Property Tax Exemptions You're Probably Not Claiming in Ohio
Ohio's homestead exemption shields $29,000 of your home's market value from property tax, and it's easy to assume you don't qualify because you've heard the income limit is lower than your income actually is. That limit moved this year, and a fair number of homeowners who checked a year or two ago and came up short would qualify now.
The exemption itself
Homeowners who are 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled, can exempt the first $29,000 of their home's market value from property tax. For the 2026 tax year, based on 2025 income, your Ohio Adjusted Gross Income has to be $41,000 or less, up from $40,000 the year before. File once with your county auditor using Form DTE 105A, and it stays in place as long as you keep living there. If you move to a different Ohio home, you'll need to refile, but the exemption itself doesn't expire on its own.
The income limit that keeps moving
Ohio adjusts this income threshold for inflation nearly every year: $38,600 for 2024, $40,000 for 2025, $41,000 for 2026. If you were told you didn't qualify a few years back and never checked again, it's worth another look. And if you first received the exemption back in 2013 or earlier, none of this applies to you. You're grandfathered in with no income limit at all, regardless of what you earn now.
The doubled exemption for veterans and certain surviving spouses
Disabled veterans with a 100% service-connected disability, and surviving spouses of public service officers killed in the line of duty, can claim an enhanced exemption of $58,000, exactly double the standard amount, with no income limit at all. This one uses a different form (DTE 105I for veterans, DTE 105K for surviving spouses of public service officers) and its own documentation, so it's not something the standard application picks up automatically.
What to actually check
Confirm with your county auditor's office whether you're currently on file for the Homestead Exemption, and if you were denied in a prior year specifically because of income, check again against this year's $41,000 limit before assuming the answer is still no.
Ohio at a glance
| Program | What it covers | Who qualifies | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homestead Exemption | $29,000 off market value | Age 65+ or permanently/totally disabled, 2025 Ohio AGI of $41,000 or less | File once (Form DTE 105A), by December 31 of the application year |
| Enhanced Exemption for Disabled Veterans / Surviving Spouses | $58,000 off market value | 100% service-connected disabled veterans; surviving spouses of public service officers killed in the line of duty; no income limit | File once (Form DTE 105I or DTE 105K) |
| Grandfathered Exemption | $29,000 off market value, no income test | Anyone who received the Homestead Exemption for tax year 2013 or earlier | File once; transfers with a new form if you move (DTE 105G) |
This isn't legal or tax advice. Exemption amounts and income limits are adjusted annually and can change. Confirm current numbers with your county auditor before filing or budgeting around any of these figures. Last verified July 2026 against multiple Ohio county auditor offices and the Ohio Revised Code.
Property tax is one line on a longer list of costs that show up after closing, not before it. The Home Buyer Course covers what new homeowners miss in their first year, including this, in Property Taxes, Homestead Exemptions, and the Money Sitting on the Table That Nobody Told You About. Start the Home Buyer Course free →
Sources
- Butler County Auditor | Homestead Exemption
- Stark County Auditor | Homestead Exemption
- Geauga County Auditor | Homestead Exemption
Figures confirmed across multiple Ohio county auditor offices; search "[your county] Ohio auditor homestead exemption" for your county's specific forms and any local variation.
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