PAYMENT OF TAXES PENDING APPEAL.

(a) The pendency of an appeal to the office does not affect the delinquency date for the taxes on the property subject to the appeal. A property owner who appeals an appraisal review board order to the office shall pay taxes on the property subject to the appeal in an amount equal to the amount of taxes due on the portion of the taxable value of the property that is not in dispute. If the final determination of the appeal decreases the property owner's tax liability to an amount less than the amount of taxes paid, each taxing unit shall refund to the property owner the difference between the amount of taxes paid and the amount of taxes for which the property owner is liable. The taxing unit shall make the refund not later than the 60th day after the date of the final determination of the appeal. If the taxing unit does not make the refund within the period required by this subsection, the taxing unit shall include with the refund interest on the amount refunded at an annual rate of 12 percent, calculated from the delinquency date for the taxes being refunded until the date the refund is made.

(b) A property owner may not appeal to the office if the taxes on the property subject to the appeal are delinquent. An administrative law judge who determines that the taxes on the property subject to an appeal are delinquent shall dismiss the pending appeal with prejudice. If an appeal is dismissed under this subsection, the office shall retain the property owner's filing fee.