Application For Residential Homestead Exemption Form (Page 2 of 4) in pdf

RESIDENTIAL HOMESTEAD APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Owner’s name and address

• Owner’s Name & current mailing address (if different than on the form), percent ownership, birth date, move‐in date and phone number.

• Texas Driver License number or State ID number (kept confidential). IMPORTANT ‐ Attach a copy of your card. THIS IS REQUIRED.

• IMPORTANT ‐ Attach a copy of your vehicle registration receipt. THIS IS REQUIRED. If you do not own a motor vehicle, you must complete the

affidavit on page 4, sign it before a Notary Public, and provide a copy of a utility bill for this property showing that it is in your name.

NOTE: The address on your Driver License or State ID card and the address on your vehicle registration receipt must match the physical address of

your residence. Copies of both documents are now required by the state for a homestead exemption.

Step 2: Describe your property

• Physical street address of the property you are applying for (if different from the situs address listed);

• Number of acres used for residential purposes (this will be the number of acres the homestead is applied towards);

• Attach the mobile home statement of ownership and location or sales contract and fill out the Manufactured Home Affidavit if required;

Step 3: Check exemptions that apply to you

If you check the ‘Disability Exemption’, attach documents verifying your disability. If a surviving spouse age 55 or older OR surviving spouse 100%

disabled veteran, enter the information requested. The appraisal district may request documents on date of spouse’s death.

Step 4: Check if filing late

If you were eligible for an exemption last year, check this box and enter the prior tax year you are applying for.

Step 5: Sign and date the application

You must sign and date this application. Making false statements on your exemption application is a criminal offense.

* Pursuant to Tax Code Section 11.43(f), you are required to furnish this information. A driver’s license number, personal identification certificate number, or social security account number provided in an

application for an exemption filed with a chief appraiser is confidential and not open to public inspection. The information may not be disclosed to anyone other than an employee of the appraisal office who

appraises property, except as authorized by Tax Code Section 11.48(b).

** Tax Code Section 11.43(m) allows a person who receives a general homestead exemption in a tax year to receive the age 65 or older exemption for an individual 65 years of age or older in the next tax year

on the same property without applying for the age 65 or older exemption if the person becomes 65 years of age in that next year as shown by information in the records of the appraisal district that was provided

to the appraisal district by the individual in an application for a general residence homestead exemption.

MORE INFORMATION

• General Residence Homestead: You may only apply for residence homestead exemptions on one property in a tax year. A homestead exemption may

include up to 20 acres of land that you actually use in the residential use (occupancy) of your home. Arbitrary factors that are unrelated to that use, such as

acreage limits, matching legal descriptions, and contiguous parcels, may not be considered in determining if the land qualifies. To qualify for a homestead

exemption, you must own and reside in your home on January 1 of the tax year. If you temporarily move away from your home, you still can qualify for an

exemption if you don’t establish another principal residence and you intend to return in a period of less than two (2) years. Homeowners in military service

outside the U.S. or in a facility providing services related to health, infirmity or aging may exceed the two year period.

• Age 65 or Older or Disability: You may receive age 65 or older or disability homestead exemptions immediately upon qualification for the exemption(s).

If you have not provided your birthdate on this application, you must apply before the first anniversary of your qualification date to receive the

exemption(s) in that tax year. For example, if you turn 65 or are disabled on June 1 of the current year, you have until May 31 of the next year to apply for

the current tax year’s age 65 or older or disability exemption(s). This special provision only applies to age 65 or older or disability exemptions and not to

other exemptions for which you may apply. You must provide a disability letter or other documentation under Federal Old‐Age Survivors, and Disability

Insurance to qualify for a disability homestead exemption. Call the appraisal district for information about the district’s requirements.

• 100% Disabled Veterans: Beginning in 2009, certain disabled veterans are eligible for 100% exemptions for their residence homesteads. Documentation

from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must be submitted to prove that the veteran receives full VA compensation and is either rated as 100%

disabled or has a determination of unemployability from the VA.

• Surviving Spouse of Age 55 or Older: You qualify for an extension of the exemption for persons age 65 and older if (1) you are 55 years of age or older

on the date your spouse died and (2) your deceased spouse was receiving the age 65 or older exemptions on this residence homestead or would have

applied and qualified for the exemption in the year of the spouse’s death. You will not receive the school tax limitation for the age 65 or older exemption

unless your spouse died on or after December 1, 1987. You will not qualify for a disability exemption claimed by your deceased spouse. You are not

entitled to continue the school tax limitation; however, you will be entitled to continue the local option county, city or junior college limitation.

• Surviving Spouse of 100% Disabled Veteran: Beginning in 2012, you qualify for this exemption if you were married to a disabled veteran who qualified

for for an exemption under Tax Code Sec. 11.131 at the time of his or her death and: (1) you have not remarried since the death of the disabled veteran

and (2) the property was your residence homestead when the disabled veteran died and remains your residence homestead.

• Tax Limitations: The age 65 or older or disability exemption for school taxes includes a school tax limitation or ceiling. Other types of taxing units –

county, city, or junior college – have the option to grant a tax limitation on homesteads of homeowners disabled or 65 years of age or older. You may

transfer the same percentage of school taxes paid to another qualified homestead in the state. If the county, city or junior college grants the limitation, you

may transfer the same percentage of taxes paid to another qualified homestead within that same taxing unit.

• Filing Deadlines: File this application between January 1 and no later than April 30. You may file a late homestead exemption application if you file it no

later than one year after the date taxes become delinquent. See the age 65 or older or disability exemptions section above for more on late filing.

• Re‐filing: If the chief appraiser grants the exemption(s), you do not need to reapply annually. You must reapply, however, if the chief appraiser requires

you to do so by sending you a new application asking you to reapply. You must notify the chief appraiser in writing if and when your right to any exemption

ends or your qualifications change. You must reapply if you qualify for additional exemptions based on age or disability in the future. To ensure the earliest

possible qualification without reapplication, the older spouse should complete the application for a married couple.

• Transfer of Tax Limitation or Ceiling: Please call the appraisal district if you will transfer a tax ceiling to your new home.

To find out the homestead exemptions offered by your taxing units, visit

Form CCAD-114 2012/06