State
Texas
Year
2010
Variations in Receipt of Benefit
No Variation in Receipt of Benefits
Benefit Type
Exemption
Benefit
A homestead exemption of $3,000 of assessed value for general government purposes and an additional $15,000 for school district taxation is available to all homeowners. Those 65 or older, or disabled are entitled to an additional exemption $10,000 for school taxation. An individual can benefit from more than one of these three options in a tax year. At local option, the exemption for general government on homesteads for seniors and disabled persons may be increased above $3,000. At local option, a governing body may adopt for all homesteads, a percentage exemption, up to 20% of the appraised value. If the percentage produces an exemption of less than $5,000 for a particular property, a minimum exemption of $5,000 is applied.
How is Benefit Disbursed
Exemption from assessed value
Eligible Property Type
Residential
Characteristics of Eligible Property
Only residential property is eligible for this program, up to 20 acres if owned by the homeowner and used for a related residential use.
Eligibility Criteria
Age
Disability
Homeowner
Surviving Spouse
Description of Eligibility Criteria
It varies according to the benefit. For the $3,000 general exemption and the $15,000 school district exemption every homeowner is eligible. Individuals who are over 65, or disabled and cannot work, or 55 years old or older and blind are eligible for an additional $10,000 school district exemption. For surviving spouses of applicants 65 or older to qualify, the surviving spouse must be 55 or older to qualify.
Local Option in Adoption of Program
Local government must take action to opt in
Local Option Regarding Program Features
Local option regarding program features
State Funding for Local Tax Loss
Local government covers all of its tax loss
Description of State Funding for Tax Loss
The state statute is silent on this.
Record ID
TX101_RR10