Do I have to file, or does it just continue?

You have to file, in your own name, on Form 50-114. Take the death certificate and the veteran's VA award letter.

I want to downsize. Will I keep the exemption?

You keep a dollar amount, not a total exemption. Get the §11.131(d) certificate from your current district first so you know exactly what that figure is, then compare it against the tax on the home you are considering.

My spouse died before ever applying. Does that matter?

The test is whether the veteran QUALIFIED, not whether they had applied. If they met §11.131 and never filed, say so to the district and ask about the late-application routes — the five-year window may still be open.

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Surviving Spouse Carryover of the Total Disabled Veteran Exemption

The total exemption a 100% disabled veteran held carries to their surviving spouse, and moves with them to a new home — capped at the dollar amount of the last year they received it.

Verified August 17, 2026

What this benefit is

When a veteran who qualified for the total §11.131 exemption dies, that exemption can carry to their surviving spouse. On the home they shared it is still a total exemption.

If the spouse later moves, §11.131(d) carries a fixed dollar amount instead — the exemption they received in their last year at the old home. On a more expensive house that will not cover the whole bill.

What it's worth: 100% of your property tax bill on the home you shared

On the original home the exemption is the full value, as it was for the veteran.
If you move, §11.131(d) carries a fixed DOLLAR amount — the exemption you received in your last year at the old home — not a fresh total exemption. On a more expensive home that will not cover the whole bill.

Who is entitled to it

The surviving spouse of a veteran who qualified for the §11.131 exemption,
who has not remarried since the veteran died,
where the property was their residence homestead when the veteran died and still is.

Exceptions

Remarriage ends the surviving-spouse exemption. Texas is explicit and there is no route back — every surviving-spouse exemption in chapter 11 is conditioned on not having remarried since the death. Tex. Tax Code §11.131(c)

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

The thing most people get wrong

Moving is the expensive decision, and nobody warns you before you make it

On the original home this is an unlimited exemption. The moment you sell and buy elsewhere it becomes a frozen dollar figure — whatever the exemption was worth in your last year at the old address. If the old house was worth $250,000 and the new one $400,000, you carry the $250,000-worth and pay tax on the difference. The one thing that protects you is the written certificate under §11.131(d), which the old district issues and which fixes the amount. Ask for it before you move, not after, and work out the number before you decide.

How to claim it

Deadline: April 30

1File Form 50-114 in your own name with your county appraisal district.
2Bring the death certificate and the veteran's VA award letter.
3If you are moving, ask the old district for the written certificate under §11.131(d) BEFORE you leave — it is what sets the amount you carry.

Form: 50-114
File with: Your county appraisal district
Documents you will need: death certificate · va disability award letter · proof of title
Confirm this every year: Nothing in the Texas system tells a surviving spouse this exemption exists or that it must be claimed in their own name. File it yourself.

Common mistakes that cost people this benefit

Assuming it renews itself. Nothing in the Texas system tells a surviving spouse this exemption exists or that it must be claimed in their own name.
Remarrying without knowing the consequence. Remarriage ends it permanently. There is no route back.
Moving first and asking about the certificate afterwards.
Not checking the tax bill. A granted exemption that was not applied is a protest to the Appraisal Review Board, and the window is short.

Worth knowingThe portability cap is the single most expensive detail here. Moving converts an unlimited exemption into a fixed dollar figure frozen at your last year in the old house. If you are considering downsizing, work out the number first.

Questions people ask

Do I have to file, or does it just continue?: You have to file, in your own name, on Form 50-114. Take the death certificate and the veteran's VA award letter.
I want to downsize. Will I keep the exemption?: You keep a dollar amount, not a total exemption. Get the §11.131(d) certificate from your current district first so you know exactly what that figure is, then compare it against the tax on the home you are considering.
My spouse died before ever applying. Does that matter?: The test is whether the veteran QUALIFIED, not whether they had applied. If they met §11.131 and never filed, say so to the district and ask about the late-application routes — the five-year window may still be open.

Sources

authority · statuteTex. Tax Code §11.131(c), (d)
operating · published policyTexas Comptroller — 100 Percent Disabled Veteran and Surviving Spouse FAQ

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.