General Residence Homestead Exemption
Who qualifies
- Ownership
- Must have an ownership interest in the property (fee, life estate, or qualifying beneficial interest) and occupy it as a principal residence.
- Residency
- Must own the home and use it as the principal residence on Jan 1; applicant must not claim a homestead exemption on any other residence in or outside Texas.
How much it saves
Worked example — a $300,000 home at Texas's median effective rate (~1.25%):
- • Applies to school district taxes only. Shown as an upper bound — your school taxes are a portion of your total bill.
Your county's rate differs — use the calculator for a figure tuned to where you live.
How to apply
- Application required: Yes
- Deadline: Generally filed before May 1 (April 30); a late application may be filed up to two years after the delinquency date (Tax Code 11.431).
- Renewal: automatic — Once granted, generally continues without annual reapplication, though the appraisal district may periodically request reverification.
- Official application form
Combining with other exemptions
Stacks with the age-65+/disabled additional school exemption (11.13(c)), disabled-veteran exemptions, and local-option exemptions.
Amount cross-checked against a second official artifact: comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/exemptions/index.php.
Informational only — not legal or tax advice. Exemption rules and amounts are summarized from official statutes and state tax-agency sources as of each program's verified date and can change by legislative session. Dollar figures are estimates derived from Census ACS county tax data, not actual bills. Confirm your eligibility and current amounts with your county assessor before relying on anything here.