Each Texas county is served by an appraisal district that determines the value of all of the county’s real and personal property. Generally, a local government that collects property taxes, such as a county, city and school district, is a member of the appraisal district.
Texas property taxes are ad valorem taxes, Latin for according to value. Appraisal districts are charged with determining property value for the purpose of taxation by the taxing entities. The taxes collected each year are used to provide local services such as schools, roads, hospitals and services like fire and police departments.
The property value is one of three parts used in the calculation of a tax bill. Each taxing entity relies on the appraisal district to identify and set a value for the taxable property in the areas that they provide service. In April, the appraisal district will produce these records and send notices to the property owners. At the end of July each year, the appraisal district will certify the values to the taxing entities. Once a certified value is available, the taxing entities will adopt a budget required to provide their services and adopt a tax rate to collect that budget from the properties in that service area.
Taxing entities are the local government entities such as cities, hospital districts, junior colleges, and municipal utility districts. Taxing entities provide services to the taxpayers they service such as schools, roads, police, fire, and other services taxpayers expect.
An exemption removes a part of your property value from taxation.
If you own your home, reside in the home as your primary residence, and do not claim an exemption elsewhere, you may qualify for a General Residence Homestead Exemption. If you qualify for a homestead exemption and are over the age of 65, you qualify for an additional exemption base on your age. There are also special exemptions for disabled homeowners, disabled Veterans, and their survivors. To learn more about exemptions qualifications, please visit the “Tax Information” tab and click on the “Do You Qualify For a Property Tax Exemption?” link.
You may visit the “Forms” tab and download the desired exemption application. You can also call the Appraisal District at 210-242-2432 to request that a form be mailed to you. Once completed, and the required document(s) are attached, you can use any of the following methods to deliver it to us:
1) Mail it to: PO Box 830248, San Antonio, TX 78283
2) Email it to: cs@bcad.org
3) Drop it off in the drop box located in front of our building at 411 N. Frio St., San Antonio, TX 78207
4) You also have the option of applying online by using our online portal, however, you will need to set up an account to do so. Please visit the “Online Services” tab for further information.
There is no fee to file and you do not have to hire anyone to file for you.
No, you do not have to reapply unless the chief appraiser requests a new application in writing or you move to a new residence.
Yes, you will need to include a copy of your title to the mobile home or a verified copy of your purchase contract with the exemption form.
No, you may only receive a homestead exemption on your primary residence.
If you currently hold exemption(s) on a property but have moved to a new home, you must remove your exemption(s) from your prior home and apply for new exemptions at your new home.
If your prior home is in Bexar County, you may include a note requesting removal for a specific tax year, or complete the Cancellation of Exemptions Form and include that with your new application.
If moving from a home that is not in Bexar County, you must request removal of exemption(s) from your prior appraisal district. Once removed, you are free to apply with Bexar Appraisal District for your new homestead exemption.
If moving from a home in Texas, and you held an Over-65 exemption in that prior county, please request a Tax Ceiling Certificate from your previous appraisal district. This will ensure the best possible discount is applied.
You may apply at any time during the year you turn 65 years of age. You will receive the exemption for the full year.
If we have the owner’s date of birth on file, we will automatically add the exemption to the account. If you are unsure if we have that information on file for you, please contact us at (210)242-2432.
Yes, if you occupy or utilize a portion of the business as your primary residence and are not claiming a General Homestead exemption anywhere else, you may qualify for a Homestead apportionment.
No, often organizations mistakenly believe they are entitled to a property tax exemption because they have received a federal income tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or an exemption from State sales taxes. The Constitutional requirements for property tax exemptions are different than the provisions covering income and sales taxes. A non-profit organization may qualify for a total exemption from property taxes, but they must apply by April 30th. Refer to the Forms page for exemption applications and requirements.
You may fill out the change of address form or simply make the request in writing. Either way, the request must be made in writing by the property owner or the agent. Please note, if you are making the request for multiple properties, you will need to list every account that needs the mailing address updated in your request.
Once complete, you can use any of the following methods to deliver the request to us:
1) Submit the form/written request by mail to PO Box 830243, San Antonio, TX 78283
2) Drop off the form/written request to the drop box located in front of our building at 411 N. Frio St.
San Antonio, TX 78207
3) Email the form/written request to CS@bcad.org
If the deed has been filed with the County Clerk’s office, we will eventually receive it and process the ownership transfer accordingly. However, to expedite the process, you may call us and provide the recorded document number, or e-mail us a scanned copy of the document at CS@bcad.org.
You can contact us at (210)242-2432 or email us at CS@bcad.org to discuss the discrepancy. We will need to research the records we have on file for the account before making any changes.
The situs address is the physical address of a property. The appraisal district does not assign the situs address. This information is obtained through authoritative records provided by the City of San Antonio and/or City Public Service.
If you feel we have the incorrect info listed for a particular property, please notify us of the correct address info via phone call at 210-242-2432 or email us at CS@bcad.org. In some instances, we are able to verify the correct address through the authoritative records. If your property is within the City of San Antonio, we can verify through their online mapping system. If you are outside the City of San Antonio, we may need to contact CPS to verify
Yes. You can make the request by filling out this form and return to CS@bcad.org. You may also mail the completed form to PO Box 830248, San Antonio, TX 78283 or even drop off to the drop box located in front of our building at 411 N. Frio St., San Antonio, TX 78207. Be sure to include your contact information in case we need to contact you about your request.
Generally for residential property, the appraised value of your property is an estimate of what the appraisal district believes your property would most likely sell for on January 1st of the current year. We calculate this estimate by analyzing current sales in your neighborhood and comparing your home to those homes that sold as well as considerations of size, classification, and depreciation due to its condition and age. The appraisal district may use three common methods to value property: market, cost and income approach.
Fair market value means the price at which a property would transfer for cash or its equivalent under prevailing market conditions if exposed for sale in the open market with a reasonable time for the seller to find a purchaser. Both the seller and the purchaser know all of the uses and purposes to which the property is adapted and for which it is capable of being used and of the enforceable restrictions on its use. Both the seller and the purchaser seek to maximize their gains and neither is in a position to take advantage of the exigencies of the other.
In real estate, there’s no better indication of market value or how much a property is truly worth than what someone has decided to pay for a property or what somebody has decided to sell the same property for, assuming the buyer and seller were represented by real estate professionals, the property was listed and marketed out in the open market and open to attract multiple offers, and neither the buyer or the seller is in a position to take advantage of the each other
Property value information can be obtained by visiting the Property Search tab and performing a search of your property, or by calling our office at (210)242-2432.
The Notice of Appraised Value contains a description of your property, its current value, the exemptions and an estimate of taxes that might be owed. A notice is generated if the value of your property has increased by more than $1,000 from the previous year or if your property is new and was not appraised in the previous year.
The Chief Appraiser sends out a detailed Notice of Appraised Value to property owners and/or the agent of record annually, usually by April 15th.
Yes, you may refer to the Property Search tab and perform a search for your property; the notice will be available in your options. If you have an account on our online services portal, you can access the notice there. You can also call our office at (210)242-2432 or email us at CS@bcad.org to request a copy.
Value changes may occur for several reasons. As it pertains to residential property, often sales information may indicate the current appraised value is lower/higher than fair market. Also, corrections to appraisal records may affect value, such as: change in square footage, a pool not previously accounted for, or a correction of a property characteristic. As it pertains to commerical property, the preferred valuation method on income producing properties is the Income approach. This means we must survey and collect the most current market rental rates in the area, occupancy rates, typical market expense ratios and cap rates in order to accurately estimate a property’s net operating income.
Your property’s assessed value is not the same as its market value. The market value of your property may increase or decrease by any amount year-to-year. If you have a General Homestead exemption on your property, the increase in your assessed value is limited from year-to-year to 10% as long as changes have not been made that add new value (such as a new improvement addition).
Effective January 1, 2024, a 20% limit on the annual increase will be set on the appraisal of non-homestead real property. As per Texas Tax Code Section 23.231, the circuit breaker limitation:
Qualifying properties will carry two values: the circuit breaker cap value, which is the value that taxes are based on (Appraised Cap Value), and the market value, which is the actual value of the property.
Example: The appraised value of your qualifying real property was $100,000 last year. This year, the Appraisal District appraises you property at $125,000. Since last year, no new improvements or additions have been made to the property.
The circuit breaker value is calculated as follows: $100,000 X 20% = $20,000 + $100,000 = $120,000
Your taxes will be based on the circuit breaker value of $120,000; however, the market value of your property will remain at $125,000.
Currently, the circuit breaker limitation only applies to the 2024, 2025, and 2026 tax years. You must own the property for an entire year before being eligible for the 20% limitation. Should you sell the property, the limitation will be removed, and the current market value will be reinstated. An application is not required as the Bexar Appraisal District will apply and calculate these benefits automatically for applicable years.
If you received a Notice of Appraised Value, a protest form will be included for your convenience. You can also download a Notice of Protest form by visiting the Forms tab. You can also submit a written statement indicating your desire to protest. Completed protest forms can be:
1) Mailed to: PO Box 830248, San Antonio, TX 78283
2) Emailed to: cs@bcad.org
3) Dropped off in the drop box located in front of our building at 411 N. Frio St., San Antonio, TX 78207
4) You also have the option of e-filing a protest by using our online portal, however, you will need to set up an account to do so. Please visit the “Online Services” tab for further information and instructions.
Generally, the deadline is May 15th each year OR 30 days after receiving a Notice of Appraised Value. The deadline date is printed on the notice for your reference.
Per the Texas Property Tax Code, market value is the only value permitted to be protested with the appraisal district. Assessed value is a statutory calculation based on the previous year’s assessed value and cannot be protested.
No, the appraisal district determines market value and has no control over the tax rates or resulting tax bill.
You will be scheduled to discuss the issues of your protest with representatives of the appraisal district and/or the Appraisal Review Board and a final determination will be made.
Once your hearing has been scheduled, we will mail a Notice of Protest Hearing letter at least 15 days before the scheduled formal hearing date. Included with that letter will be a copy of Property Taxpayer’s Remedies (a publication of the State Comptroller’s Office), a copy of the ARB hearing procedures, and a statement that you have the right to inspect the information that the Appraisal District plans to introduce at your hearing, referred to as evidence.
An informal meeting is scheduled prior to the formal hearing. Your participation is optional but here you will have the option to discuss the appraised value of your home solely with an appraiser from the Appraisal District. If you and the appraiser (appraisal district) can come to an agreement on your protest case, your case will be considered closed and you will not have to appear before the Appraisal Review Board for the formal hearing. This will be the final determination on the case. You do not have the option to take further action if you are unsatisified with the outcome. If you cannot come to an agreement with the appraiser or you choose not to participate in the informal meeting, you will need to attend your scheduled formal hearing and present your case to the ARB who will make the final decision on the case. A formal hearing before the ARB is conducted very much like a court case. The ARB sets its own procedures with guidelines from the State Comptroller’s Office. Generally, ARB panels are three-member panels, but may be less. Typically, after formal introduction of the parties and the property involved, the ARB will hear evidence from the property owner and the Appraisal District and make a judgment based on the evidence presented. Each party, the property owner and the Appraisal District appraiser, will have approximately 3-5 minutes to present their case and evidence at the hearing. Most ARB hearings take approximately 15 minutes and the property owner will know the ARB’s recommendation before they leave the hearing. After a recommendation is made by the ARB panel and subsequently approved by a quorum of the entire Board, a written Notice of Final Order is sent by certified mail to you or your agent. This decision is binding for the current tax year unless you file under binding arbitration, appeal to SOAH or appeal to District Court.
The Appraisal Review Board is a group of private citizens authorized to resolve disputes between taxpayers and the appraisal district. Although the ARB is funded by the Appraisal District, they are appointed by the CAD Board of Directors. The ARB is a separate authoritative body. No employees or officers of the Appraisal District or the taxing units it serves may sit on the ARB. To qualify for service on the ARB, an individual must be a resident of the Appraisal District for at least two years prior to taking office. Any person who is a former member of the governing body or officer or employee of a taxing unit, or is a former director, officer, or employee of the Appraisal District is ineligible to serve. Also the person’s close relatives cannot work as professional tax agents or tax appraisers within the Appraisal District. ARB members also must comply with special conflict of interest laws.