$5,000 Exemption for the Family of a Servicemember Who Died on Active Duty
A $5,000 exemption off appraised value for the surviving spouse, or surviving children under 18, of a person who died while on active duty.
Verified August 17, 2026
What this benefit is
A $5,000 exemption off appraised value for the surviving spouse, or surviving children under 18, of a person who died while on active duty.
What it's worth: $5,000 off the appraised value of one property
- This is $5,000 off appraised value, not $5,000 off the bill. At a typical combined rate it is worth roughly $70 a year.
- If the death was in the line of duty, look at §11.133 instead — that one exempts the whole value and is worth many times more.
Who is entitled to it
- The unmarried surviving spouse of a person who died on active duty,
- or their surviving children while under 18.
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
Check §11.133 before you settle for this one
Texas has two provisions for a death in service and they differ by a factor of about fifty. This one takes $5,000 off your appraised value — roughly $70 a year. §11.133 exempts the entire value of the home if the death was in the line of duty, which most active-duty deaths are. Ask about §11.133 first, and only fall back to this if it does not apply.
How to claim it
Deadline: April 30- 1File Form 50-135 with your county appraisal district before April 30.
- Form
- 50-135
- File with
- Your county appraisal district
- Documents you will need
- death certificate · dd1300 or casualty report · proof of title
- Confirm this every year
- Nothing in the Texas system tells a survivor this exemption exists or that it must be claimed in their own name. Check it is on your bill.
Common mistakes that cost people this benefit
- Claiming this without asking about §11.133.
- Reading $5,000 as $5,000 saved rather than $5,000 off value.
Questions people ask
- Can I claim both?
- Ask the district. They cover overlapping ground and §11.133 is the substantially larger one, so start there.
Sources
- authority · statuteTex. Tax Code §11.22(d)
- operating · published policyTexas Comptroller — Disabled Veteran and Surviving Spouse Exemptions FAQ
This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.