Property tax appeal comparison · 2026
Five Stone Tax vs AppealMyTax
Five Stone keeps 40% of your savings, every year. We charge $49 flat, one time, you keep 100%, in Houston and 12 more counties they do not cover for homes.
Them
Five Stone Tax
Contingency: 40% of your tax savings, with a flat minimum (whichever is greater)
$900/yr on a $2,250 saving
Using Five Stone's own example: a $100,000 value reduction saves about $2,250 a year, they keep 40% ($900), you net $1,350. Every year you hold the lower value. According to BBB complaints and customer reviews, the fee is 40% OR a flat minimum (around $149), whichever is greater, and some customers report being charged even when their value was not reduced. AppealMyTax is a flat $49, one time, and you keep 100%.
Coverage
Texas only, about 7 residential counties (Travis, Hays, Williamson, Burnet, Bell, Tarrant, Denton); commercial statewide (Five Stone). Texas, 14 county appraisal districts including Harris and Dallas (us).
Us
AppealMyTax
Flat-fee packet, no contingency, no recurring cut.
$49 flat
One time. You keep 100% of your savings every year. Ownwell keeps 25-35%, O'Connor keeps half. See your exact overpayment free first, no signup.
Coverage
Texas, 14 county appraisal districts (HCAD plus 13 others), with Harris County (Houston) live
Real-world cost comparison
Austin-area home, $100K value reduction, about $2,250/yr savings (Five Stone's own example)
Annual savings on appeal
$2,250
Five Stone Tax cost
$900 (40% × $2,250)
$1,350/yr after their cut, repeating every year
AppealMyTax cost
$49 one-time
$2,250/yr, every year
Multi-year math
10-year math: at flat savings Five Stone collects roughly $9,000 in contingency fees over a decade. Our $49 one-time fee captures the same reduction, and because Texas reassesses every year you re-run the protest each cycle and still keep 100%, so the gap widens the longer you hold the lower value.
Five Stone Tax: pros & cons
Strengths
- ✓ Established 15-year Austin firm with a strong local reputation (some Reddit users say the results justify the higher fee)
- ✓ Fully hands-off: they file, prepare, and present your protest and attend the hearing for you
- ✓ Also a full tax firm (income tax and IRS resolution), useful if you want one provider for everything
- ✓ Strong claimed results (98% success rate, 2X industry-average savings)
Limitations
- ✗ Takes 40% of your savings every single year, so the more you save the more they keep, and it repeats every cycle
- ✗ Per BBB complaints and reviews: a flat minimum applies (whichever is greater) and some report charges even with no reduction
- ✗ Residential coverage is limited to about 7 Austin-area and DFW counties (Travis, Hays, Williamson, Burnet, Bell, Tarrant, Denton). No residential Harris County (Houston).
- ✗ You do not own the filing record or see which comparables they used
Why AppealMyTax wins
- ★ Flat $49, one time, you keep 100% of the savings every year. Five Stone keeps 40% every year.
- ★ We cover Harris County (Houston) and 14 county appraisal districts total, including metros Five Stone does not handle for homes.
- ★ No contingency, no flat-minimum games, no recurring charge, and a refund if the protest has not been filed yet.
- ★ See your exact overpayment free in 30 seconds, no signup, no email, then keep 100% of it.
Try it free
Search your address. Get your specific overassessment estimate in 30 seconds. No credit card.
Check my address · FreeThe free check is genuinely free: no signup, no email. Optional $49 packet only if you want a pre-filled iFile-ready protest letter, and you keep 100% of your savings.