To qualify for a general homestead exemption, you must own and use the home as your principal residence on January 1 st. Your homestead can be a separate structure, condominium or manufactured home located on leased land, as long as you own the home itself. Your homestead includes your house and the land used as your yard, not to exceed 20 acres. If you are not the sole owner of your home, you will receive only a portion of any qualified exemption, based on your percent ownership. If you have more than one house, you can receive exemptions only for your main or principal residence. You may not receive a homestead exemption for more than one residence homestead in the same year. If you temporarily move away from your home, you can still receive an exemption as long as you intend to return and do not establish another principal residence. “Temporarily” means an absence of less than two years. Renting part of your home or using part of it for a business does not disqualify the rest of your home for the exemption. A copy of a valid Texas State issued driver's license or ID is required. If the situs address of the home that you are applying for does not match the address on your driver's license or ID, a copy of two (2) complete, current and unpaid utility bills; light, water, or gas (one of each) must accompany the identification. If you do not have a gas utility bill, then the telephone or cable complete, current and unpaid bill from your current address is acceptable. The information requested above must be presented with your homestead application in order for your exemption to be processed. Each taxing unit decides whether to offer the optional exemption and at what percentage:
- Laredo ISD - 10% Local Option and $15,000; State mandated
- United ISD -15% Local Option and $15,000; State mandated
- Webb Consolidated ISD - 20% Local Option and $15,000; State mandated
- Road & Bridge - $3,000; State mandated
These totals will be deducted from the appraised value of your property and you will pay taxes on the remaining value.
If you are 65 years of age or older; your residence homestead qualifies for this additional exemption; which removes part of the value of your property from taxation and lowers your tax bill. You will qualify for the Over-65 Homeowner exemption as soon as you turn 65, as long as you own the home and live in it as your principal residence. You will receive the exemption back to January 1 of that tax year. You may defer, or postpone, paying any property taxes on your home for as long as you own and live in it. To postpone your tax payments, file a “tax deferral affidavit” with our office. You may suspend any lawsuit by filing this affidavit with the court or stop a pending tax sale by filing this affidavit with the officer conducting the sale. A tax deferral, however, only postpones your tax liability. It does not cancel it. An additional benefit of the over-65 homestead exemption is the school tax ceiling; that is the school taxes on your home will not increase as long as you own and live in that home, unless you make improvements to the home.
A disability exemption is an exemption in addition to your regular homestead exemption. “Disability” means: (1) you can’t engage in gainful work because of physical or mental impairment that has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months; or (2) you are 55 years old and blind and can't engage in your previous work because of your blindness You must meet all the qualifications for the General Residential Homestead exemption outlined above. If you receive disability benefits under the Federal Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance Program administered by the Social Security Administration, you will qualify. Disability benefits from any other program, including a disabled veterans' pension, do not automatically qualify you for this exemption. You may not receive both this exemption and the over-65 exemption. Disabled homeowners have a ceiling imposed on their school taxes similar to that provided to homeowners aged 65 or older.
