Applying for Homestead Exemptions

Homestead exemptions reduce your property taxes by lowering the property value the county appraisal district uses to calculate your tax bill. You may apply for a homestead exemption for a home you own and treat as your principal residence. That home can be a separate structure, condominium, or a manufactured home located on owned or leased land of up to 20 acres.

You apply for the exemption by submitting a Residential Homestead Exemption Application with your county appraisal district. (For a list of appraisal district offices, click here.)

The Texas Legislature recently changed the due date for submitting the form. You may complete and submit the form as soon as you own and occupy the home as your primary residence, and the exemption will apply for the partial year in which you first occupy the home. If you file the form by April 30th, the exemption can be processed in time for the property tax bill you receive in the fall. If you file after April 30th, the exemption will be applied retroactively as long as you file less than one year after taxes are due (generally January 31st of each year).

Once you receive the exemption, you do not need to reapply unless the appraisal district sends you a new application.

If you are age 65 and older, disabled, or a surviving spouse of a Armed Services member or a first responder killed in the line of duty, you may qualify for an additional homestead exemption.

Note that Texas requires you to document your homestead residency with a copy of your driver's license or state-issued personal identification certificate showing an address that matches your home's address. In certain cases, the county appraisal can waive this requirement.

There is NO fee for applying for a homestead exemption, and the process is very simple. Beware of companies offering to process your application for a fee. Their offers may come in official-looking envelopes, but they are scams. Again, filing for a homestead exemption is FREE.

State law requires that you notify the county appraisal office if your entitlement to the exemption ends, for example, if you no longer occupy the home.

For more information, please visit the Texas Comptroller's property tax exemptions Web page.