How to File Your Texas Homestead Exemption (Form 50-114)

If your home is your main residence, the general residence homestead exemption is the easiest tax savings you'll get. School districts must exempt $140,000 of a homestead's value. On a $300,000 home, that means you pay school taxes as if it were worth $160,000. There's no fee to apply, and you don't need to hire anyone. Once it's approved, you generally don't reapply every year.

Before you start:

• The home must be your principal residence, you must own it, and you can't claim a homestead anywhere else, in Texas or out of state.
• Have a Texas driver's license or Texas ID that shows the property address. The districts check that the addresses match.
• The general deadline is before May 1. If you bought after January 1, you may still qualify for the rest of the year as long as the previous owner wasn't already claiming the exemption.
• Missed it? You can usually file up to two years after the date the taxes became delinquent, and get a refund if you've already paid.

Guadalupe County (Guadalupe Appraisal District)

1. Go to the district's Online Forms & Applications page: https://guadalupead.org/online-forms-applications/
2. Click the Homestead Exemption tool. Disabled Veteran and Surviving Spouse exemptions have their own tools on the same page.
3. Create an account with your email address. This account is separate from the protest portal at portal.guadalupead.org, so you'll need a new one even if you already have a protest login.
4. Fill out the application, upload your driver's license, and submit.
5. Prefer paper? Download Form 50-114 from https://guadalupead.org/tax-forms-applications/ and turn it in at the Seguin or Schertz office. For help, email exemptions@guadalupead.org.

Bexar County (Bexar Central Appraisal District)

1. Go to https://bcad.org/online-portal/ and click Online Services.
2. Register with the Owner/Agent ID and PIN printed at the top of your appraisal notice. A notice from a prior year works too. If you don't have a PIN, request one at https://help.bcad.org. They can only mail it to you, and waiting for it doesn't extend your deadline.
3. File the homestead exemption in the portal and upload a copy of your Texas driver's license or Texas ID showing the property address.
4. Active-duty military: if you don't have a Texas license or ID, BCAD accepts a copy of your military ID plus a utility bill for the property.
5. Paper option: download Form 50-114 from https://bcad.org/forms/ and submit it through https://help.bcad.org, or by mail, fax or in person.

Official steps: https://help.bcad.org/hc/en-us/articles/39968491816595-Homestead-Exemption-How-to-Apply

Comal County (Comal Appraisal District)

Parts of Schertz and Garden Ridge are in Comal County.

1. Comal AD's online forms portal is currently unavailable while the district switches software, so this one is paper. Download Form 50-114 from https://comalad.org/forms/
2. At the top, write "Comal" as the district, the year(s) you're applying for (you can go back two years), and your Property ID from the property search on comalad.org.
3. In Section 1, check General Residence Homestead, plus Over-65, Disabled Person or 100% Disabled Veteran if they apply to you.
4. Attach your driver's license showing the property address.
5. Email it as a PDF to comalad@co.comal.tx.us, mail it, or drop it off at 900 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels, TX 78130.
6. Comal says to file between January 1 and April 30. Approval takes about 90 days.

Official steps: https://comalad.org/exemptions/

Veterans: disabled veterans may qualify for more. A 100% service-connected rating (or individual unemployability) can fully exempt the homestead. Ratings from 10% to 90% use Form 50-135. Details: https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/exemptions/

If you also want recent sales pulled for a property tax protest, you can book a time here: https://tidycal.com/sharpconsult/60-minute-meeting-consultation. There's no cost and no obligation.

Anthony Sharp, Realtor, Sharp Realty Group, brokered by Real Broker, LLC. This post is general information, not legal or tax advice.