The Texas Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption in 2026: Total vs Partial, and How to File
Texas has two different disabled-veteran property tax breaks, and it is important not to mix them up. If the VA rates you 100% disabled or grants Individual Unemployability (IU) with 100% compensation, your home gets a total homestead exemption — you owe no property tax on your residence (Tax Code 11.131). If your rating is lower, you get a flat partial exemption of $5,000 to $12,000 off a property’s value, set by your rating band (Tax Code 11.22). You file with your county appraisal district. Reviewed July 2026. We are an independent information site, not a government agency.
Who can apply
You must be a veteran with a service-connected disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and you must own the property. Which break you get depends on your rating:
- Total exemption (Tax Code 11.131): for a veteran awarded 100% disability compensation due to a service-connected disability and a rating of 100% disabled — or of Individual Unemployability (IU). This applies to your residence homestead.
- Partial exemption (Tax Code 11.22): for a veteran with a service-connected rating of at least 10%. This can be applied to any one property you own, not only your homestead.
An un-remarried surviving spouse can keep either exemption, and there are related exemptions for a home donated by a charity (Tax Code 11.132) and for the surviving spouse of a service member killed in the line of duty (Tax Code 11.133).
How much: total vs partial
The 100%/IU total exemption and the partial dollar exemption are two separate benefits.
- Total (11.131): if the VA rates you 100% or grants IU with 100% compensation, your entire residence homestead is exempt — you pay no property tax on your home. This is a full exemption, not a dollar amount.
- Partial (11.22): a flat exemption off the property’s assessed value, set by your VA disability rating band:
- 10% to 29%: $5,000
- 30% to 49%: $7,500
- 50% to 69%: $10,000
- 70% and over: $12,000
- Also $12,000 if the veteran is 65 or older with a rating of at least 10%, is totally blind in one or both eyes, or has lost the use of one or more limbs.
Because the partial exemption comes off assessed value rather than wiping out the whole bill, it is worth claiming even at a lower rating — and if your rating later reaches 100% or IU, you switch to the far larger total exemption.
Documents you need
- Your VA disability rating decision letter, showing your percentage and, for the total exemption, 100% disabled or Individual Unemployability.
- Proof the property is your residence homestead (for the 11.131 total exemption).
- A Texas driver license or ID with an address that matches the homestead, if your appraisal district requires it.
Our Benefit Document Checklist can help you assemble your VA letter and proof of residence.
How to apply
- Get your VA rating letter. It must show your current percentage (and 100% or IU for the total exemption).
- Pick the right form: Form 50-114 for the 100%/IU total homestead exemption (11.131); Form 50-135 for the partial disabled-veteran exemption (11.22).
- File with your county appraisal district — not the Comptroller. Find yours in the county appraisal district directory.
- Attach your VA documentation and keep a copy.
Deadlines & renewal
- File as soon as you are eligible. The general residence-homestead deadline is before May 1 (April 30) of the tax year, but disabled-veteran exemptions can often be filed late — confirm the exact deadline and any late-filing window with your appraisal district.
- Report changes. Tell the appraisal district if your rating, ownership, or homestead changes; a new rating (for example, reaching 100% or IU) can move you from the partial to the total exemption.
If you are denied — or need help
Your county appraisal district grants the exemption and can explain a denial; if you disagree, you can protest to the county Appraisal Review Board. The Texas Comptroller’s Property Tax Assistance office publishes the rules and forms but does not collect your tax. A free county Veterans Service Officer can help you gather your VA paperwork — never pay a private company to file.
Keep going
GlobalBenefits.org is an independent information website. We are not a government agency and are not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any state agency. We link to official government sites so you can apply directly and for free. Rules and amounts change — confirm on the official page before you apply. In crisis? Call the Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1.
Official sources: The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (comptroller.texas.gov, property tax exemptions) for the Tax Code Section 11.131 total residence-homestead exemption for a veteran awarded 100% disability compensation with a 100% or Individual Unemployability rating, the Form 50-114 and Form 50-135 applications, the surviving-spouse extensions, the donated-home exemption (11.132) and the killed-in-action surviving-spouse exemption (11.133), and the instruction to file with the county appraisal district; and Texas Tax Code Section 11.22 for the partial exemption schedule — $5,000 (10–29%), $7,500 (30–49%), $10,000 (50–69%), $12,000 (70% and over), and $12,000 for a veteran 65 or older with at least a 10% rating, total blindness, or loss of use of a limb. Reviewed July 2026. Amounts, forms and deadlines change — confirm with your county appraisal district before you file. Do not confuse the total 100%/IU exemption with the partial dollar exemption by rating.