Farmland and Ranchland Can Be Taxed on Productivity, Not Market Value

Texas law lets qualifying farm or ranch land be taxed on its productivity value. That means the tax is based on what the land can earn, not its full market price. In Grimes County, where land values near Houston have risen, this difference can be large.

To qualify, the land must have been in agricultural use for at least five of the past seven years. Cattle ranching is the main agricultural use in Grimes County today. Timber and wildlife management can also qualify.

Apply through the Grimes County Appraisal District at grimescad.org. The Texas Comptroller's site has the official forms and the full rules.