Your Guide to Property Tax Exemptions for Seniors in Texas
- 2016-05-17
- By Debbie Ford
- Posted in Financial & Legal, Senior News, Tips
Property Tax exemptions can save you a good chunk of money. In Texas, there are several types of exemptions that can help seniors. Let’s take a look at what is available to those 65 & older.
Homestead Exemption: Residence homeowners of any age are allowed a $25,000 homestead exemption from their home’s value for school taxes. To qualify, a home must meet the definition of a residence homestead. The homeowner must be an individual and use the home as his or her principal residence as of January 1 of the tax year. You may file for a homestead exemption for up to one year after the taxes are due. Once you receive the exemption, you do not need to reapply unless the chief appraiser sends you a new application. The homestead exemption does not move with you to a new home. If you move, you must reapply when qualified.
Over 65 Exemption: In addition to the $25,000 exemption that all homestead owners receive, those age 65 or older qualify for a $10,000 homestead exemption for school taxes. You may apply to your local appraisal district for up to one year after the date you become age 65 or up to one year after the taxes are due. If your application is approved, you will receive the exemption for the entire year in which you became age 65 (retroactive to January 1) and for subsequent years as long as you own a qualified homestead. Beginning in 2005, if your date of birth was on your original homestead application or other written correspondence to the appraisal district about your homestead you should automatically receive the age 65 or older exemption without having to go through an application process. Be sure to check your property tax statement to make sure the exemption has been applied. If it hasn’t, you will need to obtain the application from your local appraisal district.
School Taxes are frozen at the dollar amount of the school taxes in the year you turn 65 for your current homestead, and at the % of current taxes for a new home. The tax ceiling continues for age 55 or older surviving spouses of age 65 or older owners who die while qualified for the tax ceiling. These homeowners may also transfer the percent of tax paid, based on their ceiling, when they purchase another home and use it as their principal residence.
Disabled Exemption: Like the Senior Exemption, the Disabled Exemption gives homestead owners an additional $10,000 homestead exemption for school taxes. To qualify, an individual must meet the definition of disabled for the purpose of receiving disability insurance benefits under the Federal Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance Act and must submit an application to their local appraisal district within one year of qualifying as disabled.
It should be noted that if an owner qualifies for both the $10,000 exemption for age 65 or older homeowners and the $10,000 exemption for disabled homeowners, the owner must choose one or the other for school taxes. The owner cannot receive both exemptions.
Disabled Veteran Exemption: A disabled veteran who receives 100 percent disability due to a service-connected disability is entitled to an exemption from taxation of the total appraised value of the veteran’s residence homestead. If the veteran qualifies for the exemption after Jan. 1 of a tax year, they receive an exemption for the applicable portion of that year immediately upon qualifying for the exemption. If at any time the property no longer qualifies in a year, the exemption is removed for that portion of the year. Under certain circumstances, the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran who was receiving an exemption may be eligible to continue the exemption. If an individual qualifies under these guidelines, an application must be submitted to the local appraisal district for approval.
Other special exemptions may be offered for seniors depending on where your residence is located. It’s a good idea to check with your appraisal district to see what is available to you. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts is also a great resource for general information on property tax exemptions.
Be aware that there are people out there who will offer to help you with your exemptions for a fee. They check the tax records to see who hasn’t claimed all available exemptions and then contact you with an offer to complete the forms for you. The forms are available free (usually downloadable) from your tax appraisal district. You should be able to complete them on your own or with the help of a family member or friend. If for some reason you can’t do it on your own, the appraisal district will assist you. There is really no need to pay someone to file these exemption forms for you.
Senior Downsizing Experts provides this guide for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with any taxing authority. To verify information provided herein, please contact your local appraisal district.
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Thank you so much for your able assistance over the past couple of months. We would not have been able to move so quickly without your help. As it has turned out, we got just the apartment we wanted at just the right time. You subcontractors were all able to do what we needed done and pleasant to work with. We would be glad to recommend them to anyone who asks. I have to mention the movers in particular. They moved our stuff in a monsoon, and took such good care of it that we had no damage; nothing even got wet. Except them. I was very anxious about the whole process and am glad to have it finished. However, I would have been a basket case without you. It wasn't just that you knew what you were doing, it was that I could ask you anything and you could answer calmly and knowledgeably. That was so reassuring, affirming that the process was moving forward according to plan and that all would be well.
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From our first meeting with Ingrid I was impressed with her positive attitude about everything. It was all so overwhelming from the "get go" and I needed the strength she provided. I was amazed at all the contacts that were available just for the asking. I thought I would have to find all of these contacts on my own. This in itself gave me tremendous peace of mind. Your service is a "10" with all your contacts a phone call away. Each person who contacted us was very professional...Can't say enough about people who got the job done!
Ingrid, I wanted to thank you and John for helping my mom smoothly transition to Arlington Plaza. Mom is happier than I have ever seen her and is just blossoming in her new digs. Blessings to you and John for the services you provide to our seniors. Fantastic job!
How AWESOME you two are! I will never be able to thank you enough for the marvelous way you took care of me during my move. You went above and beyond anything I ever expected. You accommodated me in every way…Really, you outdid yourself and I will forever by grateful. Without question I will recommend you to all my friends. Thank you again for everything. I’ll never forget you.
We attended a downsizing event [and] we were impressed with the Sullivan Team immediately… We think you did everything right with all of the roadblocks put in the way regarding [our property]. You were available anytime we reached out and you kept us informed at about each and every step. You are professional and direct and shoot from the hip – but with compassion when needed. Thank you again! Hope the best for you for the years ahead.
I can’t say too many good things about Ingrid! She helped me sell a home, remotely, as I moved a dear relative to an assisted living facility in my state. She helped find movers, cleaners, and any other provider I needed. She and her husband also spent time staging our home and dealing with all types of picky details that were beyond me from a thousand miles away. She also convinced my buyer to switch banks to make the transaction smoother (before the underwriting started), and found a second title company at the last minute to accommodate a non-traditional sale that seemed to confuse the initial company we worked with. We got ten showings in the 1st two days, resulting in six offers by the 3rd day! Ingrid is the best! I have bought and sold many properties in my lifetime and she has been the strongest agent I have ever engaged!
Ingrid & John – You two have been such a blessing to myself and others who have had to make a big change in their lives.
Ingrid Sullivan’s experience and guidance was so valuable in guiding my father through all the steps of pre-sale house preparation and the selling process. She helped things go so much smoother by anticipating the possible issues during the sale and even when unexpected surprises occurred. The financial outcome was great!
I feel as if I have not had the opportunity to thank you for all the work you did for me and my family. I depended on you and your expertise to make this deal happen and you did not let me down. You fought every battle that arose, and there were many, and you made things happen. Thank you; you are a true professional and I am so glad you were on my side…I am so glad I got to meet you and work with you and I will be forever grateful for that relationship. I know you will help many families who are lucky enough to learn about you.
Update August 2016: I hope you are doing well. I have thought a lot about you lately for a couple of reasons. It has been one year since I left Arlington for Chicago…doesn’t seem possible. After a very difficult transition, I finally realized that I made the right decision and know I belong here…I enjoyed working with you. You were very helpful when I was going through the worst time of my life. Being in Chicago [with my daughter’s family] has changed my life for the better.
John was very determined to find me a buyer. He also got me a better deal than I thought we could get. Thanks!! Very pleased.
You are approachable and easy to communicate with. The process [of selling my mother’s home] was simple and easy.
You are dependable and keep your promises – and you stay in contact! You always gave us confidence in your decisions – we never doubted your integrity. You were determined to see that we are satisfied with all aspects of our purchase – and we are!
John and Ingrid were wonderful. Working with other specialized teams, they arranged to up-date my home, sell my treasures that I could not take with me and listed the property quickly. They personally supervised the progress of every aspect of my move. As a result I had an offer on my home of 39 years the first day listed. I would recommend their team highly.
Ingrid and her husband, John, were wonderful to work with. The guidance they gave me in selling my home was excellent. I had my house on the market for just two days – 36 showings and 7 offers within two days. I highly recommend Ingrid. You won’t be sorry.
We highly recommend Ingrid and John Sullivan of Keller Williams. They lead a superb team of contractors, stagers and photographers that got our home sold at our price in four days (after 15+ showings). Bottom line: Go ahead and downsize and/or start packing…THEN call the Sullivans. Expect things to happen quickly.
Ingrid, thank you for being all that you were as our Realtor. We appreciate all the time and devotion you gave us. Your expertise made everything work well and knowing you were always there for us helped make our transition easier.
Making this change in my life was daunting and difficult, but John and Ingrid tried very hard to make it as easy as possible. They kept me informed and up to date on everything! I felt great relief when they came on board and I feel I’ve made new friends.
You are very thorough and you know other good, reliable & honest people to help you. Good follow-up on everything. Thank you so much.
I send you both a prayer of thanks every time the thought crosses my mind (often) of how not having my mother’s house hanging over my head has lightened my load and thus, my life. Be assured–you are the ones I will recommend to anyone i know who is buying or selling a home. Thank you!
Ingrid provided exemplary customer service from the first meeting. She came fully prepared with all the comparable properties and information for me on the process of selling. She immediately instilled confidence and trust. On the third day she brought me 5 offers, one way above asking price because the buyer really wanted the house. She guided me through each step and has a superb network of people to assist on any task or repair. She went above and beyond many times, especially advising my son who was selling a house in another state and needed her thoughts on how to improve its visibility. She is the best at her job and you will love working with her. There is not a high enough level to describe her professionalism and dedication.
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