Pay Your Property Tax in Four Instalments, Penalty-Free
A disabled veteran who qualifies for the §11.22 exemption can split the homestead tax bill into four equal payments with no penalty and no interest.
Verified August 17, 2026
What this benefit is
A disabled veteran who qualifies for the §11.22 exemption can pay the property tax on their homestead in four equal instalments instead of one — with no penalty and no interest.
It does not reduce the bill. It changes when the bill is due, which for a household on a fixed income is frequently the part that decides whether the bill gets paid at all.
What it's worth: Four equal payments instead of one, with no penalty or interest
- This does not reduce the tax. It changes when you pay it, which for a fixed income is often the part that actually matters.
- With a February 1 delinquency date the instalments fall before February 1, April 1, June 1 and August 1.
Who is entitled to it
- A disabled veteran who qualifies for the §11.22 exemption, or their unmarried surviving spouse,
- a partially disabled veteran with a charity-donated home under §11.132, or their unmarried surviving spouse,
- on their residence homestead.
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
The written notice is the whole thing
This is not an application you file once and forget. You elect it each year by HOW you pay: the first quarter must arrive before the delinquency date, and it must be accompanied by written notice that you are paying the balance in three equal instalments. A veteran who simply pays a quarter of the bill and waits has, as far as the tax office is concerned, underpaid — and penalty and interest start running on the rest. Send the notice with the payment, in writing, every year.
How to claim it
Deadline: Before the delinquency date, usually February 1- 1Secure your §11.22 or §11.132 exemption first.
- 2Pay the first quarter before the delinquency date, and send written notice with it that you are electing to pay the balance in three equal instalments.
- 3Diary the other three dates. Missing one loses the protection for the rest of the year.
- File with
- Your county tax assessor-collector
- Documents you will need
- proof of exemption · tax bill
- You must re-file every year
- You elect this each year by how you pay. The first instalment must arrive before the delinquency date WITH written notice that you are paying the rest in three instalments — paying early without the notice does not start it.
Common mistakes that cost people this benefit
- Paying a quarter without the written notice. That is an underpayment, not an instalment election.
- Missing one of the later dates. With a February 1 delinquency date they fall before February 1, April 1, June 1 and August 1, and missing one loses the protection for the rest of the year.
- Assuming it renews. You elect it annually.
- Looking for this if you hold the §11.131 total exemption. Your homestead tax is already zero — there is nothing to instalment.
Get this one first
Questions people ask
- Does this save me money?
- Not directly — you pay the same tax. What it saves is the penalty and interest you would otherwise face for paying late, and the cash-flow problem of a single large bill.
- What if I miss the third payment?
- The protection is lost for the remainder of that year and the normal delinquency consequences apply to what is outstanding. Diary all four dates when you send the first one.
Sources
- authority · statuteTex. Tax Code §31.031
- operating · published policyTexas Comptroller — Property Tax Payment Options
This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.