Dallas County Property Tax Exemptions: Eligibility and How to Apply

Dallas County property tax exemptions can cut thousands off your annual bill, and most homeowners qualify for at least one. The baseline is the general residence homestead exemption, which removes $140,000 of your home’s appraised value from school district taxation. Homeowners who are 65 or older, disabled, or veterans with a service-connected disability qualify for additional exemptions that stack on top. You apply through the Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD) using a single form, and the filing deadline is April 30.

The General Homestead Exemption

If you own your home in Dallas County and live in it as your principal residence on January 1 of the tax year, you qualify for the general residence homestead exemption.¹ School districts must exempt $140,000 of your home’s appraised value under Tax Code Section 11.13(b).² On a home appraised at $350,000, the school district can tax only $210,000.

Local taxing units, such as Dallas County government, the City of Dallas, and Dallas College, can adopt their own additional exemptions of up to 20% of your appraised value.¹ These vary by entity and can change year to year. Your tax bill or the DCAD property record will show which ones apply.

You cannot claim the exemption on a rental, a vacation home, or an investment property, and you cannot claim it on more than one property in Texas or anywhere else.¹ Buy the home mid-year? You can still receive the exemption for the remainder of that year if the previous owner did not already claim the same exemption for that tax year.

The 10% Appraisal Cap

An active homestead exemption also caps how quickly your appraised value can grow. DCAD cannot raise it by more than 10% per year, plus the value of any new construction or additions.³ If your home’s market value jumps 25% in a hot year, the appraisal district can add only 10% to last year’s capped value. Routine maintenance and repairs, such as a new roof or fresh paint, don’t count as improvements that would push the value beyond the cap.

Additional Exemptions for Age 65+ and Disability

Homeowners who are 65 or older or who meet the Social Security Administration’s definition of disability get a second layer of relief on top of the general homestead. School districts must provide an additional $60,000 exemption, so $200,000 of appraised value is shielded from school taxes. Local taxing units can adopt their own additional dollar amounts for these homeowners, with a $3,000 minimum.²

The School Tax Ceiling

When you first qualify for the over-65 or disability exemption, the school district calculates your tax that year and locks that dollar amount as your ceiling. The school district cannot charge you more than that amount for as long as you own and live in the home, regardless of rising values or rates.⁴ The ceiling can drop if rates fall, but it will never rise above the original figure.

Adding a room, a garage, or another improvement that increases your home’s value will lift the ceiling. The school district applies the current tax rate to the added value and locks in the new higher amount going forward.⁴ Rebuilding after storm damage does not count as an improvement unless the replacement is larger or built with higher-quality materials.

A surviving spouse who is at least 55 can keep the ceiling on the same property by filing Form 50-311 with DCAD.

Tax Deferral

If the bill is still unaffordable, homeowners who are 65 or older, disabled, or qualified disabled veterans can defer property taxes entirely by filing a deferral affidavit with DCAD. Collection stops, and the county cannot foreclose while the deferral is active.⁵ A tax lien remains on the property and interest accrues at 5% per year. When you sell, move out, or pass away, all deferred taxes plus interest come due. The interest adds up on large balances, so the deferral works best for homeowners planning to stay long-term on a fixed income.

Disabled Veteran Exemptions

Veterans with a service-connected disability rating from the VA receive a separate exemption based on the severity of the rating:

10% to 29% disability: up to $5,000 off assessed value
30% to 49%: up to $7,500
50% to 69%: up to $10,000
70% or higher: up to $12,000

These amounts apply to one designated property, which does not have to be a homestead.⁶

Veterans rated 100% disabled, or with a VA determination of individual unemployability, qualify for a total exemption from all property taxes on their residence homestead. The entire bill goes away rather than shrinking. The surviving spouse keeps the total exemption as long as they do not remarry and continue living in the same home.⁷

Homes in a Trust or Inherited

Transferring your home into a living trust does not automatically kill the homestead exemption. Under Texas Property Code Section 41.0021, a trust qualifies if it gives the original owner the right to revoke the trust, exercise a general power of appointment over the property, or live in the home as a principal residence at no cost for life.⁸ The deed transferring the property to the trust must be recorded in the county’s real property records. Have an attorney check the trust document before you transfer, because a defective trust can strip the property of its homestead status.

Heirs can also claim a homestead. Texas defines heir property as a home acquired through a will, transfer-on-death deed, or intestate succession where at least one heir occupies it as a primary residence. If your name is not on the recorded deed, you’ll need to submit an affidavit of heirship, a copy of the prior owner’s death certificate, a recent utility bill for the property, and any relevant court records. Every other heir who lives in the home must sign an affidavit authorizing your application.¹ Uncooperative relatives are a common sticking point. When that happens, going through probate to establish clear ownership can be the faster path.

How to Apply

All homestead-related exemptions are filed on a single form: the Residence Homestead Exemption Application, Form 50-114. It covers the general homestead, over-65, disability, and disabled veteran exemptions. File it once. If DCAD approves it, you do not need to reapply annually unless your circumstances change or the district asks for verification.⁹

Documents to Include

You must include a copy of your Texas driver’s license or state ID, and the address on it needs to match the property address.⁹ The form has a waiver section if they don’t match, so a mismatch isn’t a hard rejection, but updating your ID first avoids the delay.

Specialized exemptions need additional proof:

Disability exemption: a disability determination letter from the Social Security Administration, or a completed physician’s statement if you are not receiving SSDI
Disabled veteran exemption: a current VA disability letter showing your percentage and effective date¹⁰
Heir property: the affidavit of heirship, death certificate, utility bill, and co-heir authorizations

Where to File

DCAD accepts applications three ways. The online portal at the DCAD website walks you through the homestead application. You can mail the completed form and supporting documents to the Dallas Central Appraisal District at 2949 North Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, Texas 75247.¹¹ Walk-in submissions go to the same address during business hours, and getting a date-stamped receipt is worth the trip if you want proof of when you filed.

Deadline and Late Filing

The regular deadline is April 30 of the tax year for which you are claiming the exemption.¹² Filing by then puts the exemption on your tax bill when statements mail out in October.¹³

Miss the deadline and you can still file a late application up to two years after the regular deadline.¹² Late applications for over-65 and disability exemptions carry the same two-year window. When approved, DCAD corrects the records retroactively and the tax office may issue a refund for the overpayment. Keep records of any refund, because it can be treated as taxable income on your federal return if you previously itemized and deducted the property taxes.

If Your Application Is Denied

If DCAD denies the exemption, you can protest to the Appraisal Review Board (ARB).¹⁴ File Form 50-132, the Property Owner’s Notice of Protest, and specify that you are protesting the denial or modification of your exemption. Bring concrete documentation to the hearing: the deed, your ID matching the property address, VA letters, Social Security correspondence, or whatever fits the exemption you were denied. Arguments about fairness in the abstract rarely persuade an ARB panel; documents that prove eligibility do. If the ARB rules against you, further appeal to district court or binding arbitration is available depending on the type of dispute.

1
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Exemptions
2
State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.13 – Residence Homestead
3
State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 23.23 – Limitation on Appraised Value of Residence Homestead
4
State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.26 – Limitation of School Tax on Homesteads of Elderly or Disabled
5
State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 33.06 – Deferred Collection of Taxes on Residence Homesteads
6
State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.22 – Disabled Veterans
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State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.131 – Residence Homestead of 100 Percent or Totally Disabled Veteran
8
State of Texas. Texas Property Code 41.0021 – Homestead in Qualifying Trust
9
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Residence Homestead Exemption Application
10
Texas Veterans Commission. Property Tax Exemptions Available to Veterans Per Disability Rating
11
Dallas Central Appraisal District. DCAD – Contact Us
12
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Residence Homestead Exemptions
13
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Paying Your Taxes
14
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Appraisal Protests and Appeals