HOUSTON – Tuesday, April 15 is Tax Day, but Texas homeowners still have time to apply for an exemption on their property taxes!
You still have 15 days to file for an extension and there are several ways to do this. The most popular is what’s called a “Homestead Exemption.”
If you recently purchased property in Harris County, you may be eligible for a “Pro-rated” homestead exemption. The county currently provides a 20-percent optional homestead exemption to all homeowners. An exemption basically removes part of the value of your property from taxation- and lowers your taxes.
The Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD) handles the tax breaks. If you are approved for an exemption HCAD will notify the Harris County Tax Office with changes to your tax statement.
RELATED: Texas plans to spend $51 billion on property tax cuts. It may not be sustainable.
By the way, if you are late with previous property tax payments there is another option available to you.
Currently, the Texas House is considering a budget that would give out more than $51 billion. To maintain and provide new property tax cuts, some state lawmakers are nervous about the state’s ability to afford the tax relief if there’s an economic downturn.
If it were its own agency, Texas’ property tax budget would be the third costliest agency in the state. Texans already pay some of the highest property taxes in the country.
MORE: Texas ranked among highest tax rates in the US, WalletHub says
You can file a “Free application” by clicking here. The deadline to get your exemption applications is Wednesday, April 30.