Can I get a homestead exemption the same year I buy a house in Texas?

Yes, Texas Tax Code 11.42 lets a buyer who closes partway through the year file for a prorated homestead exemption covering the months they owned and lived in the home, as long as the seller had not already claimed that exemption on the property for that same tax year. File within one year of closing, since this exemption works on a one-time clock.

What if the seller already had a homestead exemption on the house?

Then you wait until January 1 of the next tax year to file your own homestead exemption, because the same-year proration only applies when the previous owner did not already claim it for that year. This is common when a seller was living in the home as their primary residence right up until closing, since their exemption already covered the property through December 31.

How much is the Texas homestead exemption worth in 2026?

Texas voters raised the mandatory school-district homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 when they approved Proposition 13 in November 2025, so a home appraised at $350,000 is taxed for school purposes as if it were worth $210,000 once the exemption is filed. Homeowners who are 65 or older, or who have a qualifying disability, qualify for an additional exemption on top of that number.

Who pays the property tax bill the year a house sells in Texas?

Both sides pay their own share through a credit at closing, where the seller covers the taxes owed from January 1 through the closing date and the buyer takes over responsibility for the rest of the year once the county's bill is mailed. Harris County and most surrounding counties typically release that bill sometime between October and December.

Is there a deadline to file for the prorated homestead exemption?

Yes, you have one year from your closing date to file the prorated exemption with your county appraisal district, and missing that window means losing the tax savings for that specific year for good. Filing in the first few weeks after closing, rather than waiting, protects the most of that year's prorated benefit since the amount is calculated by the day.

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Do You Get a Homestead Exemption the Same Year You Buy a Texas House?

October 7, 2026

A couple reviewing paperwork together at a sunlit kitchen table, with moving boxes stacked near a window in their new home

If you’re closing on a house in the Houston area this fall, you don’t have to wait until January to file for your Texas homestead exemption. Texas Tax Code 11.42 lets a buyer who closes partway through the year claim a prorated version of that exemption right now, covering every month from your closing date through December 31, as long as the person who sold you the house wasn’t already claiming that same exemption on it. Almost nobody explains this before closing day, which is how so many new homeowners leave a year of tax savings on the table.

The Move Live Love TX Team™ is a husband-and-wife real estate team serving Houston and the surrounding areas, helping people make the move that comes next.

Why Your Closing Date Changes the Math

Harris County, Montgomery County, and every other appraisal district in Texas run property taxes on a calendar year. The county is supposed to certify its tax rolls by October 1, and most homeowners see their actual bill land in the mailbox sometime between October and December. Close before that bill exists and your title company estimates the prorated amount off last year’s number. Close after it’s already been mailed and they use the real figure instead.

Either way, the seller owes taxes for the part of the year they owned the home, and you owe for the part you did. That split shows up as a credit on your closing statement, not a separate check you write later. The county only wants one payment from one owner, so whoever holds the title on December 31 is who sends it in, with the other side’s share already folded into what changed hands at closing.

The Exemption Rule Most Buyers Never Hear About

This is the part that surprises even people who’ve bought a house before. Before 2022, buying mid-year meant waiting until the following January 1 to file for your homestead exemption, no matter when you closed. That rule changed. Now you can file for a prorated exemption the same tax year you buy, covering the months you owned and lived in the home, with one catch: the previous owner cannot have already claimed that exemption on the property for that year.

That catch matters more than it sounds like. Buy from a builder, an estate, or an investor who never lived there and you’re almost always clear to file right away. But buy from a family who had been living in the house as their own homestead, and their exemption already covered the property for the year, so you’ll wait until January to file yours.

To file:

Get your closing date and a Texas driver’s license or ID that shows the new address.
Confirm with the title company or the seller’s agent whether the seller had a homestead exemption on the property this year.
File Form 50-114 with your county appraisal district, Harris Central Appraisal District, Montgomery Central Appraisal District, or Fort Bend Central Appraisal District, depending on where the house sits.
File within one year of your closing date. Wait longer and the prorated exemption for that year is gone for good.

The Move Live Love TX Team is a husband-and-wife real estate team serving Houston and the surrounding areas, helping people make the move that comes next.

What It’s Worth in 2026

Texas voters raised the mandatory school-district homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 when they approved Proposition 13 in November 2025, per the Texas Comptroller. On a home appraised at $350,000, that’s the difference between paying school taxes on $350,000 and paying them on $210,000. A homeowner who is 65 or older, or who has a qualifying disability, gets an additional exemption on top of that.

Peter spent years in mortgage lending and construction before he ever sold a house, so a prorated tax credit on a closing statement doesn’t read like a foreign language to him the way it does to most first-time buyers, and he walks every closing-week client through what their statement says and what it means.

Getting It Confirmed for Your Address

If the math on your own exemption, or the broader homestead exemption savings coming out of Proposition 13, still feels foggy once your closing statement is in hand, that’s a normal reaction to seeing property tax paperwork for the first time. The Buyer’s Guide walks through the rest of what shows up at closing, and your title company can tell you, in minutes, whether the seller already had the exemption on your specific house.

The Move Live Love TX Team is a husband-and-wife real estate team serving Houston and the surrounding areas, helping people make the move that comes next.

Either way, somebody has to file the paperwork, and it won’t happen on its own. Put it on your list for the week you get your keys, not the week your first tax bill shows up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a homestead exemption the same year I buy a house in Texas?: Yes, Texas Tax Code 11.42 lets a buyer who closes partway through the year file for a prorated homestead exemption covering the months they owned and lived in the home, as long as the seller had not already claimed that exemption on the property for that same tax year. File within one year of closing, since this exemption works on a one-time clock.
What if the seller already had a homestead exemption on the house?: Then you wait until January 1 of the next tax year to file your own homestead exemption, because the same-year proration only applies when the previous owner did not already claim it for that year. This is common when a seller was living in the home as their primary residence right up until closing, since their exemption already covered the property through December 31.
How much is the Texas homestead exemption worth in 2026?: Texas voters raised the mandatory school-district homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 when they approved Proposition 13 in November 2025, so a home appraised at $350,000 is taxed for school purposes as if it were worth $210,000 once the exemption is filed. Homeowners who are 65 or older, or who have a qualifying disability, qualify for an additional exemption on top of that number.
Who pays the property tax bill the year a house sells in Texas?: Both sides pay their own share through a credit at closing, where the seller covers the taxes owed from January 1 through the closing date and the buyer takes over responsibility for the rest of the year once the county's bill is mailed. Harris County and most surrounding counties typically release that bill sometime between October and December.
Is there a deadline to file for the prorated homestead exemption?: Yes, you have one year from your closing date to file the prorated exemption with your county appraisal district, and missing that window means losing the tax savings for that specific year for good. Filing in the first few weeks after closing, rather than waiting, protects the most of that year's prorated benefit since the amount is calculated by the day.

Questions about your situation? Peter and Vicky are a call away — get in touch or start a home search.