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By Frank Flores, founder of FamiliaLista · Updated November 3, 2026

Texas homestead exemption: how much it saves and how to apply

If you own your home in Texas and live in it, the homestead exemption lowers the value you pay school taxes on by $140,000, with an extra $60,000 if you are 65 or older or have a disability. You apply once with your county appraisal district using Form 50-114. Here are the amounts, the tax ceiling, and what happens when an owner dies.

What is it worth?

School districts must exempt $140,000 of a residence homestead's value. The Comptroller's example: a home appraised at $300,000 pays school taxes as if it were worth $160,000. Any taxing unit may add a local option of up to 20% of the value, but not less than $5,000, and counties that collect farm-to-market or flood control taxes give $3,000. A 2025 constitutional amendment raised the school exemption from $100,000 to $140,000. Sources: Texas Comptroller, property tax exemptions, Texas Comptroller, residence homestead exemptions table (January 2026), Texas Legislature, S.J.R. 2 (2025).

Who qualifies?

You need an ownership interest in the home and must live in it as your principal residence. You also state that you don't claim a homestead exemption on another home, in or outside Texas. Source: Texas Comptroller, property tax exemptions.

Age 65 or older, or with a disability

School districts add another $60,000 exemption, and other taxing units may add at least $3,000. A disability must meet Social Security's definition for disability benefits. You can't get both the age and disability exemptions from the same taxing unit. Sources: Texas Comptroller, property tax exemptions, Texas Comptroller, residence homestead exemptions table (January 2026).

There's also a tax ceiling, often called the tax freeze. A school district can't raise the total school tax on your homestead above what it was in the year you first qualified. New additions to the home, other than repairs, can raise it. Separately, a homestead's appraised value generally can't rise more than 10% a year. Source: Texas Comptroller, appraisal and tax limitations.

How do I apply?

File Form 50-114 with the appraisal district in the county where the home is.
Attach a copy of each owner's Texas driver's license or state ID. The address on it must match the home.
It's due by April 30 of the year you want the exemption. A late application can be filed up to two years after the deadline.
Once it's granted, you don't reapply every year unless the appraisal district asks.
If you already have the exemption and your birth date is on file, you don't need to apply again for the age 65 exemption.

Sources: Texas Comptroller, Form 50-114, Texas Comptroller, property tax exemptions.

Surviving spouses age 55 or older

If your spouse had the age 65 exemption and died, you can keep it if you were 55 or older when they died and the home was, and stays, your homestead. A surviving spouse who is at least 55 may also keep the tax ceiling on the same home if they meet certain conditions. Sources: Texas Comptroller, Form 50-114, Texas Comptroller, appraisal and tax limitations.

What happens when the owner dies?

When the right to an exemption ends, the appraisal district must be told in writing before May 1 of the next year. An heir who lives in the home can apply. If the heir isn't named on a recorded deed, they give the appraisal district an affidavit of ownership (Form 50-114-A), a copy of the prior owner's death certificate, a recent utility bill, and any court record about their ownership. Other heirs who also live there sign affidavits too. To find the deed, see how to find a property deed in Texas. Sources: Texas Comptroller, Form 50-114, Texas Comptroller, property tax exemptions.

Checklist

[ ] Form 50-114, filled out and signed
[ ] Copy of each owner's driver's license or state ID, with the home's address
[ ] Appraisal district account number, if you know it
[ ] For age 65 or disability: proof the appraisal district asks for
[ ] For heirs: Form 50-114-A, death certificate, recent utility bill

Your appraisal district decides who qualifies and can tell you what else it needs. Source: Texas Comptroller, property tax exemptions.

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Frequently asked questions

How much is the Texas homestead exemption for school taxes?

$140,000 of your home's value, plus $60,000 more if you are 65 or older or have a disability.

Do I have to apply every year?

No. Once it's granted, you only reapply if the appraisal district asks.

My husband had the over-65 exemption and died. Do I lose it?

Not if you were 55 or older when he died and you still live in the home as your homestead.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. It's general information from the Texas Comptroller. Your appraisal district decides who qualifies.

Sources

General information, not legal or financial advice. Rules change; check the official sources above or talk to a licensed professional about your situation.