Exemptions you may be missing: a homeowner checklist (DRAFT – not published)

In short

Exemptions lower the value you pay tax on. They are free, but you have to ask. You apply with the appraisal district (WCAD), not the tax office.¹ Use this list to see if you are missing one. If you are, you may be able to file late.¹

The 30-second version

• Live in your home? File for the homestead exemption.²¹
• Turned 65 this year? You qualify that same year. Tell WCAD.¹
• Disabled or a disabled veteran? You may get more off.²¹
• Missed the deadline? Late filing is allowed for up to two years after taxes go late.¹

Checklist

Ask yourself	If yes	Notes
Do I own and live in this home as my main home?	Homestead exemption	Bought after Jan 1? You can get it for the part of the year you lived there if the last owner did not have one.1
Did I turn 65 this year (or earlier)?	Age 65 or older exemption, plus the school tax ceiling	You qualify the year you turn 65. No need to wait for next year.1 See property tax exemptions.
Do I get Social Security disability benefits?	Disabled person exemption	Same size as 65+. You can’t get both from the same unit.2
Am I a veteran with a VA disability rating of at least 10%?	Disabled veteran exemption	Bring VA papers. The amount depends on the rating (see the table below). A 100% rating can qualify the whole home for exemption.12
Am I the surviving spouse of someone who had the 65+ ceiling?	Keep the school ceiling	If you are 55 or older and own part of the home. You must apply.1
Am I the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran or first responder?	Survivor exemptions	Rules vary. Ask WCAD.21
Did I move to a new home?	File again at the new home	You do not have to reapply each year, only when you move or WCAD asks.1

What each local unit offers (2026)

Each taxing unit sets some of its own exemptions. These are the 2026 amounts the county tax office lists for the main units around Leander.³

Taxing unit	Homestead	Age 65+ or disabled	65+ tax freeze
Leander ISD	$140,000	$60,000 more, plus $3,000 local	Yes, the school tax ceiling1
City of Leander	$5,000 or 1%, whichever is more	$10,000	Yes
Williamson County	$5,000 or 5%, whichever is more	$125,000	Yes
County roads (FM/Rd)	$3,000	None listed	Yes
Austin Community College	$5,000 or 1%, whichever is more	$75,000	Yes
Upper Brushy Creek WCID	$5,000 or 1%, whichever is more	$125,000	Not listed

All of these units also list a disabled veteran exemption.³ If you live in another water district or an emergency services district, check its line on your bill.

How the law sets them:

• School districts must give the $140,000 homestead exemption, and $60,000 more for age 65+ or disabled owners.²
• Any unit may add a local homestead exemption of up to 20% of the value.²
• A disabled person who is also 65+ can get both exemptions, but not from the same unit.²
• A disabled veteran gets a partial exemption on one property, based on the VA rating. Use Form 50-135.²

Disabled veteran amounts. State law sets these. They come off the value of one property the veteran picks.⁴

VA disability rating	Amount off the value
10% to 29%	$5,000
30% to 49%	$7,500
50% to 69%	$10,000
70% or more	$12,000
100%, or unable to work due to a service disability	The whole home is exempt (homestead only)

• A veteran who is 65 or older with at least a 10% rating, is totally blind in one or both eyes, or has lost the use of a limb gets the $12,000 amount.⁴
• A surviving spouse who has not remarried keeps the veteran’s amount.⁴

Deadlines and late filing

• When to file: January 1 to April 30 of the year you want the exemption.¹
• Turned 65: you qualify for that whole year. File as soon as you can.¹
• Missed it? You can file late, up to two years after the date the taxes become delinquent.¹ Ask WCAD how a late exemption changes a bill you already paid.
• One time: you do not reapply each year. File again only if you move or WCAD asks.¹

How to check what you have now

Look at your value notice or your WCAD property page. It lists your exemptions. If one is missing, file the form.¹

The other side (counterweight)

• The disabled veteran amounts are set in dollars, not as a share of value. As home values rise, the same amount takes off a smaller share of the value.⁴
• Exemptions shift some tax onto other property. Renters and businesses do not get homestead exemptions, so some say the system favors owners.
• An exemption lowers your taxed value, not the rate. Each unit sets its rate on its own, later in the year. See how your property tax bill works.
• Others say the exemptions protect people on fixed incomes from being taxed out of their homes.

Questions to ask

• How does the appraisal district handle a refund when an exemption is granted late?
• How can an owner check which exemptions the appraisal district has on file?
• What is the appraisal district’s process for applying for past years?

What you can do next

• Check your exemptions on your notice each spring.
• File by Apr 30 if you can.¹ See property tax calendar.
• New words? See glossary.

Changes to this page

• Nov. 4, 2026: Added the disabled veteran amounts by VA rating, from state law.
• Nov. 4, 2026: Added each local unit’s exemptions, how the law sets them, and deadlines for late filing.
• Nov. 2, 2026: We made two exemption notes plainer.
• Nov. 2, 2026: Rewrote the questions to ask so each is open, neutral and addressed to the public body.
• Nov. 2, 2026: Added questions to ask.

Footnotes

1. Williamson Central Appraisal District, “Exemptions” FAQ (Jan 1–Apr 30 filing; late application up to two years after taxes go late; no yearly reapplying; turn-65 rule; disabled veteran 10%+ rating with VA papers; 100% DV homestead; surviving spouse 55+ keeps school ceiling; up to 20 acres; buying after Jan 1). https://www.wcad.org/exemptions-2/ (saved copy, retrieved Nov 2026) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹

2. Texas Comptroller, “Property Tax Exemptions” (Tax Code §§11.13, 11.22, 11.131; apply to the appraisal district). https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/exemptions/ (saved copy, retrieved Nov 2026) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

3. Williamson County Tax Office, “2026 Tax Rates and Exemptions by Jurisdictions.” https://www.wilcotx.gov/DocumentCenter/View/22307 (saved copy, read Nov. 1, 2026) ↩ ↩²

4. Texas Tax Code §11.22(a)–(c) (disabled veteran amounts by rating; $12,000 for age 65+ with 10%+, blindness or loss of a limb; surviving spouse) and §11.131(b) (100% or unemployable: whole homestead). https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TX/htm/TX.11.htm (saved copy, read Nov. 2026) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴