Round Rock Homestead Exemption 2026: File and Save
New in Round Rock? File Your Homestead Exemption Before You Overpay
You just got the keys to your first home in Round Rock. Congrats. Now here's one small step that saves you real cash every single year.
Texas raised the school-district homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000. That change came from SB 4 and Prop 13, which voters passed in November 2025. It's been in effect since the 2025 tax year, so it already applies to your 2026 bill. Seniors 65 and up and owners with disabilities get even more, a combined $200,000 in school exemptions.
What does that mean for your wallet? The median Texas property tax bill is about $4,111. A homestead exemption can cut that by $2,500 or more, depending on your home and your taxing districts.
Here's the part people miss. If you already had the exemption on your home, the increase applies on its own. You don't lift a finger. But if you're brand new to the home, like most first-time buyers, it is not automatic. You have to file.
Not sure if it's already on your home? You can check the property record on the Williamson County appraisal district website, or look at your appraisal notice or tax bill. Both list the exemptions on your home. If the homestead exemption is there, you're set and the higher amount already applied. If it's not, that's your sign to file.
You file Form 50-114, the Application for Residence Homestead Exemption, with the Williamson County appraisal district. You do it once for that home. Try to file by April 30, but a new buyer who files mid-year is still fine. The exemption is pro-rated from the day you move in as your main home, and late applications are accepted for up to two years.
Bought your home partway through the year? You still qualify. The seller's exemption doesn't pass to you, so you have to file in your own name. But since a 2022 change in Texas law, a new owner can get a pro-rated exemption for the same year they buy, not just the next January. So if you closed in June, you can file now and get the exemption for the rest of 2026.
How much you save this first year depends on the seller. If they didn't have a homestead exemption on the home, you get a pro-rated exemption from your closing date. If they did have one, that exemption stays on the home for the rest of the year, and your own kicks in fully in 2027. Either way, file now so it's locked in. Bring your Texas driver's license with the home's address on it, and there's no fee to file.
There's a second reason this matters. The homestead exemption also caps how much your taxable value can rise. Your assessed value can't jump more than 10% in one year once the exemption is on. In a market where values move fast, that cap protects you.
This is exactly the kind of step that falls through the cracks after closing. You're busy moving boxes and picking paint. That's why I help my buyers file it right after we close. I'm your Realtor and your loan officer, so I stay with you past the closing table, not just up to it.
I'll walk you through the form, the deadline, and what to expect on your first tax bill, in plain words, no rush.
I put together a free one-page guide that walks you through filing, step by step, for both Williamson and Travis county. Want a copy? Text me the word HOMESTEAD and I'll send it right to your phone.
Ai Tran, Realtor and Loan Officer Round Rock, TX 512-300-8611 https://www.AiTTran.com
