Property Tax Exemptions Available for Texas Homeowners

April 10, 2015 | by Katie Claflin

Categories: Homeownership

Texas has the second highest property taxes in the nation, according to a recent report issued by the real estate firm Realty Trac.   The states with the highest effective property tax rates are: New York (3.01 percent), Texas (2.18 percent), Illinois (2.15 percent), Connecticut (2.11 percent) and New Jersey (2.01 percent).

Texas Property Tax Exemptions

Texas law does provide some relief by allowing a variety of partial or total property tax exemptions.  A partial exemption removes a portion of a property’s value from taxation, while a total exemption excludes the entire property from taxation. 

If you purchased a home in 2014, the deadline to file your exemption application is April 30th. Click here to learn more and obtain a copy of the exemption applications.

Below is a summary of the three property tax exemption types for homeowners:

1. Residence Homestead:  a partial exemption available on the property claimed as a homeowner’s primary residence
2. Age 65 or Older or Disabled Persons: a partial exemption available to homeowners age 65 or older OR homeowners who meet definition of disabled for the purpose of receiving disability insurance benefits under the Federal Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance Act.  This exemption is only available on the property claimed as the homeowner's primary residence.
3. Disabled Veterans: a partial exemption available on any property owned by disabled veterans and surviving spouses and children of deceased disabled veterans.  Veterans who are deemed 100% disabled due to a service-related disability are eligible for a total exemption on their primary residence.

The Texas Legislature is also considering several tax reform bills that could increase the property tax exemptions available to Texas homeowners. To learn more, check out the Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan media outlet that covers the Texas Legislative Session.

---

On the House blog posts are meant to provide general information on various housing-related issues, research and programs. We are not liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the information provided by blog sources. Furthermore, this blog is not legal advice and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney.