CIRCUIT BREAKER LIMITATION
Circuit Breaker Limitation on Non-Resident Homestead
Property Value Increases
Tax Code Section 23.231 sets a limit on the amount of annual
increase to the appraised value of real property other than a residence
homestead to not exceed the lesser of:
The circuit breaker limitation applies only to real property
that is not a residence homestead and is:
valued
at $5,160,000 or less; and
not
real property that qualifies for special appraisal as:
agricultural
land;
timberland;
recreational,
park and scenic land;
public
access airport property; or
restricted-use
timberland.
A new improvement is an improvement to real property made
after the most recent appraisal that increases the property's market value and
was not included in the its appraised value in the preceding tax year. It does
not include repairs to or ordinary maintenance of an existing structure, the
grounds or another property feature.
A replacement structure for one rendered uninhabitable or
unusable by a casualty, wind or water damage does not qualify as a new
improvement under certain circumstances.
The circuit breaker limitation takes effect on Jan. 1 of the
tax year following the first year the owner owns the property on Jan. 1. It
expires on Jan. 1 following the year the property owner no longer owns the
property.
Pursuant to Tax Code Section 23.231(j), for the 2024 tax
year, the maximum eligibility amount is $5 million. For each subsequent year,
the Comptroller's office is required to adjust the limit to reflect annual
changes in amount by using the consumer price index. The maximum eligibility
amount is published in the chart below.