There are more than 3,900 local government entities in Texas that collect and spend residential and commercial property taxes. They include cities, counties, school districts and other special districts that local voters have authorized to collect and spend a specific tax amount for their operations.
All property taxes, regardless of who is collecting it and for what, are local. The state and federal governments do not get involved. In fact, Texas has no state property tax. Whatever taxes have been imposed will be collected by the local tax collector and distributed to the various local taxing entities.
Before looking at how to get some property tax relief Texas, you should know that this is how the local government provides services keeps the schools, hospitals and roads open, and pays for essential services and public facilities such as fire departments, parks, etc.
Before signing on the dotted line for one of the residential property loans Texas lenders offer, it would be advisable to figure out exactly how much property tax you will be liable for as the home owner. Visit the county property appraiser’s office and ask for the tax history of the property. Some counties allow people to see the records online too.
If you are buying the property as your primary residence, you may be eligible for a homestead exemption. Residential properties purchased as vacation homes or real estate investments do not get this exemption. However, there may be other exemptions available in special cases. Talk to a local real estate agent or broker and find out if there are any such exemptions available in the county regulations or municipal code.
Commercial properties won’t be getting any exemptions. In fact, as the property values climb, so will their taxes. Since the value of property in a commercial zone is more often than not likely to keep getting higher, the tax burden will also grow steadily. On a related note, rezoning can often cause a huge change in property tax levels. For instance, if a purely residential zone is rezoned to allow mixed-use developments, the values of all residential properties in and near the zone will shoot up high.
If you are unable to pay the tax at the moment, do not let it go unpaid. The penalties are inexplicably high, and may be as much as 47 percent in the first year alone. Letting it pile up like this can lead to seizure of the property or the taxing authority may get a tax lien that makes it impossible to sell or otherwise use the property to raise equity. Instead of getting bogged down in this mess, get a real estate tax loan and clear off the property tax dues.
The property tax loans Texas lenders offer differ for residential and commercial properties. Find Texas tax loan solutions that match your property and pay off the tax. You can pay it back it in installments along with your basic mortgage payments. The interest you pay is far less than the penalties and interest you pay the taxing authority, and you can live without fear of losing your property.