Texas gives disabled veterans two different property tax exemptions.
On two different forms.
With two different sets of rules. I spent six years at the Guadalupe Appraisal District, and the mix-up that costs veterans the most is filing the right exemption on the wrong form.
Here’s the short version.
Which one is yours
It comes down to your VA rating.
- Rated 100% disabled, or 100% individual unemployability (IU): you get a total exemption on your homestead under Tax Code Section 11.131. You pay zero property tax on it. That’s filed on Form 50-114, the regular homestead application.
- Rated 10% to 99%: you get a partial exemption under Section 11.22. That’s Form 50-135.
If you’re at 100% you don’t need 50-135. If you’re at 70% you don’t qualify for the total exemption, no matter what somebody at the VFW told you.
The partial exemption (Form 50-135)
The amount comes off your property’s value, and it’s set by your rating:
- 10% to 29%: up to $5,000
- 30% to 49%: up to $7,500
- 50% to 69%: up to $10,000
- 70% to 99%: up to $12,000
Let’s be honest about the math. At a 2% total tax rate, $12,000 off the value saves about $240 a year. It’s real money. It’s not life-changing money.
Two things make it better than it looks:
It doesn’t have to be your homestead. You can apply it to one property you own and designate. If you own a rental or a piece of land, it can go there instead.
It stacks with your homestead exemption. Put it on your homestead and it comes off on top of the regular homestead exemption.
Attach your VA award letter (or your branch’s disability letter) showing a service-connected rating. File it with the appraisal district in the county where the property sits, not with the Comptroller.
The total exemption (Form 50-114)
This is the big one. A 100% or IU rating with VA disability compensation means your homestead is fully exempt.
On Form 50-114, check the 100% disabled veteran box and attach VA documentation showing both the 100% rating (or IU) and that you receive 100% disability compensation for a service-connected disability. A letter that shows the rating but not the compensation can get the application kicked back.
If your rating comes through partway through the year, the exemption generally applies from the date you qualified. You don’t have to wait until next January.
Surviving spouses
A surviving spouse who hasn’t remarried can keep the total exemption on the homestead if the veteran qualified (or would have) at death. A surviving spouse or child can also qualify for the partial exemption under 11.22. Same forms, plus the death certificate and proof of the relationship.
Spouses of service members killed in the line of duty have their own total exemption too. Ask the district for the right form.
Deadlines, and the part nobody tells you
The normal deadline is April 30 for the year you’re claiming.
But the partial exemption can be filed up to five years after the taxes went delinquent, and you can get the overpaid taxes refunded. Late filing is allowed for the total exemption too. If you’ve been rated for years and never filed, that’s not a lost cause. It might be a refund check.
Once it’s granted, you generally don’t refile every year. Tell the district if your rating changes.
In Comal and Guadalupe
Both districts take these applications through their online portals or by mail, and both will ask for the VA letter. If you just bought, file the homestead first. The homestead help page walks through it, and county-specific details are in the Guadalupe and Comal homestead guides.
Where I come in
Exemptions are paperwork. Protests are where I earn my keep.
If you’re on the partial exemption, your value still matters, and the value is where most of the money is. $100 a year plus 25% of what I save you, anywhere in Texas.
If you’re at 100%, you don’t need me for your homestead.
Congratulations. Genuinely.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Form 50-135 and Form 50-114 for disabled veterans?
Form 50-135 is for the partial disabled veteran exemption under Tax Code Section 11.22, for ratings of 10% to 99%. Form 50-114 is the residence homestead application, which is also where 100% disabled or individual unemployability veterans claim the total homestead exemption under Section 11.131.
How much is the Texas disabled veteran property tax exemption?
For the partial exemption: up to $5,000 off the value for a 10% to 29% rating, $7,500 for 30% to 49%, $10,000 for 50% to 69%, and $12,000 for 70% and up. Veterans rated 100% disabled or IU who receive 100% compensation get a total exemption on their homestead.
Does the partial disabled veteran exemption have to be on my homestead?
No. The Section 11.22 exemption applies to one property you own and designate, so it can go on a rental or land. If it’s on your homestead, it stacks with the regular homestead exemption.
Can I file a disabled veteran exemption late in Texas?
Yes. The Comptroller says applications for the Section 11.22 exemption can be filed up to five years after the delinquency date, and late applications are allowed for the 100% exemption as well. Approved late applications can result in refunds.
Do I have to reapply for the disabled veteran exemption every year?
Generally no. Once granted, it continues, but you should notify the appraisal district if your rating or eligibility changes.
Sources: Texas Tax Code Sections 11.22 and 11.131, via statutes.capitol.texas.gov; Texas Comptroller Disabled Veteran FAQ and 100 Percent Disabled Veteran FAQ (comptroller.texas.gov); Forms 50-135 and 50-114. Updated October 2026.