The property must be your principal residence and you cannot claim a homestead exemption on any other property. You must provide a valid Texas driver's license or Texas identification card and the address listed must match the address for which the exemption is requested.
Determining Urban or Rural Homesteads in Texas Rural homesteads are limited to 200 acres for a family and 100 acres for a single adult, including improvements on the property. An urban homestead is limited to ten acres with improvements, which must be in adjacent lots.
As of 2024, the federal homestead exemption is $27,900 for an individual and $55,800 for married couples filing jointly. In contrast, New York's exemption amounts are: $179,950 for the counties of Kings, Queens, New York, Bronx, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester, and Putnam.
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.
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.
This law increased the annual Texas homestead tax exemption from $40,000 to $100,000, starting with January 2023 taxes. While tax savings relief stole the headlines, another law was enacted that may require homeowners to renew their application for their homestead exemptions every five years.