Texas Property Tax Code 2021 Chapter 23 Subchapter C
Texas agricultural use exemption is a misnomer. Agricultural use property is valued based on its productivity; it is not exempt. When agricultural use property is converted to another use, the owner pays 3 years of property taxes. The requirements for agricultural use vary county to county. For example, it requires a minimum of 10 acres in Harris County.
Texas Property Tax Code
2021 Edition
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
The Texas Property Tax Code available on this website are current through the Regular Session of the 87th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2021. The Texas Constitution is current through the amendments approved by voters in November 2019.
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TITLE 1. PROPERTY TAX CODE
SUBTITLE D. APPRAISAL AND ASSESSMENT
CHAPTER 23. APPRAISAL METHODS AND PROCEDURES
SUBCHAPTER C. LAND DESIGNATED FOR AGRICULTURAL USE
Sec. 23.41. APPRAISAL. (a) Land designated for agricultural use is appraised at its value based on the land’s capacity to produce agricultural products. The value of land based on its capacity to produce agricultural products is determined by capitalizing the average net income the land would have yielded under prudent management from production of agricultural products during the five years preceding the current year. However, if the value of land as determined by capitalization of average net income exceeds the market value of the land as determined by other generally accepted appraisal methods, the land shall be appraised by application of the other appraisal methods.
(b) The comptroller shall promulgate rules specifying the methods to apply and the procedures to use in appraising land designated for agricultural use.
(c), (d) Repealed by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 574, Sec. 2(2), eff. June 18, 1999.
(e) Improvements other than appurtenances to the land, the mineral estate, and all land used for residential purposes and for processing harvested agricultural products are appraised separately at market value. Riparian water rights, private roads, dams, reservoirs, water wells, and canals, ditches, terraces, and similar reshapings of or additions to the soil for agricultural purposes are appurtenances to the land, and the effect of each on the value of the land for agricultural use shall be considered in appraising the land. However, the comptroller shall provide that in calculating average net income from land a deduction from income be allowed for an appurtenance subject to depreciation or depletion.
Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2254, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 139, ch. 13, Sec. 60, eff. Jan. 1, 1982; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., 2nd C.S., ch. 6, Sec. 21, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 574, Sec. 2(2), eff. June 18, 1999.
Sec. 23.42. ELIGIBILITY. (a) An individual is entitled to have land he owns designated for agricultural use if, on January 1:
(1) the land has been devoted exclusively to or developed continuously for agriculture for the three years preceding the current year;
(2) the individual is using and intends to use the land for agriculture as an occupation or a business venture for profit during the current year; and
(3) agriculture is the individual’s primary occupation and primary source of income.
(a-1) Repealed by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 12 (H.B. 1254), Sec. 2, eff. January 1, 2020.
(b) Use of land for nonagricultural purposes does not deprive an owner of his right to an agricultural designation if the nonagricultural use is secondary to and compatible with the agricultural use of the land.
(c) Agriculture is an individual’s primary occupation and primary source of income if as of January 1 he devotes a greater portion of his time to and derives a greater portion of his gross income from agriculture than any other occupation. The time an individual devotes to each occupation and the gross income he derives from each is determined by averaging the time he devoted to each and the gross income he derived from each for any number of consecutive years not exceeding five years immediately preceding January 1 of the current year, that he has engaged in agriculture as an occupation. However, if he has not been engaged in agriculture as an occupation for the entire year preceding January 1, the time he has devoted to and the income he has derived from each occupation since the date he began engaging in agriculture as an occupation determine whether agriculture is his primary occupation and primary source of income.
(d) For purposes of this section:
(1) “Agriculture” means the use of land to produce plant or animal products, including fish or poultry products, under natural conditions but does not include the processing of plant or animal products after harvesting or the production of timber or forest products.
(2) “Occupation” includes employment and a business venture that requires continual supervision or management.
Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2254, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982.
Amended by:
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1112 (H.B. 3630), Sec. 2, eff. January 1, 2008.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 12 (H.B. 1254), Sec. 1, eff. January 1, 2020.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 12 (H.B. 1254), Sec. 2, eff. January 1, 2020.
Sec. 23.425. ELIGIBILITY OF LAND USED FOR GROWING FLORIST ITEMS IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) This section applies only to land:
(1) that is located in a county with a population of 35,000 or less; and
(2) on which a greenhouse for growing florist items solely for wholesale purposes is located.
(b) A person who owns land described by Subsection (a) is entitled to have the land designated for agricultural use under this subchapter if the land otherwise qualifies for the designation under Section 23.42 and the person who owns the land is not using it in conjunction with or contiguous to land being used to conduct retail sales of florist items. For purposes of Section 23.41, a greenhouse described by Subsection (a)(2) is an appurtenance to the land.
(c) In this section:
(1) “Florist item” has the meaning assigned by Section 71.041, Agriculture Code.
(2) “Greenhouse” means a building or permanent structure that is enclosed with a nonporous covering and is designed or constructed for growing plants in a protected or climate-controlled environment.
Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 365, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2002.
Sec. 23.426. TEMPORARY CESSATION OF AGRICULTURAL USE DUE TO QUARANTINE FOR TICKS. (a) The entitlement of an individual to have land the individual owns designated for agricultural use under this subchapter does not end because the individual ceases exclusively or continuously using the land for agriculture as an occupation or a business venture for profit for the period prescribed by Subsection (b) if the land:
(1) is subject to a temporary quarantine established at any time during the tax year by the Texas Animal Health Commission for the purpose of regulating the handling of livestock and eradicating ticks or exposure to ticks under Chapter 167, Agriculture Code; and
(2) otherwise continues to qualify for the designation under Section 23.42.
(b) Subsection (a) applies to land eligible for appraisal under this subchapter only during the period that begins on the date the land is designated as a tick eradication area and that ends on the date the land is released from quarantine by the Texas Animal Health Commission.
(c) The owner of land to which this section applies must, not later than the 30th day after the date the land is designated as a tick eradication area, notify in writing the chief appraiser for each appraisal district in which the land is located that the land is located in a tick eradication area.
(d) The owner of land to which this section applies must, not later than the 30th day after the date the land is released from quarantine by the Texas Animal Health Commission, notify in writing the chief appraiser for each appraisal district in which the land is located that the land has been released from quarantine by the Texas Animal Health Commission.
Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 101 (H.B. 3348), Sec. 1, eff. May 21, 2019.
Sec. 23.43. APPLICATION. (a) An individual claiming the right to have his land designated for agricultural use must apply for the designation each year he claims it. Application for the designation is made by filing a sworn application form with the chief appraiser for the appraisal district in which the land is located.
(b) A claimant must deliver a completed application form to the chief appraiser before May 1 and must furnish the information required by the form. For good cause shown the chief appraiser may extend the deadline for filing the application by written order for a single period not to exceed 60 days.
(c) If a claimant fails to timely file a completed application form in a given year, he may not receive the agricultural designation for that year.
(d) The comptroller in prescribing the contents of the application forms shall ensure that each form requires a claimant to furnish the information necessary to determine the validity of the claim. The comptroller shall require that the form permit a claimant who has previously been allowed an agricultural designation to indicate that previously reported information has not changed and to supply only the eligibility information not previously reported. The form must include a space for the claimant to state the claimant’s date of birth. Failure to provide the date of birth does not affect a claimant’s right to an agricultural designation under this subchapter.
(e) Before February 1 the chief appraiser shall deliver an application form to each individual whose land was designated for agricultural use during the preceding year. He shall include with the application a brief explanation of the requirements for obtaining agricultural designation.
(f) Each year the chief appraiser for each appraisal district shall publicize, in a manner reasonably designed to notify all residents of the district, the requirements of this section and the availability of application forms.
Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2255, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 139, ch. 13, Sec. 61, 62, eff. Jan. 1, 1982; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., 2nd C.S., ch. 6, Sec. 22, eff. Sept. 1, 1991.
Amended by:
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 352 (H.B. 1464), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2015.
Sec. 23.431. LATE APPLICATION FOR AGRICULTURAL DESIGNATION. (a) The chief appraiser shall accept and approve or deny an application for an agricultural designation after the deadline for filing it has passed if it is filed before approval of the appraisal records by the appraisal review board.
(b) If an application for agricultural designation is approved when the application is filed late, the owner is liable for a penalty of 10 percent of the difference between the amount of tax imposed on the property and the amount that would be imposed without the agricultural designation.
(c) The chief appraiser shall make an entry on the appraisal records indicating the person’s liability for the penalty and shall deliver written notice of imposition of the penalty, explaining the reason for its imposition, to the person.
(d) The tax assessor for a taxing unit to which an agricultural designation allowed after a late application applies shall add the amount of the penalty to the owner’s tax bill, and the tax collector for the unit shall collect the penalty at the time and in the manner he collects the tax. The amount of the penalty constitutes a lien against the property against which the penalty is imposed, as if it were a tax, and accrues penalty and interest in the same manner as a delinquent tax.
Added by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 140, ch. 13, Sec. 63, eff. Jan. 1, 1982.
Sec. 23.44. ACTION ON APPLICATION. (a) The chief appraiser shall determine individually each claimant’s right to the agricultural designation. After considering the application and all relevant information, the chief appraiser shall, as soon as practicable but not later than the 90th day after the later of the date the claimant is first eligible for the agricultural designation or the date the claimant provides to the chief appraiser the information necessary for the chief appraiser to determine the claimant’s right to the agricultural designation, as the law and facts warrant:
(1) approve the application and designate the land for agricultural use;
(2) disapprove the application and request additional information from the claimant in support of the claim; or
(3) deny the application.
(b) If the chief appraiser requires additional information from a claimant, the chief appraiser shall, as soon as practicable but not later than the 30th day after the date the application is filed with the chief appraiser, deliver a written notice to the claimant specifying the additional information the claimant must provide to the chief appraiser before the chief appraiser can determine the applicant’s right to the agricultural designation. The claimant must furnish the information not later than the 30th day after the date of the request or the application is denied. However, for good cause shown the chief appraiser may extend the deadline for furnishing additional information by written order for a single period not to exceed 15 days.
(c) The chief appraiser shall determine the validity of each application for agricultural designation filed with him before he submits the appraisal records for review and determination of protests as provided by Chapter 41 of this code.
(d) If the chief appraiser denies an application, the chief appraiser shall deliver a written notice of the denial to the claimant not later than the fifth day after the date of denial. The notice must state and fully explain each reason the chief appraiser denied the application. The notice must include a brief explanation of the procedures for protesting the denial.
Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2255, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 140, ch. 13, Sec. 64, eff. Jan. 1, 1982.
Amended by:
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 533 (S.B. 63), Sec. 8, eff. September 1, 2021.
Sec. 23.45. APPLICATION CONFIDENTIAL. (a) An application for agricultural designation filed with a chief appraiser is confidential and not open to public inspection. The application and the information it contains about specific property or a specific owner may not be disclosed to anyone other than an employee of the appraisal office who appraises property except as authorized by Subsection (b) of this section.
(b) Information made confidential by this section may be disclosed:
(1) in a judicial or administrative proceeding pursuant to a lawful subpoena;
(2) to the person who filed the application or to his representative authorized in writing to receive the information;
(3) to the comptroller and his employees authorized by him in writing to receive the information or to an assessor or a chief appraiser if requested in writing;
(4) in a judicial or administrative proceeding relating to property taxation to which the person who filed the application is a party;
(5) for statistical purposes if in a form that does not identify specific property or a specific property owner; or
(6) if and to the extent the information is required to be included in a public document or record that the appraisal office is required to prepare or maintain.
(c) A person who legally has access to an application for agricultural designation or who legally obtains the confidential information the application contains commits a Class B misdemeanor if he knowingly:
(1) permits inspection of the application by a person not authorized to inspect it by Subsection (b) of this section; or
(2) discloses confidential information contained in the report to a person not authorized to receive the information by Subsection (b) of this section.
Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2256, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 141, ch. 13, Sec. 65, eff. Jan. 1, 1982; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., 2nd C.S., ch. 6, Sec. 23, eff. Sept. 1, 1991.
Sec. 23.46. ADDITIONAL TAXATION. (a) When appraising land designated for agricultural use, the chief appraiser also shall appraise the land at its market value and shall record both the market value and the value based on its capacity to produce agricultural products in the appraisal records.
(b) Property taxes imposed on land designated for agricultural use are based on the land’s agricultural use value determined as provided by Section 23.41 of this code after the appropriate assessment ratio has been applied to that value. When an assessor calculates the amount of tax due on the land, however, he shall also calculate the amount of tax that would have been imposed had the land not been designated for agricultural use. The difference in the amount of tax imposed and the amount that would have been imposed is the amount of additional tax for that year, and the assessor shall enter that amount in his tax records relating to the property.
(c) If land that has been designated for agricultural use in any year is sold or diverted to a nonagricultural use, the total amount of additional taxes for the three years preceding the year in which the land is sold or diverted plus interest at the rate provided for delinquent taxes becomes due. Subject to Subsection (f), a determination that the land has been diverted to a nonagricultural use is made by the chief appraiser. For purposes of this subsection, the chief appraiser may not consider any period during which land is owned by the state in determining whether the land has been diverted to a nonagricultural use. The chief appraiser shall deliver a notice of the determination to the owner of the land as soon as possible after making the determination and shall include in the notice an explanation of the owner’s right to protest the determination. If the owner does not file a timely protest or if the final determination of the protest is that the additional taxes are due, the assessor for each taxing unit shall prepare and deliver a bill for the additional taxes plus interest as soon as practicable after the change of use occurs. If the additional taxes are due because of a sale of the land, the assessor for each taxing unit shall prepare and deliver the bill as soon as practicable after the sale occurs. The taxes and interest are due and become delinquent and incur penalties and interest as provided by law for ad valorem taxes imposed by the taxing unit if not paid before the next February 1 that is at least 20 days after the date the bill is delivered to the owner of the land.
(d) A tax lien attaches to the land on the date the sale or change of use occurs to secure payment of the additional tax and interest imposed by Subsection (c) of this section and any penalties incurred. The lien exists in favor of all taxing units for which the additional tax is imposed.
(e) Land is not diverted to nonagricultural use for purposes of Subsection (c) of this section solely because the owner of the land claims it as part of his residence homestead for purposes of Section 11.13 of this code.
(e-1) A portion of a parcel of land is not diverted to nonagricultural use for purposes of Subsection (c) because the portion is subject to a right-of-way that is less than 200 feet wide and that was taken by condemnation if the remainder of the parcel of land qualifies for appraisal under this subchapter.
(f) If land designated for agricultural use under this subchapter is owned by an individual 65 years of age or older, before making a determination that the land has been diverted to a nonagricultural use, the chief appraiser shall deliver a written notice to the owner stating that the chief appraiser believes the land may have been diverted to a nonagricultural use. The notice must include a form on which the owner may indicate that the owner remains entitled to have the land designated for agricultural use and a self-addressed postage prepaid envelope with instructions for returning the form to the chief appraiser. The chief appraiser shall consider the owner’s response on the form in determining whether the land has been diverted to a nonagricultural use. If the chief appraiser does not receive a response on or before the 60th day after the date the notice is mailed, the chief appraiser must make a reasonable effort to locate the owner and determine whether the owner remains entitled to have the land designated for agricultural use before determining that the land has been diverted to a nonagricultural use. For purposes of this subsection, sending an additional notice to the owner immediately after the expiration of the 60-day period by first class mail in an envelope on which is written, in all capital letters, “RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED,” or another appropriate statement directing the United States Postal Service to return the notice if it is not deliverable as addressed, or providing the additional notice in another manner that the chief appraiser determines is appropriate, constitutes a reasonable effort on the part of the chief appraiser.
(g) If the additional taxes are due because the land has been diverted to a nonagricultural use as a result of a condemnation, the additional taxes and interest imposed by this section are the personal obligation of the condemning entity and not the property owner from whom the property was taken.
Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2256, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 141, ch. 13, Sec. 66, eff. Jan. 1, 1982; Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 4147, ch. 652, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1983; Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 4824, ch. 851, Sec. 11, eff. Aug. 29, 1983; Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 796, Sec. 18, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 345, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by:
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 352 (H.B. 1464), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2015.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 55 (S.B. 725), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2021.
Sec. 23.47. LOAN SECURED BY LIEN ON AGRICULTURAL-USE LAND. (a) A lender may not require as a condition to granting or amending the terms of a loan secured by a lien in favor of the lender on land appraised according to this subchapter that the borrower waive the right to the appraisal or agree not to apply for or receive the appraisal.
(b) A provision in an instrument pertaining to a loan secured by a lien in favor of the lender on land appraised according to this subchapter is void to the extent that the provision attempts to require the borrower to waive the right to the appraisal or to prohibit the borrower from applying for or receiving the appraisal.
(c) A provision in an instrument pertaining to a loan secured by a lien in favor of the lender on land appraised according to this subchapter that requires the borrower to make a payment to protect the lender from loss because of the imposition of additional taxes and interest under Section 23.46 is void unless the provision:
(1) requires the borrower to pay into an escrow account established by the lender an amount equal to the additional taxes and interest that would be due under Section 23.46 if a sale or change of use occurred on January 1 of the year in which the loan is granted or amended;
(2) requires the escrow account to bear interest to be credited to the account monthly;
(3) permits the lender to apply money in the escrow account to the payment of a bill for additional taxes and interest under Section 23.46 before the loan is paid and requires the lender to refund the balance remaining in the escrow account after the bill is paid to the borrower; and
(4) requires the lender to refund the money in the escrow account to the borrower on the payment of the loan.
(d) On the request of the borrower or the borrower’s representative, the assessor for each taxing unit shall compute the additional taxes and interest that would be due that taxing unit under Section 23.46 if a sale or change of use occurred on January 1 of the year in which the loan is granted or amended. The assessor may charge a reasonable fee not to exceed the actual cost of making the computation.
(e) In this section, “lender” means a lending institution, including a bank, trust company, banking association, savings and loan association, mortgage company, investment bank, credit union, life insurance company, or governmental agency that customarily provides financing or an affiliate of any of those entities. The term does not include an agency of the United States.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 82, Sec. 1, eff. May 11, 1995.
Sec. 23.48. REAPPRAISAL OF LAND SUBJECT TO TEMPORARY QUARANTINE FOR TICKS. (a) An owner of land designated for agricultural use on which the Texas Animal Health Commission has established a temporary quarantine of at least 90 days in length in the current tax year for the purpose of regulating the handling of livestock and eradicating ticks or exposure to ticks at any time during a tax year is entitled to a reappraisal of the owner’s land for that year on written request delivered to the chief appraiser.
(b) As soon as practicable after receiving a request for reappraisal, the chief appraiser shall complete the reappraisal. In determining the appraised value of the land under Section 23.41, the effect on the value of the land caused by the infestation of ticks is an additional factor that must be taken into account. The appraised value of land reappraised under this section may not exceed the lesser of:
(1) the market value of the land as determined by other appraisal methods; or
(2) one-half of the original appraised value of the land for the current tax year.
(c) A property owner may not be required to pay the appraisal district for the costs of making the reappraisal. Each taxing unit that participates in the appraisal district and imposes taxes on the land shall share the costs of the reappraisal in the proportion the total dollar amount of taxes imposed by that taxing unit on that land in the preceding year bears to the total dollar amount of taxes all taxing units participating in the appraisal district imposed on the land in the preceding year.
(d) If land is reappraised as provided by this section, the governing body of each taxing unit that participates in the appraisal district and imposes taxes on the land shall provide for prorating the taxes on the land for the tax year in which the reappraisal is conducted. If the taxes are prorated, taxes due on the land are determined as follows: the taxes on the land based on its value on January 1 of that year are multiplied by a fraction, the denominator of which is 365 and the numerator of which is the number of days in that year before the date the reappraisal was conducted; the taxes on the land based on its reappraised value are multiplied by a fraction, the denominator of which is 365 and the numerator of which is the number of days, including the date the reappraisal was conducted, remaining in the year; and the total of the two amounts is the amount of taxes imposed on the land for that year. Notwithstanding Section 26.15, the assessor for each applicable taxing unit shall enter the reappraised value on the appropriate tax roll together with the original appraised value and the calculation of the taxes imposed on the land under this section. If for any tax year the reappraisal results in a decrease in the tax liability of the landowner, the assessor for the taxing unit shall prepare and mail a new tax bill in the manner provided by Chapter 31. If the owner has paid the tax, each taxing unit that imposed taxes on the land in that year shall promptly refund the difference between the tax paid and the tax due on the lower appraised value.
(e) In appraising the land for any subsequent tax year in which the Texas Animal Health Commission quarantine remains in place, the chief appraiser shall continue to take into account the effect on the value of the land caused by the infestation of ticks.
(f) If the owner of the land is informed by the Texas Animal Health Commission that the quarantine is no longer in place, not later than the 30th day after the date on which the owner received that information the owner of the land shall so notify the chief appraiser in writing. If the owner fails to notify the chief appraiser as required by this subsection, a penalty is imposed on the property equal to 10 percent of the difference between the taxes imposed on the property in each year it is erroneously allowed appraisal under this section and the taxes that would otherwise have been imposed.
(g) The chief appraiser shall make an entry in the appraisal records for the property against which the penalty is imposed indicating liability for the penalty and shall deliver a written notice of imposition of the penalty to the person who owns the property. The notice shall include a brief explanation of the procedures for protesting the imposition of the penalty. The assessor for each taxing unit that imposed taxes on the property on the basis of appraisal under this section shall add the amount of the penalty to the unit’s tax bill for taxes on the property against which the penalty is imposed. The penalty shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner as the taxes on the property against which the penalty is imposed. The amount of the penalty constitutes a lien on the property against which the penalty is imposed and accrues penalty and interest in the same manner as a delinquent tax.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1011 (H.B. 967), Sec. 2, eff. June 15, 2007.
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