Property Taxes on Farms and Ranches Could Be Reduced with Productivity Appraisal.
Comptroller’s Office Encourages Homeowners to Take Advantage of Homestead Exemptions
One of the easiest ways a homeowner can lower his or her property tax bill is to file a
homestead exemption. A homestead is generally the house and land used as the
owner’s principal residence on Jan. 1 of the tax year. A person who acquires property
after Jan. 1 may receive the residence homestead exemption for the applicable portion
of that tax year immediately on qualification for the exemption if the preceding owner
did not receive the same exemption for that tax year.
Homestead exemptions reduce your home's appraised value and, as a result, lower
your property taxes. To apply for an exemption on your residence homestead, contact
the (NAME) Appraisal District.
Available homestead exemptions include:
• School taxes: All homeowners may receive a $40,000 homestead exemption for
school taxes.
• County taxes: If a county collects a special tax for farm-to-market roads or flood
control, a homeowner may receive a $3,000 homestead exemption for this tax.
• Age and disability exemptions: Individuals 65 or older or disabled as defined by
law may qualify for a $10,000 homestead exemption for school taxes, in addition
to the $40,000 exemption available to all homeowners. Also, any taxing unit may
offer a local optional exemption of at least $3,000 for taxpayers age 65 or older
and/or disabled. Older or disabled homeowners do not need to own their homes
on Jan. 1 to qualify for the $10,000 homestead exemption. They qualify as soon
as they turn age 65 or become disabled.
• Taxing units may offer a local option exemption based on a percentage of a
home's appraised value. Any taxing unit can exempt up to 20 percent of each
qualified homestead's value. No matter what value percentage the taxing unit
adopts, the dollar value of the exemption must be at least $5,000.
• Partial exemption for disabled veterans: Texas law provides partial
exemptions for any property owned by disabled veterans, surviving spouses
and surviving children of deceased disabled veterans. This includes
homesteads donated to disabled veterans by charitable organizations at no cost
or not more than 50 percent of the good faith estimate of the homestead’s
market value to the disabled veterans and their surviving spouses. The
the percentage of service-connected disability determines the exemption amount.
• 100 Percent Residence Homestead Exemption for Disabled Veterans: A
disabled veteran awarded 100 percent disability compensation due to a service-
connected disability and a rating of 100 percent disabled or of individual
unemployability from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs is
entitled to an exemption from taxation of the total appraised value of the
veteran's residence homestead. Surviving spouses of veterans who qualified for
this exemption or who would have qualified for this exemption if it had been in
effects at the time of the veteran’s death are also eligible with certain restrictions.
The residence homestead application must be filed if this exemption is claimed.
• Surviving Spouses of Members of the U.S. Armed Services Killed in the
Line of Duty: The surviving spouse of a member of the U.S. armed services
who is killed or fatally injured in the line of duty is allowed a 100 percent property
tax exemption on his or her residence homestead if the surviving spouse has not
remarried since the death of the armed services member.
• Surviving Spouses of First Responders Killed in the Line of Duty: The
eligible surviving spouse of a first responder killed in the line of duty is allowed a
100 percent property tax exemption on his or her residence homestead if the
surviving spouse has not remarried since the death of the first responder.
For more details on homestead exemptions, contact the (NAME) Appraisal
District at (INSERT CAD CONTACT INFORMATION). The homestead
exemption application is available online at comptroller.texas.gov/
forms/50-114.pdf.
Disabled Veterans May Qualify to Have Some or All of Their Property Taxes Waived
Veterans with a service connected disability are encouraged to file an exemption
application form to have their property taxes lowered. Some veterans may even qualify
for a 100 percent exemption of their taxes.
Texas law provides partial exemptions for any property owned by veterans who are
disabled, surviving spouses and surviving children of deceased disabled veterans. An
applicant may claim an exemption on only one piece of property the applicant owned on
Jan. 1. The applicant must be a Texas resident to qualify for a homestead exemption.
The other partial exemption is for homesteads donated to disabled veterans by charitable
organizations at no cost or not more than 50 percent of the good faith estimate of the
homestead’s market value to the disabled veterans and their surviving spouses.
The exemption amount is determined according to the percentage of service-connected
disability.
A disabled veteran who receives 100 percent disability compensation due to a service-
connected disability and a rating of 100 percent disabled or individual unemployability
from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs is entitled to an exemption from
taxation of the appraised value of the veteran’s residence homestead. Surviving spouses
of veterans who qualified for this exemption or who would have qualified for this
exemption if it had been in effect at the time of the veteran’s death are also eligible with
certain restrictions.
The surviving spouse of a member of the U.S. armed services who is killed in action is
allowed a total (100 percent) property tax exemption on his or her residence homestead if
the surviving spouse has not remarried since the death of the armed services member.
Any eligible person who has not previously received an exemption should file an
exemption application by April 30.
For more information about property tax exemptions for disabled veterans and their
surviving spouses or to file an exemption, contact the Shelby County Appraisal District at
(936) 598-6171 online at www.shelbycad.com.
More information is also available on the Comptroller’s Property Tax Assistance Division
website at comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/.
Property Taxes on Farms and Ranches Could Be Reduced with Productivity Appraisal
Texas farmers and ranchers can be granted property tax relief on their land. They may
apply to the Shelby County Appraisal District for agricultural productivity appraisal and
for a lower appraisal of their land based on how much they produce, versus what their
land would sell for on the open market.
The Texas Constitution authorizes two types of agricultural productivity appraisals, 1-d-
1 and 1-d, named after the section in which they were authorized. For 1-d-1 appraisal,
property owners must use the land for agriculture or timber and the land’s use must
meet the degree of intensity generally accepted in the area. Owners must also show
that the land was used for this purpose at least five of the preceding seven years. 1-d-1
appraisal does not restrict ownership to individuals and does not require agriculture to
be the owner’s primary business. Most landowners apply for the 1-d-1 appraisal.
Under 1-d appraisal, the land must have been used for this purpose at least three years
and the owner must be an individual versus a corporation, partnership, agency or
organization. The land must also be the owner’s primary source of income.
Penalties in the form of a rollback tax, or the difference between the taxes paid under
productivity appraisal and the taxes that would have been paid if the land had been put
on the tax roll at market value, will be imposed if qualified land is taken out of agriculture
or timber production.
A rollback tax occurs when a land owner switches the land’s use to non-agricultural use.
These rollback taxes under 1-d-1 are based on the five tax years preceding the year of
change. Under 1-d appraisal, the rollback extends back for three years.
Texas law allows farmers and ranchers to use land for wildlife management and still
receive the special appraisal, but the land must be qualified for agriculture use in the
preceding year. Land under wildlife management must also meet acreage size
requirements and special use qualifications.
The deadline to apply for productivity appraisal is April 30. If the last day for the
performance of an act is a Saturday, Sunday or legal state or national holiday, the act is
timely if performed on the next regular business day. Owners of land qualified as 1-d
must file a new application every year. Owners of land qualified as 1-d-1 need not file
again in later years unless the chief appraiser requests a new application.
For more information about productivity appraisal and application forms, contact the
Shelby County Appraisal District at (936) 598-6171, online at www.shelbycad.com.
Information is also available on the state Comptroller’s Property Tax Assistance
Division’s website at comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/.