Texas seniors can still trim property taxes with appeals

By AI, Created 10:52 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Texas seniors are getting bigger homestead and over-65 exemptions, but property tax protests can still cut taxable value across school, county and MUD levies. With the May 15 appeal deadline approaching, O’Connor is urging homeowners to review appraisals and challenge overvaluations.

Why it matters: - Texas seniors can lower their property tax bills even after the 2025 exemption overhaul. - Appeals can reduce taxable value before exemptions are applied, which can trim taxes across multiple taxing bodies. - That matters because many Texas homeowners still face county, MUD and other local taxes that exemptions do not fully eliminate.

What happened: - O’Connor outlined how Texas property tax protests can help seniors save money on top of homestead and over-65 exemptions. - The firm said the combined exemptions can significantly reduce, and in some cases eliminate, school taxes for older homeowners. - Texas taxpayers generally must file appeals within 30 days of the appraisal notice or by May 15, whichever is later. - Most taxpayers receive appraisal notices in late March or early April.

The details: - The 2025 homestead exemption increased the school-tax shield from $100,000 to $140,000 of home value. - The over-65 exemption rose from $10,000 to $60,000 of value for school taxes. - Combined, the homestead and over-65 exemptions can reduce taxable home value by $200,000. - Texas property taxes are levied by dozens of taxing bodies, including hospital districts, emergency services and local colleges. - Many of those local taxes are not covered by exemptions. - Homestead properties are generally subject to a 10% annual cap on taxable value growth. - In Harris County, the homestead exemption shields 20% of taxable value from most county taxes. - County exemptions are optional, and not every county offers them. - Municipal utility districts, or MUDs, also can offer homestead and senior exemptions, but many do not. - Some MUDs offer one optional exemption but not the other, which can change the tax bill by hundreds or thousands of dollars. - Property tax protests challenge appraised value rather than tax rates. - Successful protests can help when a home is overappraised, valued higher than comparable nearby homes, measured incorrectly, or missing a valid exemption.

Between the lines: - The exemption changes shifted much of the relief for seniors away from school taxes, but they did not erase the rest of the local tax stack. - Appeals matter most where appraisal districts rely on older market data or make factual errors that push values above what similar homes carry. - The combination of exemptions plus a lower appraised value can create a bigger reduction than either tool alone.

What’s next: - Homeowners should review their appraisal notices as soon as they arrive and compare the assessed value with neighborhood comps and property records. - Taxpayers who believe their homes are overvalued can still file protests before the deadline. - O’Connor is steering property owners to its Property Tax Protection Program, which it says has no upfront fee and charges only if taxes are reduced.

The bottom line: - Texas seniors have more exemption relief than before, but property tax appeals remain a practical way to cut the bill further.