Property Tax Exemptions You're Probably Not Claiming in Texas

Texas doesn't have a state income tax, so property tax carries more of the weight here than in most states, and the exemptions that offset it changed size recently. If you bought your home before 2025, or you're about to buy one now, there's a real chance you're not getting the full benefit you're entitled to.

The exemption that got a lot bigger

Every Texas homeowner who owns and occupies their home as a primary residence qualifies for the general homestead exemption, which now removes $140,000 of your home's value from school district taxes, up from $100,000 before a 2025 statewide vote raised it. File once with your county appraisal district, Form 50-114, generally by April 30. Miss that date and you're not out of luck: Texas allows you to file late and claim the exemption retroactively for up to two years, more forgiving than most states.

There's a second benefit riding along with the exemption. Once your homestead is on file, your home's appraised value for tax purposes can't rise more than 10% in a single year, no matter what the market does. Buyers who've owned for a while can end up with an appraised value well under what the home would actually sell for.

The add-on for seniors and disabled homeowners

Turn 65, or qualify as disabled, and you get an additional $60,000 exemption on top of the general one, for a combined $200,000 off your school district taxable value. This one used to be worth just $10,000. If you turned 65 any time recently and haven't filed a new application since, you're likely still sitting on the old, smaller number. This exemption also comes with a school tax ceiling: once it's in place, your school taxes are frozen at that year's level and won't climb further, even if your home's value keeps rising.

The one built specifically for veterans

A veteran with a 100% VA disability rating qualifies for a full exemption, meaning no property tax on that home at all. Veterans with a lower rating get a partial exemption scaled to that rating instead. A surviving spouse of a veteran who died from a service-related condition can also qualify for the full exemption, regardless of what the veteran's rating was, as long as they haven't remarried. None of this stacks automatically. Each one needs its own application and its own documentation.

What to actually check

Look up your property on your county appraisal district's website and check the exemptions section on your own record. If you turned 65 after your original homestead filing and don't see the extra $60,000 listed, file the updated application. If you're a veteran and don't see a disability exemption listed at all, that's worth a call to your appraisal district before you assume it's already handled.