AUSTIN GUIDES / PROPERTY TAXES
Austin homestead exemption: who qualifies, what it saves, and how to file with TCAD
The Austin homestead exemption takes $140,000 off a home's value for Austin ISD taxes and 20% off it for the City of Austin, Travis County and Central Health, according to the Travis Central Appraisal District's 2026 exemption listing. On a $500,000 homestead at 2025 adopted rates, that comes to $2,318.34 a year, a figure we computed. You qualify if you own the home and live in it as your principal residence on January 1, and you file once with TCAD, before May 1, with a driver's license showing the home's address.
By David Eimer · Austin Guides · Facts reviewed
The numbers
- Austin ISD homestead exemption
- $140,000As of 2026 tax year
Required of every Texas school district by Tax Code §11.13(b).
Travis Central Appraisal District: 2026 exemption listing report, July 19, 2026 ↗
- City of Austin, Travis County and Central Health
- 20% of value ($5,000 minimum)As of 2026 tax year
Austin Community College grants 1%, also with a $5,000 minimum.
Travis Central Appraisal District: 2026 exemption listing report, July 19, 2026 ↗
- Yearly savings on a $500,000 Austin homestead
- $2,318.34As of 2025 adopted rates
Computed: $10,232.43 in taxes with no exemption against $7,914.09 with the general homestead exemption.
Travis County Tax Office: tax rates by taxing unit, 2026 and prior years (spreadsheet) ↗
- Filing deadline
- Before May 1As of Tax Code §11.43(d)
Buyers who close after January 1 have until the first anniversary of the purchase.
- Late application window
- 2 years after the delinquency dateAs of Tax Code §11.431
If the taxes were already paid, the collector refunds the difference.
Texas Tax Code §11.431, Late Application for Homestead Exemption ↗
- Extra exemption at 65 or disabled, Austin ISD
- $85,000 at 65, $75,000 disabledAs of 2026 tax year
The state's $60,000 plus Austin ISD's own $25,000 or $15,000, with a school tax ceiling.
Travis Central Appraisal District: 2026 exemption listing report, July 19, 2026 ↗
How much does the homestead exemption save in Austin?
Each taxing unit on an Austin bill takes its own exemption off the home's appraised value. TCAD's 2026 listing shows Austin ISD at the $140,000 that Tax Code §11.13(b) requires of every school district, the City of Austin, Travis County and Central Health at 20% with a $5,000 minimum, and Austin Community College at 1% with the same minimum.
On a $500,000 homestead in the City of Austin and Austin ISD, those exemptions take $2,318.34 off the bill at 2025 adopted rates, from $10,232.43 to $7,914.09, in our worked example. Austin ISD accounts for $1,295.28 of it. The saving grows with the home's value in the 20% units and stays fixed in the school district. The Austin property taxes guide shows the full bill line by line.
What the general homestead exemption saves on a $500,000 Austin home, 2025 rates
| Taxing unit | Exemption | Value exempted | 2025 rate per $100 | Tax saved (computed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin ISD | $140,000 | $140,000 | $0.9252 | $1,295.28 |
| City of Austin | 20% | $100,000 | $0.524017 | $524.02 |
| Travis County | 20% | $100,000 | $0.375845 | $375.85 |
| Travis Central Health | 20% | $100,000 | $0.118023 | $118.02 |
| Austin Community College | 1%, $5,000 minimum | $5,000 | $0.1034 | $5.17 |
| Total | $2,318.34 |
Sources: Travis Central Appraisal District: 2026 exemption listing report, July 19, 2026 ↗ · Texas Tax Code §11.13, Residence Homestead ↗ · Travis County Tax Office: tax rates by taxing unit, 2026 and prior years (spreadsheet) ↗
Who qualifies for a homestead exemption in Texas?
Tax Code §11.13(j) defines a residence homestead as a home, with up to 20 acres, that an individual owns, uses as a residence and occupies as their principal residence. Eligibility is set on one date: under §11.42(a), "a person who does not qualify for an exemption on January 1 of any year may not receive the exemption that year."
You can hold only one. The application must state that you claim no other residence homestead in Texas or anywhere else, under §11.43(j). And under §11.43(n) the exemption is not allowed unless the address on your driver's license or state ID matches the home's address, so update the license first. Rentals and second homes do not qualify.
Sources: Texas Tax Code §11.13, Residence Homestead ↗ · Texas Tax Code §11.42, Qualification Date ↗ · Texas Tax Code §11.43, Application for Exemption ↗
How much is the homestead exemption for each taxing unit?
Every school district grants $140,000, and some add more for owners 65 or older or disabled. The local-option exemptions vary much more. In Travis County, the City of Austin, the county and Central Health give the full 20% that §11.13(n) allows, while Pflugerville and Lakeway give no general homestead exemption at all, only a senior exemption.
Williamson County's tax office had not posted its 2026 listing when we checked, so its table shows 2025. That year Williamson County granted 5% and the City of Round Rock none. Hays County's appraisal district blocked every request we made, so its figures are not here; look up a Hays address on the district's site. Your own units and exemptions print on your TCAD or WCAD record.
Homestead exemptions by taxing unit in Travis County, 2026 tax year
| Taxing unit | General homestead | Age 65 or older | Disabled | Tax ceiling (freeze) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin ISD | $140,000 | $60,000 + $25,000 local | $60,000 + $15,000 local | Yes |
| City of Austin | 20% ($5,000 min.) | $204,000 | $204,000 | No |
| Travis County | 20% ($5,000 min.) | $145,269 | $145,269 | No |
| Travis Central Health | 20% ($5,000 min.) | $197,000 | $197,000 | No |
| Austin Community College | 1% ($5,000 min.) | $75,000 | $75,000 | Yes |
| Del Valle ISD | $140,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | Yes |
| Eanes ISD | $140,000 | $60,000 + $20,000 local | $60,000 + $20,000 local | Yes |
| Leander ISD | $140,000 | $60,000 + $3,000 local | $60,000 + $3,000 local | Yes |
| Manor ISD | $140,000 | $60,000 + $25,000 local | $60,000 + $15,000 local | Yes |
| Pflugerville ISD | $140,000 | $60,000 + $9,100 local | $60,000 | Yes |
| Round Rock ISD | $140,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 + $3,000 local | Yes |
| City of Bee Cave | 20% ($5,000 min.) | $65,000 | $65,000 | No |
| City of Pflugerville | None | $50,000 | $50,000 | No |
| City of Lakeway | None | $50,000 | None | No |
| City of Sunset Valley | 10% ($5,000 min.) | $3,000 | $3,000 | No |
Williamson County homestead exemptions, 2025 tax year (the latest published)
| Taxing unit | General homestead | Age 65 or older | Disabled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williamson County | 5% ($5,000 min.) | $125,000 | $125,000 |
| City of Round Rock | None | $22,000 | $3,000 |
| City of Leander | 1% ($5,000 min.) | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Georgetown, Hutto, Leander, Liberty Hill and Round Rock ISDs | $140,000 | $60,000, plus $3,000 local in Georgetown, Leander and Liberty Hill ISDs | $60,000, plus $3,000 local in Leander and Round Rock ISDs |
Sources: Travis Central Appraisal District: 2026 exemption listing report, July 19, 2026 ↗ · Texas Tax Code §11.13, Residence Homestead ↗ · Williamson County Tax Assessor-Collector: 2025 Taxing Rates & Exemptions by Jurisdiction ↗
How do you file for a homestead exemption with TCAD?
File once, on the Comptroller's Form 50-114, the Residence Homestead Exemption Application. TCAD accepts it online through its exemption portal, by mail or at its office, and asks for a copy of a driver's license or state ID with the same address as the property. The application also lists each owner and their share, and you sign it under penalty of law.
TCAD says it acts on an application within 90 days. You do not reapply each year: under §11.43(c), an exemption once allowed need not be claimed again until the ownership or your qualification changes, although the chief appraiser can ask for a new application. Check that the exemption shows on your next appraisal notice.
Sources: Texas Comptroller: Property Tax Exemptions ↗ · Travis Central Appraisal District: Homestead Exemptions ↗ · Travis Central Appraisal District: online exemption application ↗ · Texas Tax Code §11.43, Application for Exemption ↗
When is the homestead exemption deadline, and can you file late?
For a home you owned and lived in on January 1, Tax Code §11.43(d) sets the deadline: file before May 1. A buyer who closes after January 1 has until the first anniversary of the purchase. The chief appraiser can extend the deadline by 60 days for good cause.
Missing it is not final. Under §11.431, TCAD must accept a late application filed no later than two years after the delinquency date for that year's taxes, and if the taxes were already paid, the collector refunds the owner who paid them. Travis County taxes become delinquent on February 1, so the 2026 exemption can be claimed late until early 2029.
Sources: Texas Tax Code §11.43, Application for Exemption ↗ · Texas Tax Code §11.431, Late Application for Homestead Exemption ↗ · Travis County Tax Office: Important dates ↗
Can you get the homestead exemption in the year you buy?
Sometimes. Tax Code §11.42(f) lets a buyer who acquires a home after January 1 receive the general homestead exemption for the rest of that year only "if the preceding owner did not receive the same exemption for that tax year." Buying a newly built home or a former rental can qualify; buying from an owner who lived there usually does not, because the seller's exemption stays on the bill for that year.
The 10% cap starts later still. Under §23.23(c) it takes effect on January 1 of the tax year after you first qualify, so the first year after purchase is appraised at market value. After that, the taxable value of the home cannot rise more than 10% a year, plus new improvements. That is the main reason to file the first spring you can.
Sources: Texas Tax Code §11.42, Qualification Date ↗ · Texas Tax Code §23.23, Limitation on Appraised Value of Residence Homestead ↗
What do owners 65 or older or disabled get?
Tax Code §11.13(c) adds $60,000 to the school exemption for owners 65 or older or disabled, and TCAD's listing shows Austin ISD adding $25,000 of its own for seniors and $15,000 for disabled owners. The City of Austin exempts $204,000, Central Health $197,000, Travis County $145,269 and Austin Community College $75,000. Unlike the general exemption, the 65 exemption covers the whole year you turn 65, under §11.42(c).
The bigger benefit is the school tax ceiling. Under §11.26(a), a school district cannot raise the tax on the homestead above the amount it imposed in the first year you qualified, except for improvements. TCAD shows a ceiling for school districts and Austin Community College but none for the City of Austin, Travis County or Central Health. A surviving spouse who was 55 or older keeps the senior exemption, under §11.13(q).
Sources: Texas Tax Code §11.13, Residence Homestead ↗ · Travis Central Appraisal District: 2026 exemption listing report, July 19, 2026 ↗ · Texas Tax Code §11.42, Qualification Date ↗ · Texas Tax Code §11.26, School Tax Limitation for the Elderly or Disabled ↗
What exemptions do disabled veterans get?
Tax Code §11.22 exempts part of a disabled veteran's property by VA disability rating, from $5,000 at 10% to 29% up to $12,000 at 70% and over. The $12,000 also applies to a veteran 65 or older with at least a 10% rating, and to a veteran with blindness or the loss of use of a limb.
A veteran who receives 100% disability compensation and is rated 100% disabled or individually unemployable owes no property tax on the homestead: §11.131 exempts its total appraised value, and the exemption passes to a surviving spouse.
Disabled veteran exemptions, Texas Tax Code §11.22 and §11.131
| VA disability rating | Exemption from appraised value |
|---|---|
| 10% to 29% | $5,000 |
| 30% to 49% | $7,500 |
| 50% to 69% | $10,000 |
| 70% and over | $12,000 |
| 100% disabled or individual unemployability, with 100% disability compensation | The full appraised value of the homestead |
Sources: Texas Tax Code §11.22, Disabled Veterans ↗ · Texas Tax Code §11.131, 100 Percent Disabled Veteran's Residence Homestead ↗
What happens if you claim a homestead you don't qualify for?
The appraisal district can reach back five years. Under §11.43(i), if a chief appraiser finds an exemption "has been erroneously allowed in any one of the five preceding years," the exempted value is added back to the roll for each of those years and the taxes are billed. A false statement on the application is an offense under Penal Code §37.10, which the form warns about.
That matters when you move. If you buy a new home and keep the old one as a rental, the old home no longer qualifies on the next January 1, and you should tell TCAD. Our Austin property tax budget post shows how to budget a first-year bill in escrow.
Homestead exemption dates and deadlines
| When | What | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Eligibility is fixed: you must own and occupy the home as your principal residence | Tax Code §11.42(a) |
| Before May 1 | File the application for a home you owned and lived in on January 1 | Tax Code §11.43(d) |
| Within 1 year of closing | File for a home bought after January 1 | Tax Code §11.43(d) |
| Within 90 days of filing | TCAD acts on the application | TCAD homestead page |
| January 1 of the next tax year | The 10% homestead cap starts | Tax Code §23.23(c) |
| Up to 2 years after the delinquency date | Last day to file late and get a refund of taxes paid | Tax Code §11.431 |
Common questions
How much is the homestead exemption in Austin, TX?
Austin ISD exempts $140,000 of a homestead's value, and the City of Austin, Travis County and Central Health each exempt 20%, at least $5,000, according to TCAD's 2026 listing. Austin Community College exempts 1%. On a $500,000 home at 2025 rates, that saves $2,318.34 a year in our worked example.
What is the deadline for the homestead exemption in Travis County?
File before May 1 for a home you owned and lived in on January 1, under Tax Code §11.43(d). If you bought after January 1, you have until the first anniversary of the purchase. A late application is accepted up to two years after the taxes' delinquency date, with a refund of taxes already paid.
Do I have to reapply for the homestead exemption every year?
No. Tax Code §11.43(c) says an exemption, once allowed, need not be claimed again until ownership or your qualification changes. The chief appraiser can still ask for a new application, so answer any letter from TCAD.
I just bought a house in Austin. When can I file?
You can file once you own and live in the home, and you have until the first anniversary of the purchase. You get the exemption for the purchase year only if the seller did not have the same exemption that year, under Tax Code §11.42(f); otherwise it starts the next January 1.
Does my driver's license need to show my new address?
Yes. Tax Code §11.43(n) says the exemption may not be allowed unless the address on your driver's license or state ID matches the property. Update the license before you file.
Does the over-65 exemption freeze my Austin property taxes?
Only part of them. School districts and Austin Community College apply a tax ceiling, so their tax on the homestead cannot rise above the first year you qualified, except for improvements. TCAD's 2026 listing shows no ceiling for the City of Austin, Travis County or Central Health, which instead give larger senior exemptions.
How much is the homestead exemption in Williamson County?
In the 2025 tax year, the latest the county has published, Williamson County exempted 5% of a homestead's value, at least $5,000, and $125,000 for owners 65 or older or disabled. School districts exempt $140,000, and cities vary; Round Rock granted no general homestead exemption.
Take this to your next conversation
- Update your driver's license to the new address before filing.
- File Form 50-114 with TCAD before May 1, or within a year of closing.
- Confirm the exemption appears on your next appraisal notice.
- At 65, file for the senior exemption to start the school tax ceiling.
Sources and review date
Every figure on this page was checked against these sources on . Rates, rules and fees change; confirm them for a specific property before relying on them.
- Travis Central Appraisal District: 2026 exemption listing report, July 19, 2026 ↗
- Travis Central Appraisal District: Homestead Exemptions ↗
- Travis Central Appraisal District: online exemption application ↗
- Texas Comptroller: Property Tax Exemptions ↗
- Travis County Tax Office: tax rates by taxing unit, 2026 and prior years (spreadsheet) ↗
- Travis County Tax Office: Important dates ↗
- Williamson County Tax Assessor-Collector: 2025 Taxing Rates & Exemptions by Jurisdiction ↗
- Texas Tax Code §11.13, Residence Homestead ↗
- Texas Tax Code §11.22, Disabled Veterans ↗
- Texas Tax Code §11.26, School Tax Limitation for the Elderly or Disabled ↗
- Texas Tax Code §11.131, 100 Percent Disabled Veteran's Residence Homestead ↗
- Texas Tax Code §11.42, Qualification Date ↗
- Texas Tax Code §11.43, Application for Exemption ↗
- Texas Tax Code §11.431, Late Application for Homestead Exemption ↗
- Texas Tax Code §23.23, Limitation on Appraised Value of Residence Homestead ↗