New Texas Homestead Exemption Form and Requirements
The new Texas Homestead Exemption requirements have changed dramatically for 2012. The new homestead exemption form can be found here, Texas Homestead Exemption Form. Pay particular attention to paragraph/section 5. For prior years homeowners just needed to file the homestead exemption in the year that they first occupied the property on January 1st of that year to obtain the exemption.
However, as of the new law, when you turn in your homestead exemption for 2012, all new homesteads purchased in 2011, you’ll have new requirements other than turning in the homestead exemption form.
From here on out, ALL, homestead applications must provide the homestead application, a copy of the applicant’s driver’s license or state issued personal ID cert with the address on the specific document the same as the property address that you’re applying for the homestead exemption.
You are also required to provide a copy of your vehicle registration showing the property address indicated on the form. If you have a PO Box you might want to make sure that both addresses show on the registration so your Homestead application doesn’t get rejected.
If you don’t own a vehicle you can provide an affidavit attesting to that fact and provide a copy of your utility bill in your name and including the property address on there.
What this means is that sometime before or during your Homestead filing period, Jan. 1 – April 30, 2012, you will have to get the address on your driver’s license and your vehicle registration card corrected to show your homestead address, and provide a copy of it with your Homestead Exemption Application, otherwise your Homestead application will be rejected and you will not get the benefits afforded you by the reduction of taxable value on your property, the homestead exemption provides.
Also, remember that you will continue to receive homestead exemption forms from outside parties advising you to fill out the form and send it in to them with a check, the requests I’ve seen have ranged from $35-$75, and the respective company will file your homestead exemption for you saving you thousands of dollars on your property taxes. Although the claim is true, the action is free, these companies are merely trying to get money from you for mailing in the form for you. Just mail it in your self, it’s free.
You can obviously view the state website at www.state.tx.us , for more information.
Don’t wait to get this done; these items are mandatory for your homestead filing.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call me at 512.426.7638 or you can email me atRgoodwin@AmeriProFunding.com.
