the disability must be service-connected and a VA benefits letter is required.. EPCAD lists state-mandated partial exemptions by VA disability rating: 10%-29% = $5,000; 30%-49% = $7,500; 50%-69% = $10,000; 70% and over = $12,000; disabled veterans age 65+ with at least 10% rating receive the full $12,000. A 100% disabled veteran/individual unemployability homestead may receive a total residence homestead exemption. Yes; EPCAD links the disabled veteran/survivor application and states a homestead form is required for the 100% disabled veterans exemption. Apply by Before May 1 generally; 100% disabled veterans may apply immediately on qualification under the cited Texas Tax Code provision.. (Source: https://epcad.org/Home/DisabledVeterans)
• Surviving Spouse of First Responder Killed in the Line of Duty — A surviving spouse of a first responder killed or fatally injured in the line of duty who has not remarried since the first responder’s death.. Total property tax exemption on the surviving spouse’s residence homestead under Texas Tax Code Section 11.134. Yes, residence homestead exemption application filed with EPCAD. Apply by Before May 1 generally.. (Source: https://epcad.org/Home/Exemptions)
• Surviving Spouse of U.S. Armed Services Member Killed or Fatally Injured in the Line of Duty — A surviving spouse of a U.S. armed services member killed or fatally injured in the line of duty, if the surviving spouse has not remarried and the property is the residence homestead.. Total property tax exemption on the residence homestead under Texas Tax Code Section 11.133. Yes, residence homestead exemption application filed with the appraisal district. Apply by Before May 1 generally.. (Source: https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/exemptions/)

How to Look Up Your Property Record in El Paso

You can look up your property's official record at https://epcad.org/Search. The official EPCAD Property Search lets users search by name, address, Property ID, or GeoID and shows appraisal-roll/property services information such as ownership, property address, values, exemptions on file, tax rates, taxable values, and estimated taxes where available.