Missed Your Homestead Exemption? How to Claim Past Years

Who this is for

Common reasons a homeowner pays without an exemption they qualified for:

• You bought the home and never filed Form 50-114, or assumed the title company or lender did it.
• You turned 65 or became disabled and the extra exemption was never added.
• You're a disabled veteran and didn't know about the exemptions for your rating.
• The district asked you to reapply and the exemption lapsed when you didn't.

Your notice of appraised value and your tax bill list the exemptions on your property. You can also search your property on your appraisal district's website. In Travis County, that's TCAD's property search. For what each exemption is worth, see the homestead exemption guide.

How far back you can go

For a residence homestead exemption, including the 65+ and disabled exemptions, the appraisal district must accept a late application filed no later than two years after the delinquency date for the taxes on the home (Tax Code §11.431(a)). Taxes are delinquent if not paid before February 1 of the year after they're imposed (§31.02), unless the bill went out late.

As of October 2026, that generally works out like this:

If you qualified in 2024 and haven't claimed it, file soon. Comptroller Form 50-114 describes the window as two years after the filing deadline, which is earlier than the statute's delinquency date, so don't wait for the last week.

Disabled veterans can apply late for the §11.22, §11.131, or §11.132 exemptions up to five years after the delinquency date (§11.439). As of October 2026, that generally reaches back to the 2021 tax year. Surviving spouses applying under §11.131 or §11.132 have two years. See the disabled veteran exemption guide.

You must have qualified in each year you claim: you owned the home and lived in it as your principal residence on January 1, or met the rules for buying mid-year. For the 65+ exemption, the year you turned 65 counts in full (§11.42(c)).

How the refund works

If the late application is approved after the appraisal roll for that year was approved, the chief appraiser notifies the tax collector for each taxing unit within 30 days (Tax Code §11.431(b)). If you haven't paid yet, the collector takes the exempted amount off your bill. If you have paid, the collector refunds the tax on the exempted amount to the person who owned the property when the tax was paid, within 60 days of being notified. You don't need to apply for the refund separately.

How to claim past years

1. Check which years were missing the exemption on your notices, tax bills, or the appraisal district's property search.
2. Fill out Form 50-114. At the top, answer "Yes" to "Are you filing a late application?" and list each tax year you're claiming. Check every exemption you qualify for. Disabled veterans claiming the partial exemption use Form 50-135, which has the same late application question.
3. Attach your documents: a copy of your Texas driver's license or state ID with the home's address, and any proof the exemption needs, such as a VA rating letter or a Social Security disability award.
4. File with your appraisal district and keep proof of when you filed. There's no fee. If the district asks for more information, you have 30 days to provide it (§11.45).
5. Watch for the refund from the tax collector, or a corrected bill if you haven't paid.

If the district denies your application, you can protest the denial to the appraisal review board (Tax Code §41.41).

If an exemption was removed by mistake

If the district wrongly denied or cancelled a 65+, disabled, surviving spouse, 100% disabled veteran, or disabled veteran exemption, the chief appraiser can correct the roll at any time (Tax Code §25.25(b)). Contact the appraisal district, explain what happened, and ask for the correction in writing. For other kinds of errors in your record, see fixing errors in your appraisal record.