Officials with the Harris County Appraisal District explained how homeowners can take advantage of homestead exemptions in a Feb. 21 news release.

The appraisal district defines a homestead as, “generally the house and land used as the homeowner’s principal residence on Jan. 1 of the tax year.” This tax exemption is now applicable to those who acquire property after Jan. 1 as long as the previous owner did not receive this exemption for the tax year.

“Homestead exemptions can reduce the appraised value of your home, and as a result, they can lower your property taxes,” Chief Appraiser Roland Altinger said in a statement.

There are many different homestead exemptions available to homeowners. Information from the HCAD details how to qualify for each type below.

• School taxes: Homeowners can receive a $25,000 exemption for school taxes. This may increase to $40,000 depending on the outcome of the May 7 vote on a constitutional amendment.
• County taxes: Residents of counties that collect special taxes for farm-to-market roads or flood control can receive a $3,000 homestead exemption.
• Age and disability: Those who are legally defined as disabled or age 65 or older could qualify for an added $10,000 on the $25,000 school taxes exemption. Older or disabled residents do not have to own their own homes on Jan. 1 to qualify for this exemption and become eligible as soon as they turn 65 or become disabled. Taxing units may offer a local optional exemption of at least $3,000 to people age 65 or older, or disabled persons.
• Local option exemption: Homeowners may be offered an exemption on a percentage of their home’s appraised value by their taxing unit. The exemption percentage can be as high as 20% of the home’s value and must have a dollar value of at least $5,000.
• Partial exemption for disabled veterans: Veterans who are disabled or surviving spouses and children of disabled veterans can receive a partial exemption based on the percentage of the veteran’s service-related disability. This exemption can include homesteads that were donated to disabled veterans and their families by charitable organizations at no cost or not more than 50% of the good faith estimate of the homestead’s market value.
• Full residence homestead exemption for disabled veterans: Disabled veterans who receive 100% disability compensation and a rating of 100% disabled or of individual unemployability from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs are entitled to an exemption from taxation of the total appraised value of the veteran’s residence homestead. Spouses of veterans who received this exemption or would have received this exemption had it been in effect when the veteran died are also eligible, although there are restrictions. If this exemption is claimed, then the residence homestead application must be filed.
• Surviving spouses of U.S. Armed Service members killed in the line of duty: The surviving spouse of a member of the armed services who was fatally injured or killed in the line of duty is allowed a 100% property tax exemption on their resident homestead if they have not remarried.
• Surviving spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty: Spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty are allowed a 100% property tax exemption on their residence homestead if they have not remarried.

Applications for a homestead exemption can be obtained online at www.hcad.org under the “Forms” tab.

For more information or details on homestead exemption eligibility, contact the Harris County Appraisal District at 713-957-7800 or by emailing [email protected].