Homestead Exemption

The homestead exemption can only be applied to one of a family's properties at a time. This exemption limits the growth of your taxable home value and provides a discount to many of the individual property taxes ranging from 5% to 20%.

The effective tax rate for BridgCreek for the 2022 year is 3.488064%. That % of your home's appraised value is the amount of property taxes you owe. If you file your Homestead exemption, your effective tax rate would be ~3% AND your home's taxable value for the next tax year can only increase by at most 10% from the previous year's appraised value.

HCAD Property Tax Exemptions (CLICK)

You MUST change ownership of the property from TM to your name BEFORE you can apply for the Homestead exemption.

Application: https://hcad.seamlessdocs.com/f/Form11_13

Things you'll need to submit with your application:

  • Copy of the property owner's driver's license or state-issued personal identification certificate. The address listed on the license or certificate MUST correspond to the property address for which the exemption is requested.

*** Click the PAPERLCIP icon on the bottom left corner of the application and select your driver's license copy to upload. Failure to due this will result in your application being denied.

What Kinds of Homestead Exemptions Are Available?

  • School taxes — all homeowners. If you qualify for the homestead exemption, you will receive at least a $25,000 homestead exemption on the value of your home for school district taxes.

  • County taxes — all homeowners. Harris County currently provides a 20% optional homestead exemption to all homeowners. This means, for example, that if your home is valued at $100,000, the exemption will reduce its taxable value for Harris County taxes by $20,000 to $80,000.

  • Optional exemptions — all homeowners. Any taxing unit, including a school district, city, county or special district, may offer an exemption for up to 20% of your home's value. The amount of an optional exemption can't be less than $5,000, no matter what the percentage is. For example, if your home is valued at $20,000 and your city offers a 20% optional exemption, your exemption is $5,000, even though 20% of $20,000 is just $4,000. The governing body of each taxing unit decides whether it will offer the exemption and at what percentage. This percentage exemption is added to any other homestead exemption for which the applicant qualifies.

Application Deadlines

A new homeowner must apply for the exemption for the applicable portion of the tax year before the first anniversary of the date the person acquired the property. There is no longer a requirement of applying by April 30 as there was previously. (The April 30 deadline still applies for other types of exemptions.) 

  • (HCAD HAS OLD INFORMATION ON THEIR WEBSITE. THIS BILL WAS RECENTLY PASSED)

If the new owner qualifies to receive the exemption prior to January 1 of the following year, the taxing units will recalculate the amount of tax due and correct the tax roll. If the tax has already been paid, the excess amount will be refunded. The previous requirements for eligibility to receive the homestead exemption still apply.

Homestead Cap

An additional benefit of the general homestead exemption, especially in an appreciating housing market, is the homestead cap, or limitation on increases in appraised value. The cap applies to your homestead beginning in the second year you have a homestead exemption. The cap law provides that if you qualify, the value on which your taxes will be calculated (called your appraised value) cannot exceed the lesser of:

  1. This year’s market value; or

  2. Last year’s appraised value, plus 10% plus the value added by any new improvements made during the preceding year.

If homes are appreciating at more than 10% per year, the cap can provide substantial tax savings. For more information, click here.