Property tax appeal
Five Stone Tax Advisers
Five Stone Tax Advisers is an Austin, Texas tax firm with three practices: property tax reduction, income tax planning and preparation, and IRS resolution. On the property tax side it acts as the owner's agent and represents clients through the appeal process, filing, preparing, and presenting the protest on their behalf.
Residential property tax work is billed at 40% of the tax savings secured, with no upfront cost and no fee if there are no savings. Sign-up is a registration form with nothing to fax, mail, or email. Residential coverage is limited to Travis, Hays, Williamson, Burnet, Bell, Tarrant, and Denton counties; commercial clients are served across all Texas counties. Related services include exemption monitoring, which notifies an owner if the appraisal district removes an exemption, and exemption application support.
The firm's team page lists 38 tax professionals including CPAs, tax attorneys, senior property tax consultants, and enrolled agents, with over 200 years of combined experience. It says it has saved clients more than $200 million, donates 33% of profits to charity, and won the Recognize Good Ethics in Business Award. IRS resolution work is quoted as a flat fee after a consultation, and the firm says a resolution case takes on average 6 to 12 months once documentation is in.
Commercial fee terms are not published; ask for them in writing along with which counties the firm will handle for your portfolio.
Best for
Texas owners protesting an appraised value: residential owners in the seven counties Five Stone covers, and commercial owners anywhere in the state. Also a fit for taxpayers who need federal return preparation or IRS debt resolution alongside the protest.
What they do
- Texas residential property tax protests
- Commercial property tax protests statewide in Texas
- Appeal hearing representation as the owner's agent
- Exemption monitoring
- Exemption application support
- Federal and state tax return preparation
- Tax planning and consulting
- IRS audit representation
- IRS installment agreements and Offer in Compromise
- Payroll tax debt relief
Details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Team size | 11-50 employees |
| How they charge | Residential property tax appeals are billed at 40% of actual tax savings, with no upfront fee and no fee if there are no savings. IRS resolution work is quoted as a flat fee after a consultation. |
What stands out
- Charges 40% of actual property tax savings on residential appeals, with no upfront fee and no fee if there are no savings.
- Handles residential protests in Travis, Hays, Williamson, Burnet, Bell, Tarrant, and Denton counties, and commercial protests in all Texas counties.
- Lists 38 tax professionals including CPAs, tax attorneys, senior property tax consultants, and enrolled agents, with over 200 years of combined experience.
- States it has saved clients more than $200 million and donates 33% of profits to charity.
- Winner of the Recognize Good Ethics in Business Award.
Common questions
- How much does a residential property tax appeal cost?
- The residential fee is 40% of the tax savings secured. There are no upfront costs and the fee is based on results, so no savings means no fee.
- Which counties does Five Stone serve?
- Residential properties in Travis, Hays, Williamson, Burnet, Bell, Tarrant, and Denton counties. Commercial clients are served across all Texas counties.
- Why protest if the homestead cap means no savings this year?
- Five Stone argues a protest still pays: it makes it harder for the district to raise the value the following year, prevents the argument that the owner agreed with this year's number, decreases the banked amount of capped increases in later years, strengthens equity arguments for neighbors, and gets property characteristics reviewed and corrected.
- What does exemption monitoring include?
- It educates clients on exemptions their property may be eligible for, and Five Stone notifies the owner if the appraisal district removes an exemption from the property.
- How long does IRS resolution take and what does it cost?
- Resolving an IRS issue takes on average 6 to 12 months from the time all necessary documentation is submitted, depending on the amount owed, the program applied for, and any appeals hearings. Fees are based on the workload, and the flat fee for a case is given at the end of the consultation.