Most homeowners pay taxes on the real value of their property. But many large commercial property owners routinely report below-market values on their properties, then use appeals and lawsuits to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. According to an analysis by Real Values for Texas, over the last five years communities across Texas have lost an estimated $5.6 billion in tax revenue because the top 500 taxable commercial properties were appraised at below market value.

Read CVPE's Real Values Issues Brief here.