Texans who are age 65 or older or who are disabled as defined by law may postpone paying current and delinquent property taxes on their homes by signing a tax deferral affidavit at the Harris County Appraisal District office. Once the affidavit is on file, taxes are deferred – but not cancelled – as long as the owner continues to qualify for the exemption. Taxes accumulate with 5 percent interest per year. The law extends […]
Harris County Appraisal District
Harris County Appraisal District Wins National Award
The Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) won the IDC Smart Cities North America Award presented by International Data Corporation. The appraisal district won the award in 2020 in the local IT innovation category, but the pandemic delayed the awards presentation until this year. HCAD won the award for its homestead exemption audit project. The project reviewed and updated all the exemption records using a new technology that examined exemption filings combined with public records data, […]
Harris County Appraisal District Named A Top Houston Workplace
HCAD Recognized As Top Workplace 5 Years In A Row The Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) has been selected as a Top Workplace in the Houston metropolitan area by the Houston Chronicle for the fifth consecutive year. “Being named a Top Workplace in the Houston area for the fifth year in a row is an amazing honor that we were able to achieve because of our employees,” said Roland Altinger, chief appraiser. “There are not […]
Harris County Appraisal District Wins International Award
The Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) won the 2021 Distinguished Assessment Jurisdiction Award presented by the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO). The award was presented at the annual IAAO conference September 1 in recognition of HCAD’s creation and development of its remote hearings option in 2020. HCAD created the remote hearings option at the beginning of the pandemic to allow property owners to have a hearing before the Appraisal Review Board in their own […]
Harris County Appraisal District Mails Property Value Notices
The Harris County Appraisal District has mailed property value notices to many residential property owners and is following with commercial and industrial value notices. “We are seeing a large number of residential and commercial properties in Harris County increasing in value this year,” said Roland Altinger, chief appraiser. “Residential properties are in high demand and have gone up about 8 – 10 percent in value, and commercial properties are following along the same lines with […]
HCAD Encourages Homeowners to Take Advantage of Homestead Exemptions
The Harris County Appraisal District is encouraging homeowners to make sure they have the homestead exemptions they are entitled to. “One of the easiest ways a homeowner can lower their property tax bill is to file a homestead exemption,” said Roland Altinger, chief appraiser. A homestead is generally the house and land used as the owner’s principal residence on Jan. 1 of the tax year. “Homestead exemptions can reduce the appraised value of your home, […]
Harris County Appraisal District Mails Property Value Notices
The Harris County Appraisal District has mailed property value notices to many residential property owners and is following with commercial and industrial value notices. “We are seeing a large number of residential and commercial properties in Harris County increasing in value this year,” said Roland Altinger, chief appraiser. “Residential properties are in high demand and have gone up about 8 – 10 percent in value, and commercial properties are following along the same lines with […]
Harris County Appraisal District Reminds Property Owners of Disaster Exemption
The Harris County Appraisal District is reminding property owners who have experienced physical damage to their property during the recent freezing temperatures to apply for a temporary disaster exemption. “The recent cold winter weather has caused physical damage to many properties in the area, and I want to remind everyone of the disaster exemption that is available to help those owners.” said Roland Altinger, chief appraiser. “A change in state law since Hurricane Harvey now […]
HCAD Offers Virtual Business Personal Property Rendition Help
The Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) has begun the process of mailing personal property rendition forms to businesses known to have been operating in Harris County during 2020. The appraisal district will continue offering its free workshop sessions to help business owners complete the required personal property rendition forms before the April 15 filing deadline. This year the district will conduct eight online workshops with individual sessions starting March 10. Registration is now open at www.hcad.org > Online […]
Agricultural Productivity Valuation Application Required
The Harris County Appraisal District is mailing agricultural applications to property owners in eight school districts to verify those owners still qualify for agricultural or timber productivity valuations. The application packet will come by certified mail requiring a receipt signature. Property owners must complete and return the application and the HCAD Agricultural/Timber User Questionnaire by April 30 in order to requalify for the agricultural/timber valuation. Separate applications must be filed for each account covered by […]