Does your October tax bill show the $140,000 homestead exemption?
Where does the $140,000 homestead exemption show up on a Texas tax bill?
Last verified September 2026. Source: Texas Tax Code §11.13.
Open the bill and find the school line
A homestead exemption is a subtraction from taxable value, not a discount at the bottom of the bill, so it shows up on the school district line rather than in the total. Look for $140,000 taken off the value the school rate is applied to, or $200,000 if an owner is 65 or older or qualifies as disabled. The rate does not change. The value the rate is applied to is what moves, and that is where the savings come from.
When bills go out and when they come due
Tax Code 31.01 generally has the assessor mail the tax bill by October 1, or as soon after that as practicable, and 31.02 generally makes the tax due on receipt and delinquent on February 1 if it is not paid by January 31. Reading the bill in October rather than in January leaves you time to fix a missing exemption before delinquency, which matters for more than one reason.
If the exemption is missing
Call the appraisal district first and ask whether an application is on file. If none is, Tax Code 11.431 generally lets the chief appraiser accept a late homestead application for up to two years after the delinquency date for the taxes on the home, and when a late application is approved the collector generally refunds tax already paid on the exempted amount within 60 days. A bill you already paid can still turn into money back. Confirm both the window and the refund with the district and the collector.
The other homestead line: the 10 percent cap
The exemption is not the only thing a homestead does. Tax Code 23.23 generally limits how fast the appraised value of a qualified residence homestead can rise, to 10 percent a year plus the value of new improvements, and it generally starts the year after the first year the home qualified. That limit shows up on the appraisal notice in the spring rather than on the October bill, but it is one more reason to file in the first year rather than the second.
Related
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. For your specific situation, talk to your county appraisal district or a licensed professional. ExemptLand prepares the drafts; you review and file.