For Immediate Release

Homestead Exemptions Reduce Property Tax Bills

Homeowners can reduce their property tax bills in 2009 by taking advantage of homestead exemptions offered by counties, cities, school districts and other local taxing units. To apply for a tax exemption on your residence homestead, contact the Brazoria County Appraisal District.

A homestead is generally the house and land used as the owner’s principal residence on Jan. 1 of the tax year. Homestead exemptions reduce the appraised value of your home and thus lower your property taxes.

Available homestead exemptions include:

• School taxes: All homeowners may receive a $15,000 homestead exemption for school taxes.
• County taxes: If a county collects a special tax for farm-to-market roads or flood control, a homeowner may receive a $3,000 homestead exemption for this tax.
• Age and disability exemptions: Individuals 65 and older and/or disabled may qualify for a $10,000 homestead exemption for school taxes, in addition to the $15,000 exemption available to all homeowners. Also, any taxing unit may offer a local option exemption of at least $3,000 for taxpayers age 65 or older and/or disabled. Older or disabled homeowners don’t need to own their homes on Jan. 1 to qualify for these special homestead exemptions. They qualify as soon as they turn 65 or become disabled.
• Disabled veteran exemption: To receive a disabled veteran exemption, you must either be a veteran who was disabled while serving in the U.S. armed forces or the surviving spouse or child (under 18 and unmarried) of a disabled veteran or a soldier killed while on active duty. The exemption amount depends on the veteran’s disability rating from the branch of the armed service.
• Taxing units may offer a local option exemption based on a percentage of a home’s appraised value. In 2009, any taxing unit can exempt up to 20 percent of the value of each qualified homestead. No matter what percentage of value the taxing unit adopts, the dollar value of the exemption must be at least $5,000.

A tax freeze, or ceiling, for school taxes is a benefit for home owners when they turn 65 or become disabled. The elderly or disabled homeowner’s school property taxes cannot increase above the amount of tax paid on that home in the first year the homeowner receives the 65 and older homestead exemption, unless the homeowner improves or adds to the house.

In addition to the school tax freeze, counties, cities and junior college districts may also opt to offer a tax freeze for elderly or disabled homeowners. Each taxing unit’s governing body may vote to grant the freeze, or the citizens of a taxing unit may petition for an election on granting the freeze.

For further details on homestead exemptions that can lower your property taxes, contact the Brazoria County Appraisal District at (979) 849-7792. Or, contact the state Comptroller’s Property Tax Division at (800) 252-9121 or visit the Comptroller’s Web site at www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/proptax/index.html