Editorial policy
This site exists because tax numbers are repeated without their source and then repeated again. The rule here is simple: a figure appears only with the document that produced it, and every class of figure is labelled.
Source hierarchy
- Primary (Tier 1): Texas Comptroller publications and rate files, the Texas Tax Code and Texas statutes, and the Comptroller's published reports. Used for every rate, threshold and deadline.
- Secondary (Tier 2): agency documents from other states or federal agencies, only when a Texas-specific source does not exist.
- Never: rate aggregator sites, national averages presented as Texas rates, forum answers, or content that cites no source.
How figures are labelled
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Verified | Stated in a Tier 1 document and read directly. |
| Calculated | Computed from verified figures; the arithmetic is shown on the page or reproducible from the published dataset. |
| Illustrative | A round-number example that shows mechanics, not a forecast. Marked in the sentence. |
| Variable | Differs by taxpayer, location or district, and is described as a range rather than a single number. |
Datasets
Sales rates come from the Comptroller's city sales and use tax rate file. Property rates come from the Statewide Report of Tax Rates county, city and school district files. Both are parsed by a build script that is committed with the site, so anyone can re-run the build and get the same numbers. Row counts are checked against the source file before publication; a mismatch stops the build.
Corrections
If a figure on this site contradicts the current primary source, the primary source wins. Corrections are made on the page, with a dated note describing what changed. Send them to editor@texastaxtruth.com.
What we will not publish
- Advice on how a specific person or business should file.
- Any prediction of a tax outcome, refund or assessment.
- Content about a document we have not read — including the 2012 report archived on this domain, whose text is described only as a record until the archive replay is available.
- Republished third-party articles, machine-translated news, or text produced to fill a page count.
- Paid advertising or sponsorship presented as independent editorial. Any programmatic advertising must remain clearly distinct from editorial content and must not influence reported figures or conclusions.
Independence
Texas Tax Truth is not affiliated with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, any appraisal district, any taxing unit, or any tax software vendor. The site does not accept paid editorial coverage or sponsorship that influences its reporting.