To apply for an exemption, call the Bexar Appraisal District at 210-224-2432. You may also contact their agency directly by email or visit their website to obtain the necessary forms. The exemption will be forwarded to the tax office as soon as the Appraisal District updates their records.
2022 Official Tax Rates & Exemptions NameCodeHomestead Alamo Community College District 9 n/a Hospital District 10 n/a Bexar County 11 5,000 or 20% San Antonio River Authority 19 5,000 or 4%65 more rows
Note: Applications will be processed in the order they are received. We strive to process exemptions as quickly as possible, but at times processing could take up to 90 days to process, per Texas Property Tax Code Section 11.45.
HOMESTEAD LIMITATION (aka Residence Homestead “Cap”) For residence homesteads, the annual increase is limited to 10% more than the previous year's appraised value plus and new improvements. For example: In 2021, a property with the residence homestead has a market value and appraised value of $100,000.
Qualifying homeowners can get a 35% exemption of the assessed value of a home up to $600,000 (25% for homes over $600,000). Additional deductions are available for seniors, veterans, disabled persons, rehabilitations, and mortgages.
Persons with a residence homestead are entitled to a 20% exemption of the market valuation of their home. The Over-65 exemption is for property owners who claim their residence as their homestead - this exemption is a maximum of $85,000 of taxable valuation.
To qualify for the general residence homestead exemption, a home must meet the definition of a residence homestead and an individual must have an ownership interest in the property and use the property as the individual's principal residence.
The new law established a three-fold homestead acquisition process: file an application, improve the land, and file for deed of title. Any U.S. citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. Government could file an application and lay claim to 160 acres of surveyed Government land.
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ended homesteading; by that time, federal government policy had shifted to retaining control of western public lands. The only exception to this new policy was in Alaska, for which the law allowed homesteading until 1986.
The Southern Homestead Act was initiated to help former slaves gain their own land. It opened up about 46 million acres (18.6 million hectares) of land in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.