Some properties, such as those owned by religious organizations or governments are completely exempt from paying property taxes. Others are partially exempt, such as veterans who qualify for an exemption on part of their homes, and homeowners who are eligible for the School Tax Relief (STAR) program.
To qualify for an exemption that begins on July 1, you must be 65 or older by the following December 31. If you co-own your property with a spouse or sibling, only one of you needs to be 65 or older. For other co-ownerships such as a parent and children, all owners must be 65 or older.
You must own the property and have an equity interest in it. This includes houses, condominiums, co-ops, and mobile homes. Your home equity must fall within the exemption limits for your county: $179,950 for the counties of Kings, Queens, New York, Bronx, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester, and Putnam.
There is a new provision that now makes a Trust & Will Trust a qualifying Trust for Texas homestead purposes. This allows estate planners to preserve this important exemption that can save them thousands of dollars on property taxes and remove their primary residence from the probate process.
In order to receive an exemption, the residential homestead may be owned by an individual or by a qualifying trust. For estate planning purposes, many people use trusts to hold and manage their assets.