Texas Homestead Exemption: How DFW Homeowners File and What It Saves

Bought a home in Dallas Fort Worth? How to file your Texas homestead exemption, when to file, and what the $140,000 school exemption does.

Solto Realty · November 4, 2026

The Texas homestead exemption is the single easiest way for a Dallas Fort Worth homeowner to lower a property tax bill, and a lot of new owners never file it. If the home is yours and you live in it as your main residence, you can apply with your county appraisal district for free. Once it is approved, you generally do not have to file again.

Here is the short version. School districts in Texas must exempt $140,000 of your home's value from school taxes. Other local taxing units can add up to 20 percent more. The regular filing window runs from January 1 through April 30, and the form is Form 50-114.

Below is exactly how it works, who qualifies, and how to file in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties.

What the Texas homestead exemption actually does

A homestead exemption removes part of your home's value before your tax rate is applied. You still pay property tax. You just pay it on a smaller number.

The Texas Comptroller's property tax exemptions page (accessed November 4, 2026) spells out the main pieces:

• School district exemption. Tax Code Section 11.13(b) requires school districts to exempt $140,000 of a residence homestead's value.
• Local option exemption. Any taxing unit, like a city or county, can choose to exempt up to 20 percent of the appraised value. It cannot be less than $5,000 when offered.
• County exemption. Counties that collect farm to market or flood control taxes must provide a $3,000 exemption.
• Age 65 or older or disabled. School districts must give an additional $60,000 exemption, and local units can add more.

The Comptroller gives a simple example. If your home is appraised at $300,000 and you get the $140,000 school exemption, you pay school taxes as if the home were worth $160,000. School taxes are usually one of the biggest lines on a Texas tax bill, so that one change matters.

Who qualifies

The rules are short but strict. According to the Comptroller, to get the general residence homestead exemption you need to:

1. Have an ownership interest in the home
2. Use it as your principal residence
3. State that you do not claim a homestead exemption on any other home, in Texas or anywhere else

That third point trips people up. If you kept a homestead on your old house after you moved, fix that before you apply on the new one. One homestead at a time.

Rentals and second homes do not qualify. If you are a landlord, the exemption belongs to the home you live in, not the ones you lease out.

When to file

The regular window opens January 1 and closes April 30 for the year you want the exemption. Most appraisal districts will not accept a regular application early, so mark January on the calendar if you just closed.

There is good news for anyone who bought in 2026. The Comptroller says that if you acquire a home after January 1, you may get the exemption for the applicable portion of that tax year as soon as you qualify, as long as the previous owner did not already receive the same exemption for that year. Call your appraisal district and ask whether that applies to your purchase.

Missed April 30 in an earlier year? Texas allows late homestead applications for a limited time after the tax delinquency date. The exact window depends on the exemption, so ask your appraisal district before you assume it is too late.

How to file in DFW, step by step

You file with the appraisal district in the county where the home sits, not with the state. The Comptroller keeps a directory of county appraisal districts with contact details for each one.

For most of the metro, that means one of these four:

• Dallas Central Appraisal District for homes in Dallas County
• Tarrant Appraisal District for homes in Tarrant County
• Collin Central Appraisal District for homes in Collin County
• Denton Central Appraisal District for homes in Denton County

Then do this:

1. Get Form 50-114. It is linked from the Comptroller exemptions page above, and most districts let you fill it out online.
2. Use your home address on your ID. The application asks for a copy of your Texas driver's license or ID, and the address generally needs to match the home you are claiming.
3. Check the boxes that apply to you. General homestead for everyone who qualifies, plus age 65 or older, disability or veteran exemptions if they fit.
4. Submit it and save the confirmation. Online, by mail or in person all work. Keep a copy.
5. Look for the exemption on your next appraisal notice. If it is missing, call the district right away.

If you hit age 65 later, you do not wait for the regular window. The application says you must apply for that exemption no later than the first anniversary of the date you qualify.

Common mistakes that cost DFW homeowners money

• Assuming the title company filed it. Closing does not file your homestead exemption for you. You do.
• Waiting for a tax bill to remind you. By the time the bill shows up, the filing window for that year may be gone.
• Keeping an old homestead. Claiming two homesteads is not allowed and can cause trouble later.
• Ignoring mail from the appraisal district. If the chief appraiser asks you to reapply or send documents, answer it.
• Forgetting to update when things change. The application says you must notify the chief appraiser in writing when your right to the exemption ends, such as when you move out and rent the home.

Selling or buying soon? Plan around it

Property taxes show up in every DFW deal. Buyers should look at the current exemptions on a home and remember that the seller's exemptions go away with the seller. Your bill next year depends on what you file. Sellers moving across the metro should plan the timing of their next homestead filing so they are not caught without one.

A good agent walks you through this at the start, not after closing. That is part of how Solto Realty agents handle every purchase and sale across Dallas Fort Worth.

The bottom line

The Texas homestead exemption is free, it takes a few minutes, and it can take a real bite out of your property tax bill. If you own and live in your DFW home, file Form 50-114 with your county appraisal district between January 1 and April 30, and confirm it shows up on your next notice.

Have questions about taxes on a home you are thinking about buying or selling? Send us a note below and a licensed Solto Realty agent will reach out.

This article is general information, not tax or legal advice. Check with your county appraisal district or a tax professional about your situation.