We all know that taxes can be a headache. Tax rates, deadlines, exemptions, where do you start? Here are some tips on calculating taxes to make taxes a little easier this year, specific to Harris County.
Property market value: Estimated worth or price at which a property can be bought or sold in the Texas real estate market.
Property appraised value: Assessed or estimated value or a property, as determined by a professional property appraiser or by the local county appraisal district
Factors of Appraisal Price:
• Location of residence
• Condition of home
• Size of home
• Recent Sales of Similar Homes
How to Protest Appraised Value:
You typically receive your “Notice of Appraised Value” sometime in the spring. For homestead properties, the early protest deadline is April 30th or 30 days after the date the appraisal district sends a notice of appraised value. If a homeowner misses the new early deadline, the regular protest deadline (May 15) applies. A later protest deadline may apply if HCAD mails your notice of appraised value after May 1. In all cases where there is a later protest deadline, the date will be printed on the notice of appraised value. File your Protest with the County Appraisal district (CAD). For the Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD) Click here.
After the appraisal is set, local entities such as school districts, cities and municipal utility districts (MUDs) set their tax rates. Expect to receive a bill by the end of October and be sure to pay the bill by the end of January.
Tax Bill Formula
(Home Appraised value – Exemptions) Divided by 100. Then multiply the product by the tax rate = your bill. See video at the bottom of the article for example.
District Exemptions
At the beginning of the year, the Board of Directors reviews and grants exemptions for the current year. Emerald Forest UD currently offers a homestead exemption of up to 20% of the appraised value, but not less than $5,000 and has a $30,000 exemption for homestead residents who are over 65 or disabled.
Homestead exemption
A property owner who acquires property after Jan. 1 may apply for the residential homestead exemption for the applicable portion of that tax year immediately on qualification of the exemption if the previous owner did not receive the same exemption for the tax year. The property must be the owner’s primary residence in order to qualify for the exemption. The residential homestead exemption cannot be claimed by the property owner on any other property.
Over 65 exemption
A homeowner who turns age 65 or who becomes disabled during a tax year, will qualify immediately for those exemptions, as if the homeowner qualified on Jan. 1 of the tax year. A surviving spouse age 55 or older may qualify for the deceased spouse’s exemption, if the spouse dies at the age of 65 or older. A disabled veteran or their surviving spouse whose home was donated by a charitable organization, the surviving spouse of a U.S. armed services member killed or fatally injured in the line of duty and the surviving spouse of a first responder killed or fatally injured in the line of duty also qualify immediately for those exemptions, as if they qualified on Jan. 1 of the tax year. A resident must apply for an exemption in any of these situations and it is not an automatic deduction on their taxes.
You can find a full list of exemptions here
For more support from the Harris Central Appraisal District, Click here.
Doing your taxes can be easy this year. You don’t have to do it alone. There are many resources available to you as a home or property owner. Contact HCAD for more information regarding taxes and appraisal value.
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