Farmland and Timberland Can Be Taxed at a Lower Rate

Texas lets farmland and timberland be taxed on productivity value, what the land can earn from farming or timber, instead of market value. San Augustine County sits in the East Texas Piney Woods, and much of it is working pine timber, so this special appraisal applies to a large share of the rural land here.

Timber production, cattle grazing, and crop cultivation can all qualify. The land usually must have been used for farming or timber for at least five of the last seven years. You apply at the San Augustine County Appraisal District at 122 N. Harrison St. in San Augustine, phone 936-275-3496, using the productivity-appraisal forms from the Texas Comptroller's office. The appraisal district is the local office that sets property values for tax purposes.

Be careful if you change how the land is used. If the land loses this lower appraisal, you may owe a rollback tax, which means paying back the tax savings for each of the previous three years plus interest. Check the rules with the appraisal district before you make any changes.