- Property owners may qualify for a general residence homestead exemption, if they own and occupy the property as their principal residence as of January 1. Homestead will be effective January 1 of that year.
- Effective 2022 tax year, a property owner may qualify for a prorated homestead exemption, for the applicable portion of that tax year, immediately upon owning and occupying the property as their principal residence, if the preceding owner did not receive the exemption that tax year.
- Need copy of Texas Driver License or Texas ID which MUST match situs
- If Mailing
Address is PO Box, the Texas Driver License or Texas ID still must match
the situs (both PO box and situs can be listed on the license/id's). The
mailing address does not necessarily need to be listed on any form of ID
***If you cannot get an appointment to update your address on your driver's license, please be advised we can backdate the application for up to two years
- If confidential owner, your Texas Driver License or Texas ID does not have to match the situs
- If active military, need utility bill and ID does not have to match situs but still needs to be provided
- You can go back two years when determining tax year. You can only do this if you have owned and occupied the home for the last two years.
Homestead Cap
- The homestead cap adjustment applies to your homestead exemption beginning in the second year you have the exemption.
- The homestead cap adjustment is calculated on a year to year basis. If in the current year, the property reflects no cap adjustment, then the current assessed value is not higher than 10% of last year’s assessed value.
- An owner who receives a prorated homestead exemption
is considered to have qualified for the homestead exemption as of January 1st of
the following year. Homestead cap adjustment will only apply after
the exemption is on the property for 1 full year.
Other Benefits
- Reduces taxable value for the school district and the farm to market road district.
- All school districts exempt $140,000 from the value before taxing your property.
- The farm to market road district exempts $3,000 from the value before taxing your property.
Late Filing
· When filing for the residence homestead exemptions, you must file an application no later than two years after the delinquency date. The delinquency date is January 31st.
How To File Application
·
Access our website www.wcad.org within the property search. Enter name, address, or QUICK REF ID to pull up property. Click on the HS exemption icon.