If your home or business was damaged in the July 2025 floods, you could qualify for major tax relief — but deadlines are fast approaching.
The devastating floods that swept through Central Texas over the July 4th holiday hit communities hard — especially in Kerr County and surrounding areas. While many families focus on rebuilding, Texas law offers some important financial relief that shouldn’t be overlooked: temporary disaster property tax exemptions.
Governor Abbot announced a disaster and, on July 6th President Trump approved federal disaster assistance as part of a Major Disaster Declaration.
The counties included in Governor Abbott’s expanded Disaster Declaration include Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Travis, and Williamson. The counties in the Governor’s original declaration include Bandera, Coke, Comal, Concho, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Reeves, San Saba, and Tom Green.
This disaster-related exemption, established under Texas Tax Code Section 11.35, could significantly reduce your 2025 property tax bill — but only if you apply in time. You must apply for the exemption not later than the 105th day after the date the governor declares the area a disaster area.
What Is the Disaster Property Tax Exemption?
Created after Hurricane Harvey in 2019, the exemption provides temporary tax relief to property owners whose homes or buildings were physically damaged during a governor-declared disaster. This is not automatic — you must file an application with your appraisal district within 105 days of the disaster declaration.
What Types of Property Qualify for the Disaster Exemption?
You may be eligible if your property falls into one of these categories:
- Residential structures (e.g., house, garage)
- Manufactured homes used as dwellings
- Business personal property (e.g., equipment, inventory) that was rendered and reported to the county
- Only physical damage counts — not economic losses like reduced income or market value decline
Note: The land itself is not eligible — only the damaged improvements (structures) are.
Is my Property in an Eligible County?
As of now, 30 Texas counties are eligible due to the July 2025 floods. Below the names of the counties, date of disaster declaration and their websites. All counties have a deadline of mid October so we recommend you apply by October 1st, 2025 to ensure you don’t miss the deadline.
| County | Declaration Date | Website |
| Bandera | July 4th 2025 | https://bancad.org |
| Bexar | July 5th, 2025 | https://bcad.org/ |
| Burnet | July 5th, 2025 | https://burnet-cad.org |
| Caldwell | July 5th, 2025 | https://caldwellcad.org |
| Coke | July 4th 2025 | https://cokecad.org |
| Comal | July 4th 2025 | https://comalad.org |
| Concho | July 4th 2025 | https://conchocad.org |
| Edwards | July 22nd, 2025 | https://www.edwardscad.org |
| Gillespie | July 4th 2025 | https://gillespiecad.org |
| Guadalupe | July 5th, 2025 | https://guadalupead.org |
| Hamilton | July 16th, 2025 | https://hamiltoncad.org |
| Kendall | July 4th 2025 | https://kendallad.org |
| Kerr | July 4th 2025 | https://kerrcad.org |
| Kimble | July 4th 2025 | https://kimblecad.org |
| Kinney | July 22nd, 2025 | https://kinneycad.org |
| Lampasas | July 16th, 2025 | https://lampasascad.com |
| Llano | July 4th 2025 | https://llanocad.net |
| Mason | July 4th 2025 | https://masoncad.org |
| Maverick | July 16th, 2025 | https://www.maverickcad.org |
| McCulloch | July 4th 2025 | mcculloch cad |
| Menard | July 4th 2025 | https://www.menardcad.org |
| Real | July 22nd, 2025 | https://realcad.org |
| Reeves | July 4th 2025 | https://www.reevescountytax.org |
| San Saba | July 4th 2025 | https://www.sansabacad.org |
| Schleicher | July 22nd, 2025 | https://schleichercad.org |
| Sutton | July 16th, 2025 | https://suttoncad.com |
| Tom Green | July 4th 2025 | https://iswdataclient.azurewebsites.net/webindex.aspx?dbkey=TOMGREENCAD&time=202508061115058 |
| Travis | July 5th, 2025 | https://traviscad.org |
| Uvalde | July 16th, 2025 | https://uvaldecad.org |
| Williamson | July 5th, 2025 | https://www.wcad.org |
How Do I Know If I Qualify?
To qualify, your damage must equal at least 15% of your structure’s value (not including land). Here’s how to check:
- Find your improvement value on your appraisal notice.
- Add up damage costs (use estimates, receipts, or insurance reports).
- Divide damage costs by improvement value.
Example:
If your home’s improvement value is $200,000 and your damage totals $35,000:
$35,000 ÷ $200,000 = 17.5% → You qualify.
Pro tip: Use Travis County’s Disaster Exemption Calculator to estimate eligibility, even if you are not located in Travis County.
Note: Please understand that landscaping, pools, fences can’t be included in the cost to repair value.
How Much Relief Could I Get?
Your level of damage determines the percentage of tax exemption applied:
| Level | Damage Range | Exemption | Description |
| I | 15–29.99% | 15% | Minor damage, still usable |
| II | 30–59.99% | 30% | Water damage <18″ |
| III | 60–99.99% | 60% | Major structural damage, >18″ water |
| IV | 100% | 100% | Total loss |
The exemption is prorated based on how many days are left in the tax year after the disaster declaration.
Example:
A Kerr County homeowner with $200,000 in improvement value and Level II damage (30%) declared on July 5 (180 days left in year):
$200,000 x 0.30 = $60,000 → $60,000 x (180 ÷ 365) ≈ $29,580 exemption
Note: Photos documenting the waterline will have a significant impact on your tax relief.
How Do I Apply For a Property Tax Disaster Exemption?
You must submit Texas Comptroller Form 50-312 with documentation by your county’s deadline. Include:
- Photos of the damage with dates and waterline measurements
- Repair estimates
- Insurance adjuster reports
- FEMA inspection reports (if applicable)
Submit your form to your county appraisal district by Wednesday October 1st , 2025.
What Happens After You File For Your Exemption?
Once submitted:
- The appraisal district will review your claim.
- You’ll receive a written decision.
- If approved after you’ve already paid, you’ll receive a refund.
- If denied or under-assessed, you can file a protest with the Appraisal Review Board.
Note; please remember this is a temporary exemption and it does expire on January 1st 2026.
Other Disaster-Related Tax Help
In addition to the temporary exemption, Texans in disaster zones may also qualify for:
- Installment plans: Pay property taxes in 4 interest-free payments.
- Continued homestead exemption while you rebuild.
- Sales tax exemption on labor for repairs.
- Federal relief: IRS deadlines extended to Feb. 2, 2026, for affected areas.
- Production related claims are handled by the USDA and are not a part of the exemption tax relief
How Home Tax Shield Can Help
At Home Tax Shield, we help Texas property owners navigate exemptions and protests — including disaster relief. We can walk you through:
- Confirming eligibility
- Estimating savings
- Filling out your exemption application
- Gathering supporting documentation
We stand with the homeowners and small businesses impacted by the devastating floods across Central Texas. If you need help navigating your 2025 property tax relief options, we’re here to support you — at no cost.
The disaster exemption process can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re focused on recovery. If you’re unsure whether you qualify or what documentation you need, Home Tax Shield is here to help, free of charge.
We work with Texas property owners to understand disaster exemption rules, meet critical deadlines, and avoid common filing mistakes. Whether you just need a second set of eyes on your application or more hands-on support, don’t hesitate to reach out.
You can connect with us through our website chat, signing up for a free online workshop or by emailing exemptions@hometaxshield.com.
You focus on recovery — we’ll help take care of the paperwork.