Texans pay no state income tax, but they make up for it with some of the highest property-tax bills in the country. The state’s main relief valve is a long list of exemptions — each one carving a piece of value off your bill before the tax is calculated. The trouble is that many homeowners claim only the basic homestead exemption and leave others on the table, never realizing they qualify. This is a roundup of the exemptions a Texas homeowner might be eligible for, who each one is for, and how to claim it.
One ground rule up front: most of these are claimed on the same application, and all of them are free to file through your county appraisal district. The Texas Comptroller maintains the official list and the forms.
1. The general residence homestead exemption
This is the foundation. If you own and live in your home as your principal residence as of January 1, you qualify. The mandatory school-district homestead exemption was raised to $140,000 through recent state legislation and the related constitutional amendment approved by voters. It also brings a 10 percent annual cap on increases to your taxable value. You claim it with Form 50-114.
2. The over-65 exemption and school-tax ceiling
Homeowners 65 and older get an additional homestead exemption — the school-district portion for seniors and disabled homeowners was raised from $10,000 to $60,000 under Senate Bill 23 and Proposition 11, approved by the Legislature and ratified by voters in 2025 — plus a school-tax ceiling that freezes the school-district portion of the bill at the level you paid when you qualified. Texas Law Help explains the over-65 exemption and ceiling. The ceiling is transferable to a new Texas homestead if you move.
3. The disabled-person exemption
If you meet the Social Security Administration’s definition of disability, you may qualify for a disabled-person exemption similar in structure to the over-65 break, including a school-tax ceiling. You generally cannot claim both the over-65 and the disabled-person exemption in the same year, so you choose the one that helps most. Documentation of the disability is required, and the appraisal district can specify what it accepts.
4. Disabled-veteran exemptions
Texas offers some of the most generous benefits in the nation for disabled veterans. The exemption amount scales with the VA disability rating, and veterans rated 100 percent disabled — along with certain surviving spouses — may qualify for a total exemption from property taxes on their homestead. The Comptroller details the disabled-veteran exemptions and the rating tiers. There are also benefits for surviving spouses of service members killed in action and of certain first responders killed in the line of duty.
5. The optional local homestead exemptions
Beyond the mandatory school exemption, your city, county, and special districts may grant an optional homestead exemption of up to 20 percent of your home’s value, plus their own additional over-65 and disabled exemptions. These vary by jurisdiction, so two homeowners in different parts of the same metro can have meaningfully different bills. Check what your specific taxing units offer; the appraisal district lists the exemptions applied to your account.
6. The farm-to-market and flood-control exemption
In counties that levy a special farm-to-market road or flood-control tax, homeowners receive an additional mandatory homestead exemption of at least $3,000 against that particular tax. It is small, but it applies automatically once your homestead is on file in those counties.
7. Agricultural and timber valuation
Not technically an exemption but a special appraisal, this provision lets land used for agriculture or timber production be valued on its productive capacity rather than its market value — often a dramatic reduction. It is aimed at working land, not residential lots, and comes with use requirements and a rollback tax if the land’s use changes. Landowners apply through the appraisal district.
8. Charitable, religious, and other property exemptions
Texas also exempts property owned by qualifying charities, religious organizations, schools, and certain other entities. These do not apply to a typical homeowner, but they are part of the same exemption framework and explain why some property in your area is off the tax rolls. The Comptroller’s exemptions page covers the full set.
9. Solar and wind-powered energy device exemption
Texas exempts the added value that a solar or wind-powered energy device contributes to a property. If you install rooftop solar, the appraisal district is not supposed to tax you on the increase in value attributable to the system. It is a niche benefit, but for a homeowner weighing a solar installation, it removes one cost from the equation. The exemption is claimed through the appraisal district, and the Comptroller’s exemptions list describes the qualifying devices.
10. Temporary exemption for disaster-damaged property
Texas is no stranger to hurricanes, freezes, and floods. After a governor-declared disaster, owners of property that was physically damaged may qualify for a temporary exemption proportional to the damage, under provisions added to the Texas Tax Code. The relief is time-limited and requires an application filed within a set window after the disaster declaration, so it is easy to miss in the chaos that follows a storm. If your home took damage in a declared disaster, ask your appraisal district about the temporary disaster exemption before you assume your full value will be taxed.
A word on stacking and limits
Many of these exemptions can be combined. A 70-year-old disabled veteran living in their own home, for instance, can hold the general homestead exemption, the over-65 exemption with its school-tax ceiling, and a disabled-veteran exemption at the same time. But some pairs are mutually exclusive — most notably, you generally cannot claim both the over-65 and the disabled-person exemption in the same tax year. The appraisal district applies the combination that benefits you, but it is worth understanding the rules so you can check the result rather than trusting it blindly.
How to claim them — and a warning
Most homeowner exemptions are claimed on a single application, Form 50-114, filed once with your county appraisal district; the disabled-veteran exemption uses its own form. There is no fee. The general deadline aligns with the property-tax calendar, but Texas allows late homestead applications within a limited window, so even if you missed a year, you may be able to recover the benefit. A standing warning: because exemptions are valuable, mailers regularly offer to “file” them for a fee. The Texas Attorney General warns Texans about these solicitations. Filing yourself is free and quick.
Ten lines to check against your own appraisal notice
Start by confirming the $140,000 general homestead exemption is on file, then work down the list: age, disability, veteran status, or your land’s use could qualify you for several more of the ten covered here. Pull up your property on your appraisal district’s website and read the exemptions currently applied line by line — the gap between what’s listed and what you’re actually entitled to is, quite literally, money on your next tax bill.
This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by a human editor. Figures are linked to their primary sources; where a claim could not be verified from the public record, we say so.
