Filing Texas Homestead Exemptions
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Real Estate Agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Anderson Properties:
December 10, 2018
Do NOT forget to file your Texas Homestead Exemption form if you closed on your home by December 31, 2018 or have never filed your homestead tax exemption. It is very important to wait until after January 1 to file for your exemption. If you send it too early, it most likely will get thrown out. You have until the end of April to actually file, but why wait until the last minute. Also, if you closed in 2019, you CANNOT file for this year. You must wait until next year before the end of April to file your exemptions.
You may be asking, “why do I need to file for a homestead exemption?” First, the homestead exemption is the legal The homestead exemption is a legal procedure to protect the value of the homes of residents from property taxes, creditors and circumstances that arise from the death of the homeowner spouse. Lastly, the homestead exemption lowers the taxable value of your home. If you have a house that has an appraisal district tax evaluation of $100,000 and you get a $15,000 exemption, the property tax you pay is based on a value of $85,000, effectively lowering the tax owed to the county each year.
Be aware of scams. If you’ve bought a home in the past year, you’ll probably get some mail from companies who will offer to file this paperwork for you and make sure you get your homestead tax exemption. Do not use these companies or send them any money. There are many companies that will charge you a pretty penny to file the exemption for you. DO NOT PAY ANYONE TO FILE ANYTHING!! IT'S FREE!!
Filing is very easy, just go to your county appraiser's website and print off the form or click on one of the links below.. It only takes a few minutes to fill it out. Here are some of the county links in my immediate area:
You can now electronically file your residential homestead exemption online utilizing the HCAD Information and Exemption App. To submit the homestead application utilizing the mobile app, you will need 4 items.
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The date of occupancy on your residence.
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Your TX drivers license
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An iPhone or Android phone
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The HCAD Info and Exemptions app (found in the App Store or Google Play)
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