Property Tax Exemptions You're Probably Not Claiming in Arkansas

Most of Arkansas's property tax relief comes from a single constitutional amendment that bundles several benefits together. Disabled veterans get something separate and larger, but they have to choose one path or the other. You can't have both.

The bundle almost every homeowner should be using

Amendment 79 to the Arkansas Constitution, passed in 2001, packages together a few distinct benefits for anyone whose home is their primary residence, not just seniors or a specific group. First, a flat credit of up to $600 (for 2026 tax bills, up from $500 the year before) applied directly against your tax bill; if your bill is less than $600, you owe nothing at all. Second, an automatic cap limiting how much your home's taxable assessed value can rise each year: 5% for a homestead, 10% for other property, regardless of how much the market actually moved. That cap resets when the property changes hands, so a long-term owner's protected value doesn't transfer to a buyer. File the credit once with your county assessor; there's no specific recurring deadline for it, though confirm with your county.

The extra layer for seniors and disabled homeowners

On top of the 5% cap, homeowners 65 or older or permanently disabled can have their taxable assessed value frozen entirely rather than merely capped, with no income test at all, which makes it one of the more accessible senior benefits in the country on paper. One detail trips people up: the freeze doesn't lock in the value from the day you turn 65. It locks in the value as of the next assessment date after you qualify, which in most Arkansas counties means the following January 1. If you turn 65 partway through a year, expect the freeze to apply starting the assessment after that birthday, not immediately. File by the first Monday in June to be considered for that year; confirm the exact date with your county assessor.

The one that replaces the bundle, not adds to it

Disabled veterans have access to something considerably larger: a full exemption from property tax on both the homestead and personal property, not just a credit or a capped value. Qualifying categories go beyond a straightforward 100% disability rating; a veteran who receives VA special monthly compensation for the loss, or loss of use, of one or more limbs, or for total blindness in one or both eyes, also qualifies, alongside those with a 100% service-connected permanent and total disability rating. Surviving spouses and minor dependent children can generally continue the benefit, with some restrictions. Here's the catch: if you're receiving this exemption, you're not eligible for the Amendment 79 Homestead Credit or the senior/disabled freeze at the same time. It's one or the other, and for most qualifying veterans, the full exemption is worth substantially more, but it's still a choice, not an automatic stack.

What to actually check

File for the Amendment 79 credit even if you're not a senior or disabled; any qualifying homestead can claim it. If you're 65 or disabled, remember the freeze locks in at the assessment date following your qualifying birthday or disability determination, not the day itself. And if you're a veteran who might qualify for the disabled veterans exemption, understand you're choosing it over Amendment 79's benefits, not adding it on top.