Overview
Property tax exemptions help Harris County homeowners reduce their tax bills by lowering their home's taxable value. The Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD) offers homestead exemptions to residents who own and live in their home as their primary residence. These exemptions can save homeowners thousands of dollars each year. Texas voters recently increased the standard homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000, while seniors age 65 and older and people with disabilities get an additional $60,000 exemption. A homeowner with a $250,000 property could save about $2,300 annually through these exemptions. Seniors with homes valued at $200,000 or less could eliminate county property taxes entirely. This matters because many Harris County residents pay more in property taxes than necessary simply because they haven't applied for available exemptions. These savings help families keep more money for groceries, healthcare, and other needs while staying in their homes as property values rise. The deadline to apply is April 30 each year. HCAD offers free workshops throughout Harris County and has created online tools to check eligibility. You can apply online through the HCAD website, visit their office, or attend community workshops in neighborhoods like South Park and Sunnyside. Don't miss this chance to reduce your property tax burden.
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The deadline to apply for property tax exemptions in Harris County and across Texas is Thursday.
So it’s the last week for homeowners in the Houston area to try to cut their property taxes through optional homestead exemptions made available through the state and administered locally. Homestead exemptions reduce property taxes by lowering a home’s appraised value.
In an outreach initiative launched by the Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD) and Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office, representatives on Saturday helped residents in the South Park and Sunnyside neighborhoods apply for exemptions in an effort to reduce their property tax burdens.
In a news conference Saturday, HCAD chief appraiser Adam Bogard said the tax exemptions are available to those who own and occupy their property as a primary residence. They freeze taxes at the amount a resident pays for the first year they qualify.
“Too many property owners in Harris County are paying too much in property taxes simply because they don’t have the proper exemptions in place,” Bogard said. “This is a great opportunity to meet property owners on their own turf and help them get the exemptions they’re entitled to without having to leave their own home.”
Texas voters in November approved increasing the homestead exemption for all homeowners from $100,000 to $140,000, while also authorizing an additional $60,000 exemption for seniors and those with disabilities.
A homeowner with a $250,000 property could reduce their property tax payment by about $2,300 through homestead exemptions, according to the Harris County tax office. Seniors age 65 and older could cut county tax property payments entirely if their home is appraised for $200,000 or less.
The county recently launched tools to help more local homeowners get tax exemptions — including a webpage to determine eligibility, expanded payment options and free tax exemption workshops throughout the county in May.
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who participated in the block-walking initiative over the weekend, said many eligible homeowners in Harris County are not claiming homestead exemptions. He said residents in Sunnyside and South Union, which are historically Black neighborhoods, are unlikely to take advantage of tax exemptions because they don’t know about them.
“People in wealthier ZIP codes know about them and they take advantage of those opportunities,” Ellis said. “Homeowners here and in other underserved communities are paying an unfair share of property taxes because they don’t take advantage of these opportunities. That’s not fair and it’s not by accident.”
Texas Republicans, as part of their campaign for the November election, have proposed making additional property tax cuts during the state’s biennial legislative session in 2027.