Texas over-65 property tax exemption both freezes school property taxes and likely reduces taxes due to other tax entities (city, county and miscellaneous). The most powerful aspect of the over-65 tax exemption is the freeze on school property taxes. School property taxes NEVER increase, unless: 1) the home is enlarged or improved with a remodeling. (Remodeling does not include major maintenance such as roof replacement or HVAC replacement.) The exemption for city and county property taxes are also often much higher. For example, the City of Houston over-65 property tax exemption was raised to $260,000 in June 2022.
The disability exemption is available to those legally disabled and has the same effect as the over-65 exemption. A home owner can obtain either the over-65 or the disability exemption but not both. A married couple can obtain one homestead exemption.
WHAT IS THE PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION FOR OVER 65?
Homeowners aged 65 years or older qualify for this exemption. All homeowners aged 65 years or older qualify for a standard $25,000 homestead exemption. Other than this, the Texas school districts offer a $10,000 exemption for qualifying homeowners aged over 65. An additional exemption of $3,000 is offered by many cities and counties as well. Get to know about the additional exemptions by contacting the appraisal district.
WHEN DO I QUALIFY?
You qualify for this exemption on the day you turn 65. To claim for this exemption all you have to do is submit proof of your age. This can be either a copy of your driving license or your birth certificate. In situations where the 65 or older homeowner dies, the surviving spouse continues to receive the exemption. However, the spouse has to be 55 years or older, must live in the house, own it, and apply for the exemption. In the case of a disabled person who is 65 or older, he/she can receive both the exemptions during the same year, but the taxing units must differ.
APPLYING FOR THE ADDITIONAL $10,000 EXEMPTION
You have up to one year’s time after you turn 65 to apply to your appraisal district. Once your application is approved by the appraisal district you will receive the exemption for the entire year you turned 65. Ever since 2005, if your DOB is mentioned on the original homestead application form or any other written document submitted to the appraisal district about your homestead, you will automatically receive this exemption without applying. But you must be entitled to a general homestead exemption.
TYPES OF EXEMPTIONS
There are different types of exemptions available to people who are aged 65 or older. These include:
School district taxes
Homeowners are allowed a $25,000 exemption from the value of their home for school district taxes.
County tax
In situations where the county appraisal districts collect tax for flood control, etc, homeowners are allowed $3,000 as an exemption on the county taxes. In cases of an optional exemption, homeowners will receive only a local option exemption.
Age 65 & disabled exemption
Homeowners qualify for a $10,000 homestead exemption in addition to the $25,000 for school districts. In cases where the owner qualifies for both age 65 and disabled exemption, the homeowner can choose only one among the two for the school district taxes. Both the exemptions cannot be received.
Optional percentage exemption
The taxing units decide if the exemption can be offered and the percentage at which it can be offered. However, this has to be decided prior to July 1st of the tax year. The exemption cannot be less than $5,000, it can be up to 20% of the residence homestead value.
Optional age 65 or older or disabled exemptions
As per this exemption, the taxing units have the option to offer an extra homestead exemption of at least $3,000 for those aged 65 or older.
BENEFITS OF QUALIFYING FOR AN OVER 65 PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION
For those who qualify for the over 65 exemption, there is something called the property tax ceiling. This automatically limits the school taxes to the amount you paid in the year you qualified for an over 65 property tax exemption. If your county, city, or junior college adopts the tax ceiling they might limit the taxes for an over 65 exemption. In situations where there are improvements made to the home, the tax ceiling increases. If there are no improvements made the school taxes might go down the tax ceiling but not above.
Apart from this, if you purchase or shift to a different residence in Texas, you have the option to transfer the percentage of the school taxes you paid. This will be based on the previous home’s school tax ceiling and is termed Ceiling Transfer. For this, you will have to relocate only within the same taxing unit. If the new house is in a different district, a certificate from the appraisal district for the previous home is required and it has to be taken to the appraisal district where the new house is located.
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By: Patrick O'connor | Posted on 05/18/2021 with 26 comments
Marisabel Silvestrini said: July 26, 2021 at 7:32 pm
Good afternoon! I have a question regardless on how to apply for homestead for over 65 years and older . Do we have a deadline to apply? I’m going to be 70and my husband is 67
- James T Nalley said:
I’m 82 yrs. old. Can I still file for a property tax excemption? For some reason I didn’t know about this when I turned 65.
- Barbara Heimbach said:
October 14, 2021 at 2:48 pm
I moved to Dallas a year ago. I am 72 yrs old. How do I get paperwork to file for this exemption?
Barbara Heimbach - Keitha said:
March 12, 2022 at 12:12 am
You can apply any year after 65. There is a deadline each year to apply for that year. You’ll get the exemption for that year and 2 years prior.
- Keitha said:
March 12, 2022 at 12:15 am
Yes you can. There is a deadline to apply for each year though. Once approved they’ll give you the exemption for the previous 2 years.
- Ben Hipp said:
August 16, 2021 at 2:44 pm
I am 70 years old and my wife is 68 years old. When I turned 65 I mailed in my over 65 exemption paperwork for property taxes. However, it appears Waller county did not receive it and I apparently I do not receive the over 65 exemption. Can I submit the paperwork again and will I receive the over 65 exemption? Also, will the appraised value of my property revert back to 2016 or will it start at 2021 appraised value.
Thank you- Keitha said:
March 12, 2022 at 12:10 am
You can submit again. Bit I would let them know when you initiate submitted. They go back 2 years. Maybe they could go back 2 yes from the first submission. I submitted mine via the app 2021 bit it never went through. I called and they placed the exemption from 2019.
- S.carruba said:
August 25, 2021 at 1:06 pm
Can an unmarried couple who co-own each 50% of the property apply for full senior exemption if only one of them is over 65?
Thanks - anis said:
September 5, 2021 at 8:20 pm
Hi, We are both above 65. Can we both husband & wife can claim the senior exemption. Or just one person will qualify for senior exemption. Thanks
- Keitha said:
March 12, 2022 at 12:05 am
Good question. I believe only 1 per each Homestead. Depending on the value of the home, only 1 would be enough to reduce to the taxes to very little if not 0.
- Monica said:
September 8, 2021 at 11:04 pm
If I buy a home in fort worth for $550.000 what would by Texas be if I took the 65 exemption?
- Keitha said:
March 12, 2022 at 12:03 am
I would call the appraisal district for that information with the address or account info.
- Warren Granier said:
September 30, 2021 at 5:48 pm
I am 73 years old,and trying to find out if i still qualify can get any type of property tax exemptions,i really did not know that i could file for exemptions when i turned 65. I am also disable and live on fixed income
- Keitha said:
March 12, 2022 at 12:02 am
Yes. You need to apply before the deadline to receive the exemption for current year and the exemption will apply for 2 previous years.
- Warren Granier said:
September 30, 2021 at 5:51 pm
I am 73 years old,and trying to find out if i still qualify can get any type of property tax exemptions,i really did not know that i could file for exemptions when i turned 65. I am also disable and live on fixed income.i live in Sabine county,East Texas
- Keitha said:
March 11, 2022 at 11:58 pm
Yes you can and can only go back 2 years.
- Carl Gaeckler said:
October 7, 2021 at 9:17 pm
My deceased mom has not paid real estate property taxe on her home for more than 20 years due to the exemption she was allowed. Does her estate now owe the back taxes in order to sell the house?
- Susan E said:
April 15, 2022 at 10:24 pm
Yes, all back taxes must be paid; plus interest. Unless they’ve changed it, the interest rate is 5%.
- Jane H Beene said:
October 9, 2021 at 3:30 pm
I just moved here in May of 2021, please tell me how I apply for all the exemptions I’m afford.
Thank you for you help
Jane BÉENE
3372800864 - Alfred Correa said:
November 5, 2021 at 12:30 am
I have a question. Our property in Texas borders two counties. We received exemptions for 65 and over and disabled veteran in one county while the other county just sent us a bill for school taxes from that county. I guess my question is does the exemption carry on to the other county seeking school taxes?
- Alfred Correa said:
November 5, 2021 at 12:31 am
I have a question. Our property in Texas borders two counties. We received exemptions for 65 and over and disabled veteran in one county while the other county just sent us a bill for school taxes from that county. I guess my question is does the exemption carry on to the other county seeking school taxes
- Steve said:
November 7, 2021 at 11:32 pm
Approximately 1 yrs ago I bought a house in Venus tx right on the Ellis county, Johnson county line. Part of the lot is in Ellis and part in Johnson county. The dwelling is in Ellis county. I have received taxes from both Ellis and Johnson county.what do I do
- Keitha said:
March 12, 2022 at 12:00 am
Yes you can and go back 2 years. There is a deadline to apply for current year.
- Cindy Stier said:
April 23, 2022 at 1:26 am
Hi, my husband and I have been thinking about moving to Texas. However, the property taxes are so high we could not afford them. My husband is 70 and I’m medically unable to work. If we were to buy a $550,000 house and qualified for all the exemptions, how much would our property taxes be? Thank you for your assistance in this matter!
- alicia said:
April 26, 2022 at 11:56 am
if we are over 65 should we still file the protest ? is your fee based on the total tax saving –lower $100000 *2.5% total tax rate save $250, or just the tax saving portion since the senior have school tax frozen. so only the city and county portion tax saving.
- Paul aceves said:
August 5, 2022 at 6:15 pm
I’m about to turn 70 is there anytime that I would no longer have to pay school tax? Live in Tarrant county and pay taxes in Dallas as well
Marisabel Silvestrini 
James T Nalley 
Barbara Heimbach 
Keitha 
Ben Hipp 
S.carruba 
anis 
Monica 
Warren Granier 
Carl Gaeckler 
Susan E 
Jane H Beene 
Alfred Correa 
Steve 
Cindy Stier 
alicia 
Paul aceves Blog Author
Patrick O’Connor, MAI, Owner and President
Patrick O’Connor has been active in reducing property taxes, providing expert witness testimony and appraising commercial real estate property since 1983. Pat is active in publishing analyses and data with respect to the real estate market, while being a highly regarded media spokesperson for the real estate community. He holds a MAI, the highest achievable designation from the Appraisal Institute, and is a licensed senior property tax consultant. Pat earned a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. In 2001, he authored the first definitive consumer guide to Texas property taxes, Cut Your Texas Property Taxes.
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