Can I claim this on a rental property?

Yes. This is the one Texas veteran exemption that is not tied to a residence homestead. It attaches to any one property you own.

I am 66 and rated 20%. Which bracket am I in?

The top one. §11.22(b) gives $12,000 to a veteran aged 65 or older with a rating of at least 10 percent, regardless of where the percentage falls on the main schedule.

Can I claim this and the general homestead exemption?

Yes — those are different exemptions and they stack. What you cannot do is claim both §11.22 and §11.131 on the same homestead.

File anyway. §11.439 lets the chief appraiser accept a late application up to five years after the delinquency date.

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Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption of $5,000 to $12,000

A flat exemption off the appraised value of any one property you own — $5,000 at a 10% rating rising to $12,000 at 70%. It does not have to be your home.

Verified August 17, 2026

What this benefit is

A flat exemption off the appraised value of one property, on a four-step schedule tied to your disability rating: $5,000 at 10 to 29 percent, $7,500 at 30 to 49, $10,000 at 50 to 69, and $12,000 at 70 and above.

Unlike every other veteran exemption in the chapter, this one is not limited to your home. It can attach to any single property you own.

What it's worth: $5,000 to $12,000 off the appraised value of one property

This is money off your appraised VALUE, not off your tax bill. At a typical combined Texas rate of about $1.40 per $100, the $12,000 exemption is worth roughly $170 a year.
The computed figure uses your county government rate only. Applied against your full combined rate including school district, it is worth several times more.
The schedule is $5,000 at 10-29%, $7,500 at 30-49%, $10,000 at 50-69%, and $12,000 at 70% and above.

Who is entitled to it

A veteran with a service-connected disability rating of at least 10 percent,
or a veteran aged 65 or older with a rating of at least 10 percent, who takes the top $12,000 regardless of band,
or a veteran who has lost the use of one or more limbs, or is totally blind in one or both eyes, who also takes the top $12,000 at any rating.

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

It is money off your value, not off your bill

A $12,000 exemption does not save you $12,000. It removes $12,000 from the value your rate is applied to. At a typical combined Texas rate of around $1.40 per $100 that is roughly $170 a year — real money, worth claiming, and about seventy times smaller than the number looks. This is the single most over-stated figure in published Texas veteran benefit summaries. The related trap: where the total exemption under §11.131 is open to you, claim that instead. You cannot stack the two on the same homestead and §11.131 is worth vastly more.

How to claim it

Deadline: April 30

1Get a VA letter showing your combined rating.
2File Form 50-135 with your county appraisal district.
3If you own more than one property, pick the one with the highest tax rate — the exemption attaches to one property only.

Form: 50-135
File with: Your county appraisal district
Documents you will need: va disability award letter · dd214
Stays in place once granted: Tell the district when your rating changes — a rating increase can move you up a bracket.; A district may ask you to re-apply periodically to confirm you still qualify. Answer that letter.

You can file before your VA letter arrives.

A late application is accepted up to five years after the delinquency date for that year's taxes. Five years, not two.

Walk me through it

Common mistakes that cost people this benefit

Reading $12,000 as $12,000 saved.
Claiming this when §11.131 is open to you. Different form, hugely different value.
Attaching it to the wrong property. It goes on one property only — pick the one with the highest combined tax rate.
Not telling the district when your rating goes up. A rise from 60 to 70 percent moves you from $10,000 to $12,000, and nothing happens automatically.
Thinking the age-65 route needs a high rating. It needs 10 percent, and it pays at the top bracket.

This one unlocks

Pay Your Property Tax in Four Instalments, Penalty-Free

Worth knowingThis is the only Texas veteran property tax exemption that is not tied to your home. It attaches to any one property you own — a rental, a lot, a second home. Every other exemption in this chapter requires a residence homestead.

Worth knowingWhere the total exemption under §11.131 is open to you, take that instead. You cannot stack the two on the same homestead, and §11.131 is worth vastly more.

Questions people ask

Can I claim this on a rental property?: Yes. This is the one Texas veteran exemption that is not tied to a residence homestead. It attaches to any one property you own.
I am 66 and rated 20%. Which bracket am I in?: The top one. §11.22(b) gives $12,000 to a veteran aged 65 or older with a rating of at least 10 percent, regardless of where the percentage falls on the main schedule.
Can I claim this and the general homestead exemption?: Yes — those are different exemptions and they stack. What you cannot do is claim both §11.22 and §11.131 on the same homestead.
I am past April 30.: File anyway. §11.439 lets the chief appraiser accept a late application up to five years after the delinquency date.

Sources

authority · statuteTex. Tax Code §11.22
operating · published policyTexas Comptroller — Disabled Veteran and Surviving Spouse Exemptions FAQ
operating · formForm 50-135, Disabled Veteran's or Survivor's Exemption Application

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