Texas Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption: What It Saves Near Fort Hood

If you're a veteran with a service-connected disability, Texas can take a big bite out of your property taxes, and if you're rated 100 percent or individually unemployable, you may owe no property tax at all on your home. Around Fort Hood, where taxes are a large part of every house payment, that can change what you can afford. Here's how the disabled veteran exemptions work and how to apply.

The two main exemptions

Texas has two separate exemptions for disabled veterans, and they work very differently.

Your VA rating	What you get	Tax Code	Form
10% to 29%	$5,000 off your property's taxable value	11.22	50-135
30% to 49%	$7,500 off	11.22	50-135
50% to 69%	$10,000 off	11.22	50-135
70% to 90%	$12,000 off	11.22	50-135
100%, or individual unemployability	Your entire homestead is exempt from property tax	11.131	50-114

The partial exemption (11.22) applies to one property you own and designate, and you must be a Texas resident. The total exemption (11.131) applies to your residence homestead and covers its full appraised value. These are on top of the general homestead exemption every Texas homeowner can claim.

What that means in dollars

Here's a rough example on a $280,000 home in Killeen with a total tax rate of about 2.2 percent, before any exemptions:

• No disability exemption: roughly $6,000 a year in property taxes before the general homestead exemption.
• 70% rating: the $12,000 exemption saves about $260 a year.
• 100% rating or unemployability: you owe no property tax on the homestead, a savings of several thousand dollars a year.

Your actual savings depend on your home's value and the tax rates where you live. I pull the tax rate for every home we look at, so you can see the real number before you write an offer.

Why this matters when you're buying

For a 100 percent disabled veteran, the monthly payment is mostly just principal, interest and insurance, because there's no property tax to escrow. That can put a nicer home or a better neighborhood within reach on the same budget. Combine that with a VA loan, which usually means no down payment, and no VA funding fee for veterans receiving disability compensation, and the math looks very different from a typical buyer's. See my Fort Hood BAH guide for how the payment usually breaks down.

Two things to plan for:

• The exemption can start right away. When a 100 percent disabled veteran buys a new homestead, the exemption can begin as soon as you qualify the new home, and you only owe tax for the part of the year before that. You still need to file the application.
• Your lender may still escrow taxes at first. Until the appraisal district approves the exemption, your escrow may be set up as if you'll owe taxes. Once it's approved, ask your lender for an escrow analysis so your payment drops.

How to apply

1. Get your VA award letter. You'll need a letter showing your disability rating, or your 100 percent or unemployability status. A VA ID card or driver's license marking isn't enough proof.
2. Pick the right form. Form 50-135 for a partial exemption (10% to 90%). Form 50-114 for the 100 percent total exemption and the general homestead exemption.
3. Use your new address. Your Texas driver's license or ID should show the home's address.
4. File with the county appraisal district, not the VA. That's the Bell County Appraisal District for Killeen, Harker Heights, Nolanville, Belton and Temple, or the Coryell Central Appraisal District for most of Copperas Cove and Gatesville. Many districts let you file online.

The usual deadline is April 30, but disabled veterans can often file late. For both disabled veteran exemptions, a late application can generally be filed up to five years after the tax delinquency date, so if you missed it, ask about a refund for past years.

Surviving spouses

Surviving spouses who haven't remarried may keep or qualify for these exemptions, including the total exemption if the veteran qualified, or would have qualified, for the 100 percent exemption. In 2025, Texas voters also approved a homestead exemption for some surviving spouses of veterans who died from a presumed service-connected condition. The rules depend on the situation, so check with the appraisal district.

New in 2025

In November 2025, Texas voters raised the general school-district homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000, and added a larger exemption for homeowners who are 65 or older or disabled. These help almost every homeowner. If you're a veteran with a partial rating, you get these in addition to your disabled veteran exemption.

Trina Heinmiller
Team Lead | Southern Luxe Group | eXp Realty

I'm a real estate agent, not a tax advisor or attorney. This post is general information based on the Texas Tax Code and the Texas Comptroller's guidance as of November 2026, not legal or tax advice. Your county appraisal district decides every exemption application. Sources: Texas Comptroller, Property Tax Exemptions; Comptroller 100 Percent Disabled Veteran FAQ.