Veterans
Do Veterans Pay Property Taxes in Texas? Exemptions by VA Disability Rating
Texas does not exempt every veteran from property tax. Veterans with a service-connected disability rating from the VA can exempt $5,000 to $12,000 of a property’s value, and veterans rated 100 percent disabled or unemployable owe no property tax on their home. None of it is automatic, so you have to apply.
If you are a veteran in Houston, The Woodlands, or anywhere in Texas and you have not checked this, it is worth thirty minutes. The savings repeat every year you own the home.
The Move Live Love TX Team™ is a Houston, Texas real estate team based in The Woodlands. We help veteran buyers and homeowners across Houston, Spring, Cypress, Katy, Conroe, and The Woodlands use every benefit they have earned, including the ones that show up after closing.
What does each disability rating get you?
The partial exemption comes off the property’s appraised value, and the amount depends on your VA rating:
| VA disability rating | Amount exempted |
|---|---|
| 10 to 29 percent | $5,000 |
| 30 to 49 percent | $7,500 |
| 50 to 69 percent | $10,000 |
| 70 percent or higher | $12,000 |
Three other groups qualify for $12,000: veterans age 65 or older with at least a 10 percent rating, veterans who are totally blind in one or both eyes, and veterans who have lost the use of one or more limbs.
That $12,000 is a reduction in taxable value, not a refund. As an illustration only, on a home taxed at roughly 2 to 2.5 percent of value in the Houston area, $12,000 of exempt value is worth about $240 to $300 a year. Your bill depends on your taxing units, so treat that as an example, not a promise.
The partial exemption can be applied to any one property you own on January 1, one property per person. It is not limited to your home.
What does the 100 percent disabled veteran exemption cover?
A veteran awarded 100 percent disability compensation, through a 100 percent rating or a determination of individual unemployability, is exempt from the total appraised value of their residence homestead. That means no property tax on the home you live in.
Unlike the partial exemption, this one applies only to your residence homestead. If you move, the Comptroller says the exemption can start right away on the new homestead once you qualify it, and tax is due on the old home for the part of the year after the exemption ends.
As an illustration, on a $400,000 Harris County home taxed at roughly 2 to 2.5 percent of value, a full exemption can mean $8,000 to $10,000 a year that you do not pay. Your actual bill depends on your taxing units.
What can a surviving spouse claim?
Surviving spouses have three routes, depending on the veteran’s situation:
- An unmarried surviving spouse of a disabled veteran can receive a partial exemption. Harris CAD lists $5,000 for surviving spouses and children, so ask your district to confirm the amount for your situation.
- The surviving spouse of a veteran who qualified for the 100 percent exemption receives the total appraised value of the home exempt, as long as they have not remarried, the property was their residence homestead when the veteran died, and it remains their residence homestead.
- A newer exemption for certain surviving spouses (Tax Code 11.136) starts with tax year 2026. Texas voters approved it as Proposition 7 in November 2025. It exempts the total appraised value of the surviving spouse’s residence homestead if the spouse was married to the veteran at the time of death, has not remarried, and the veteran died of a condition covered by the federal PACT Act’s presumption of service connection. It can apply even if the veteran was not rated 100 percent at death. If the surviving spouse moves, the exemption carries over to the new homestead in the same dollar amount, and the chief appraiser issues a certificate to document it. The statute does not spell out an application form, so contact your appraisal district about how to claim it.
How do you apply, and what is the deadline?
You apply through the appraisal district in the county where the property sits. Here are the pages for the three largest districts in our area:
- Harris CAD: Veterans exemptions and the 100 percent disabled veteran Q&A
- Montgomery CAD: Homestead and other exemptions
- Fort Bend CAD: 100 percent disabled veterans exemption
Brazoria, Galveston, and every other county have their own districts, so check the one where your home is.
You will need:
- Form 50-135, the disabled veteran exemption application. For the 100 percent exemption, the Comptroller lists the residence homestead application, Form 50-114, with the same VA proof.
- Your VA award letter showing your disability rating. For the 100 percent exemption, Fort Bend CAD asks for a currently dated letter stating you are 100 percent service connected or paid at 100 percent due to unemployability. A driver’s license or ID card does not count as proof of a rating, though some districts also ask for a copy of your ID.
The standard deadline is April 30. Disabled veterans get extra time: you can file up to five years after the delinquency date for the taxes on the property. If you qualified in earlier years and never applied, ask your appraisal district what a late filing covers. Do not assume it is too late.
The Texas Comptroller’s disabled veteran exemption FAQ and its 100 percent disabled veteran FAQ spell out each rule and are worth keeping open while you fill out the form.
Does this stack with the homestead exemption?
Yes. The homestead exemption is separate from the disabled veteran exemption, and a veteran with a rating can claim both on the same home.
Every Texas homeowner who lives in a property as their primary residence can claim the homestead exemption. For school district taxes it is $140,000 after Texas voters approved Proposition 13 in November 2025, up from $100,000. We cover that change in what Texas’s new homestead exemption saves you. If you have never filed a homestead exemption, file it at the same time. Both go through the same appraisal district.
What if your home was donated to you?
If a charitable organization donated your home to you, the Comptroller provides a separate exemption for that residence homestead, with a percentage that matches your disability rating. Ask your appraisal district how to apply for it.
Does an exemption change your mortgage or VA loan?
No. The exemption does not change your VA loan, your interest rate, or your mortgage terms. It lowers your annual tax bill, which can lower your monthly escrow payment once your lender adjusts your escrow account at its next annual review.
If your lender collects taxes in escrow and your bill drops, you may be owed an escrow surplus. Tell your lender once the exemption is approved so they can recalculate sooner. For what else happens after closing on a VA loan, see what happens after you close on a VA loan in Houston. If you are weighing how your rating affects what you can buy, how your VA disability rating affects your home buying power in Houston covers that.
What we would do
When a veteran buyer closes with us, the first thing we say after handing over the keys is to apply for this exemption.
It is the most immediate financial win available to a qualifying veteran after closing, and most people miss it because nobody walked them through it at the right moment. We would point them to the right appraisal district, make sure their VA award letter was ready, and follow up to confirm the application went in. It takes about thirty minutes, and the savings last as long as you own the home.
We are a real estate team, not tax advisors, and your appraisal district makes the final decision on any exemption. Confirm the details for your situation with them before you rely on a number.
The bottom line
If you are a veteran homeowner in Texas with a service-connected disability rating and you have not applied, do it this week. If you are a surviving spouse, check the 100 percent exemption and the new Tax Code 11.136 exemption. And if you are still buying, this is one more reason a VA loan in Texas can make financial sense.
For the full picture of buying with VA benefits in Houston, visit Everything a Veteran Needs to Buy a Home in Houston or download the VA Home Buying Guide.
Vicky Royster holds the Military Relocation Professional (MRP) designation, specialized training in helping military families and veterans navigate home buying and relocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do veterans pay property taxes in Texas?
- Yes, unless they qualify for an exemption. Texas does not exempt veterans as a group. Veterans with a service-connected disability rating can exempt $5,000 to $12,000 of a property's value, and veterans rated 100 percent disabled or unemployable owe no property tax on their residence homestead.
- How much is the Texas disabled veteran property tax exemption?
- It is $5,000 off the property's value at a 10 to 29 percent rating, $7,500 at 30 to 49 percent, $10,000 at 50 to 69 percent, and $12,000 at 70 percent or higher. A veteran rated 100 percent disabled or unemployable is exempt from the full appraised value of the residence homestead.
- Is the veteran property tax exemption automatic in Texas?
- No. You apply through your county appraisal district, using Form 50-135 for the disabled veteran exemption, with your VA award letter showing your rating. A driver's license or ID card is not accepted as proof of a rating.
- What is the deadline for the Texas disabled veteran exemption?
- The standard deadline is April 30, but disabled veterans can file up to five years after the delinquency date for the taxes on the property.
- Can a surviving spouse keep a veteran's property tax exemption?
- Often yes. The unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran who qualified for the 100 percent exemption can keep it while the home remains their residence homestead, and a newer exemption starting with tax year 2026 covers certain surviving spouses of veterans who died of a service-connected condition.
- Can a veteran claim the disabled veteran exemption and the homestead exemption together?
- Yes. The homestead exemption is separate, so a veteran with a rating can claim both on the same home. The school district homestead exemption is $140,000 after voters approved Proposition 13 in November 2025.