Don’t forget your Homestead Tax Exemption!

• It’s time to start thinking about property taxes and your homestead tax exemption. If you bought a home in the past year or have never filed for your homestead tax exemption, the time is approaching. If you live in your home on January 1st, 2017, you can apply for a homestead tax exemption. The home must be your primary residence (ie, you can’t claim multiple homestead tax exemptions for multiple properties), but as long as you live in the home on that date, you can file to receive this break on your property tax.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS.

The homestead tax exemption lowers the taxable value of your home. If you have a house that has appraisal district tax valuation of $100,000 and you get a $25,000 exemption, the property tax you pay is based on a value of $75,000 ($100,000 minus $25,000), effectively lowering the tax owed to the country each year.

You must reside in the home on January 1st of the year you apply. This is why we remind clients at the end of the year, because they may have bought the home on January 2, 2017, but have not been eligible to apply until the following year (on January 1, 2018, in this case).

In order to claim the homestead tax exemption, you must fill out the Application for Residential Homestead Exemption (PDF file) and send to your local appraisal district. Be sure to fill out the form completely and read the instructions carefully – there are several items that you are required to furnish in addition to the completed form.

Below, you will find the Homestead exemption form you need to fill out and mail to the County Tax Assessor’s Office.
Click Here to learn more about Homestead Exemption

• Bexar County Homestead Exemption Form 2017
  or [View Form on BCAD.org] | 210-224-8511

• Atascosa County Homestead Exemption Form 2017
  or [View Form on AtascosaCAD.org] | 830-742-3591

• Bandera County Homestead Exemption Form 2017
  or [View Form on BanCAD.org] | 830-796-3731

• Comal County Homestead Exemption Form 2017
  or [View Form on ComalAD.org] | 830-625-8597

• Frio County Homestead Exemption Form 2017
  or [View Form on FrioCAD.com] | 830-334-4163

• Guadalupe County Homestead Exemption Form 2017
  or [View Form on GuadalupeAD.org] | 830-303-3313

• Kendall County Homestead Exemption Form 2017
  or [View Form on KendallAD.org] | 830-249-8012

• Kerr County Homestead Exemption Form 2017
  or [View Form on KerrCAD.org] | 830-895-5223

• Hays County Homestead Exemption Form 2017
  or [View Form on HaysCAD.com] |  512-268-2522

• Uvalde County Homestead Exemption Form 2017
  or [View Form on UvaldeCAD.org] |  830-393-3065

• Wilson County Homestead Exemption Form 2017
  or [View Form on Wilson-CAD.org] | 830-393-3065

• You need to file this form only once.
• You must file the completed application with all required documentation between January 1st and no later than April 30th.
• Texas property owners applying for the homestead exemption are required to submit documents indicating their county of residence. [Verify this info on BCad.org (PDF)] With the homestead application, homeowners must provide photocopies of the following materials:

1. The applicant’s vehicle registration receipt,
2. The applicant’s Texas driver’s license or Texas ID Card.

The homestead application, vehicle registration and Texas license/ID card must all have the same address. Applicants who do NOT own a vehicle are required to submit a notarized affidavit certifying that fact and provide a copy of a current utility bill. The address on the utility bill must be the same as the address on the application for the homestead exemption.

Filing the homestead form is FREE! Disregard offers from companies saying they will file the homestead form for a fee. Those offers are a SCAM.

Don’t forget: on your tax return, you can deduct the amount of interest and property taxes you have paid as well as some of the fees you paid at closing. Contact your tax professional for more information. Contact us if you have questions. We hope you are enjoying your new home!

BE AWARE OF SCAMS.

Filing the homestead form is FREE! Disregard offers from companies saying they will file the homestead form for a fee. Those offers are a SCAM.

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. Filing your homestead tax exemption is FREE and these companies simply take your forms and drop them off at the appraisal district – something you can do just as easily for the cost that they will charge you. Many of the letters are rather deceiving in the way they’re written, making you think you need to pay their fee in order to receive the exemption. So please, be aware and contact your agent if you need help filing the form, they’ll be happy to do it (or you need a new agent).