SECTION 9.415. Applications for Property Tax Exemptions

(a) With the application for exemption for residence homesteads, the appraisal office shall:

(1) provide a list of taxing units served by the appraisal district, together with all residential homestead exemptions each offers; or

(2) provide the appraisal district's name and appraisal district's phone number on the form, with an instruction that the property owner may call the appraisal district to determine what homestead exemptions are offered by the property owner's taxing units.

(b) If the chief appraiser learns of the death of a person qualified for over-65 or disabled homestead exemptions (Tax Code, §11.13) and it appears that the person's spouse has acquired ownership of the homestead, the chief appraiser should require the surviving spouse to file a new homestead exemption application. Based on the information provided in the new application, the chief appraiser shall determine whether the surviving spouse qualifies for homestead exemptions, including over-65 or disabled exemptions, and whether the surviving spouse may retain the tax ceiling for school tax purposes established on the homestead by the decedent.

(c) The comptroller may prescribe forms for use in the administration of the ad valorem tax exemptions. The prescribed forms will not be adopted by rule unless required by statute. If a form is prescribed for a particular purpose, the content of a form used by the appraisal district must comply with the most recently prescribed form as of the date specified.

Source Note: The provisions of this §9.415 adopted to be effective December 13, 1996, 21 TexReg 11819; amended to be effective February 2, 1998, 23 TexReg 796; amended to be effective May 4, 1998, 23 TexReg 4319; amended to be effective March 9, 2000, 25 TexReg 1879; amended to be effective April 3, 2002, 27 TexReg 2535; amended to be effective March 28, 2004, 29 TexReg 2921; amended to be effective December 5, 2005, 30 TexReg 8176; amended to be effective February 26, 2008, 33 TexReg 1601; amended to be effective January 3, 2010, 34 TexReg 9473