A new state law requiring Texas counties to audit homestead exemptions every five years has led to confusion and a surge in inquiries from property owners. Tarrant Appraisal District officials are working to clarify the process and minimize the burden on homeowners.
The Tarrant Appraisal District Office has been bustling with activity due to a recently enacted state law mandating counties to audit homestead exemption holders every five years. This previously obscure law, highlighted by FOX 4 last week, has sparked a wave of inquiries from property owners seeking clarification. TAD is actively working to alleviate confusion among Tarrant County homeowners.
In Texas, homeowners enjoy a tax break known as the homestead exemption, allowing their property taxes to be calculated at a lower rate than their appraised or market value. Until recently, this exemption was generally considered a set-and-forget arrangement. However, state legislators passed a law in 2023 requiring appraisal districts in Texas counties to assess the continued eligibility of homeowners for this exemption at least once every five years. According to TAD, a significant number of homeowners claiming the exemption may not actually qualify.Tarrant Chief Appraiser Joe Don Bobbit stated, 'Right now, there’s about 30,000 that have hit on radar that may not qualify that we have to look into.' He added, 'Usually about ¾ of 1% are actually erroneous. That doesn’t sound like much. But it usually ends up being multi-million dollars to the entities.' Rather than requiring all homestead exemption holders to reapply every five years, Tarrant appraisal officials are utilizing an outside contractor to identify homeowners with questionable statuses. Bobbitt explained, 'Right now, most of it is confusion between Dallas County and Tarrant County. They heard everybody has to re-apply. That’s what the law basically says: that you have to validate your homestead once every five years. What we’re trying to do is alleviate that burden or minimize it as much as possible for Tarrant County residents and only have them re-apply if there’s a reason why we think they are no longer eligible.' David Lube, a Tarrant County property owner, visited TAD on Monday to verify his status. He commented, 'It’s confusing. But anyway, I’ve got my little letter, so I’m okay.' Homeowners who receive a letter like Lube's may simply need to confirm their residency at the exempted property. Failure to respond to two mailings could result in the homestead exemption being revoked. Bobbitt elaborated, 'They can find if people live in other places or if people have passed away. They can also look at voter registration, vehicle registration, mailing address. So if it looks like somebody lives in another place besides the home that we have, then we can research that more to find out where they actually live.' Homeowners can check the status of their homestead exemption by visiting their county's appraisal district website. A list of all county appraisal district websites is available at https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/county-directory/. A simple property search should reveal valid exemptions. If your status is revoked, you will likely need to pay taxes on the higher assessed value. However, you can contact your county's appraisal district to apply for a refund of the difference if you are eligible
HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION PROPERTY TAX TEXAS LAW APPRAISAL DISTRICT CONFUSION
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